Black pig

I was looking at Tampopo’s menu and trying to figure what to have when I saw that they were offering black pig tonkatsu. Thoughts of black pig with it’s black meat danced in my head. I asked the waiter about the dish and he said it was good. Wanting to try something new, I didn’t hesitate and ordered it.

Black pig or Kurobuta pork is also known as the Berkshire pig, which originated from Britain. It is highly prized because of its outstanding quality, texture, and flavor. Frequently compared to Kobe beef, black pig is actually darker (reddish) and is well-marbled compared to any other pork.

As soon as my order arrived, I took a piece of my pork tonkatsu and placed it in my mouth. It was good. Actually, it was really good. The breading was different from what I’ve been accustomed to. It had the right amount of crunch without being too flaky. The meat wasn’t gamey as I had expected. It was very tender and more flavorful than ordinary pork. It was kinda sweet and went quite well with the mustard-wasabi sauce.

This was probably the best tonkatsu I’ve ever tasted.