Eatin' Out - Katsu-Hama

11 East 47th Street
btw 5th/Madison

As I wrap up my stint of working in midtown, some of my favorite lunch places over the past 6+ years must be acknowledged. This one's a old standard, carrying a $10 tonkatsu (deep fried pork cutlet) lunch special that can't be beat. Served along with the cutlets are miso soup, a small dish of japanese pickles, rice and a light cabbage salad. I've never had anything else here in the 25 times I've been, so who knows if the rest of it is any good. But I think the all-Japanese crowd that packs this place during lunch is a decent indicator that the rest of the menu is also tasty.

Enter the curtained door to the restaurant after passing through the Japanese take-out in front. You'll start by getting a mysterious dish full of sesame seeds that you smash up with a pestle, and then pour the brown dipping sauce into. Watch the japanese folks around you if confused. Grab some breaded pork and dip. Yum.