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In the 19th century, the Japanese decided that the source of the Prussian army's formidability stemmed from their consumption of Wiener schnitzel. Not to be left behind, they adopted this dish as their own. Midtown's Katsu-Hama is a hidden shrine to this fusion cuisine and its clientele is predominantly Japanese salarymen and tourists. As you enter, walk past the Sushi-Tei take-out counter of pre-made sushi and noodle dishes. The fun begins behind the curtain in a spartan creamy-yellow and light-brown dining room. The signature dish is pork tenderloin Katsu, a cutlet bathed in homemade breadcrumbs and deep-fried golden brown. The exterior becomes ultra crispy, the meat within impossibly tender. It's served with a dollop of strong mustard and a heap of shredded cabbage. In addition, you're provided with a small mortar and pestle filled with toasted sesame seeds to grind up and mix with a splash of the restaurant's own Katsu sauce, a savory reduction of onions, tomatoes, apples, and pineapple, for dipping. The Katsu treatment is successfully extended to free range chicken breast, prawns, scallops, and even snow crab croquettes. Who knew the Japanese were frying virtuosos? — Michael Anstendig

Pork tenderloin katsu, $16; free range chicken katsu, $15