My Life in Meals

Hakata Tonton is a hidden gem in the heart of the West Village. You may walk by the unassuming storefront hundreds of times and never even really notice it. But inside awaits a truly unique take on what they proclaim to be “Japanese Soul Food”, in the form of small plates (aka tapa’s style). Hakata Tonton offers something much different from your usual Japanese sushi fare, as this restaurant is truly for the adventurous eater. Nearly every item on the menu is made with some part of a pig (or Ton in Japanese), with Pig’s feet being the house specialty. The most exciting part of dining at this venue is the stamp of approval by way of world renowned Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s signature on the wall to pay homage to the amazing food prepared by Hakata Tonton’s chef, Himi Okajima. Upon seeing that (and being seated at the very table Chef Nobu sat), I knew this place was going to be legit!

We started with the Tonton Salad, which contained mesclun, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, fried onions & fried garlic, topped of with shabu-shabu pork. The fried onions and garlic really make this salad burst with flavor. However, on this particular dish the pork component was just ok- nothing spectacular and lacking seasoning. None the less, I would still recommend this dish for the “salad” portion.

Next came the Spicy Tuna Carpaccio with scallions,  fried garlic chips, and spicy mayonnaise. This dish was so excellent that we ended up going through 3 plates of it between 4 people. All the flavors melded together in one perfect (and addictive) bite. Every other restaurant in New York offers up some take on this classic dish, but this was truly the best I have ever tasted. Like many of the restaurants other dishes, it’s also perfect for those trying to watch their carb intake.

We then moved on to Himi’s Famous Homemade Gyoza, which was different then most others I have had. We liked these because the dumpling wrapper was extremely crispy and thin, making it really delicious. The pork filler inside could have been more juicy and tender however. Next, we dug into the Tebasaki Chicken Wings with sesame sauce. These were our least favorite dish of the night; while they were juicy and cooked perfectly, they tasted like they were rubbed in peanut butter. Last time I was at Hakata Tonton we choose the alternative more spicy sauce (can’t remember the exact name) and those proved to be much more tasty.

Finally, we got to our last two dishes of the night. The Garlic Fried Rice and the Grilled Pork Tonsoku (pig’s feet!). The fried rice is infused with tons of garlic, chopped up pigs feet, scallions and cilantro. I’m a huge rice eater so I especially liked their take on traditional fried rice. We then attacked the house specialty, the Tonsoku, which was prepared w/scallions in a spicy yuzu paste and ponzu sauce. They were served four to an order, and the pieces consisted of a bit of meat, as well as jelly and cartilage. The salty/spicy sauce compliments them perfectly. They were so good that we ended up ordering a second round of them to polish of with the remainder of the fried rice. For those of you who didn’t know, pig’s feet are packed with collagen. That’s right - tastes good and great for your skin too!

We finished off the evening with an order of Black Sesame Ice Cream, as we read many reviews on Yelp where it came highly recommended. I personally wasn’t a fan, and wished I had saved my calorie intake for the Waffles and Dinges truck across the street. Oh well, there’s always next time!

Hakata Tonton
61 Grove Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 242-3699
Website
Price: $$-$$$