I met a friend for lunch a while back at Danketsu and found it, well, I don’t know…I’m undecided.
But why should I get off the proverbial fence when even Danketsu is indecisive about the kind of restaurant it is. It purports to be Japanese, Korean, and hot pot purveyor and sushi bar all in one. It would be more advisable to choose one and specialize in it.
We started with an appetizer of Karaage, which consisted of chunks of chicken thigh meat breaded and deep fried and served with a mild mayonnaise sauce that was supposed to be tinged with wasabi. Despite evidence to the contrary, karaage is not the Japanese word for McNuggets, but it might as well be.
My friend had the Bulgogi, listed as one of the available Japanese meal sets, even though it is Korean and was served with side dishes that included kimchi. The meat was over marinated but certainly tender enough.
I had the Tonkatsu, a breaded pork tenderloin that was heavy on the breading.
Danketsu occupies a former Hooters space and has a sort of western look from the outside. Inside, the sound system was playing rock music at a level that seemed more to suit the tastes of the staff and not so much the guests.
I’m still undecided. Go to Danketsu if it’s in your neighborhood and you have a hankering for Japanese, sushi, Korean or just about any other Asian cuisine. But I wouldn’t drive across town just to go there.
Danketsu is at 11425 Lake Underhill Road, Orlando. It is open for lunch and dinner daily, including late night. The phone number is 407-988-3093.