Hakata Tonton

We had a hankering for sushi last night and went by Taka on Grove.  Totally forgot that it had closed and Hakata TonTon had taken its place.  We walked in and were seated at the sushi bar.  But, no sushi.

The restaurant is total bare bones.  They took Taka and basically just changed the food.  There is still a sushi bar but what is being served there is Tonsoku.  Tonsoku is for "pied de cochon" translated into pigs feet.  Japanese fusion dishes using pigs feet. 

The place is run totally by women at least that is all we saw.  Perhaps there are some men who are chefs in the back.  Nice and incredibly courteous staff.  Majority of the diners were Japanese.  Perhaps in Japan dishes with pigs feet are a delicacy.

Plenty of choices on the menu.  We tried four dishes.  Tonsoku marinated in Ponzu Sauce.  Small tapa like serving of pieces of pigs feet served cold over bamboo shoots and scallions.  Strange very strange.  Our  second taste was a spring roll.  Cigarette style spring roll stuffed with Chinese style shrimp, squid and pigs feet with a curry sauce and deep fried extra crispy.  This was actually good with a strange texture.  Third on our list was the Tonsoku (pigs feet) and chicken stew with Vinegar soy sauce base.  A small round ball with chicken and pigs feet that had been braised in a soy literally falling off the bone.  Lots of fat and skin and tiny bones (think pigs feet) but interesting.  The last was the Sake infused grilled Tonsoku.  This was very strange.  Literally pigs feet that was pulled into little pieces with some sake at the bottom of the bowl.  Very fatty.

The entire meal cost us $26.  They are still waiting on their liquor license.  There were a variety of interesting dishes that people were eating around us.  We were definitely not in the know.  On the way out, one of the waitresses following us out the door and gave us each a Pez for dessert and thanked us again and again for coming.

Although the restaurant is on Grove and Seventh, it should have been in the middle of Chinatown in a tiny tucked away street for only those who are looking for a delicacy that perhaps they grew up with or got accustomed to when they lived in Asia.  For us, strange, not that filling, very fatty, and lots of tiny bones. 
I’d say we are definitely not returning but it was certainly an interesting food experience.