"Ota x Ishii  DELA LOVER" is a variety show where Bakusho Mondai's Hikari Ota and TV Host Ryoji Ishii delve into the classics of the Tokai region! This time, it's a special feature on the popular Nagoya specialty "miso-katsu." When DELA LOVER surveyed "favorite Nagoya specialties," the top spot went to "Yabaton," the "king of miso-katsu." In fact, there are many other famous miso-katsu restaurants in Aichi!

You can taste famous miso-katsu in Tokai City!

A famous miso-katsu restaurant in Aichi is "Tirol" in Tokai City. It's an old-fashioned coffee shop founded 57 years ago, about a 1-minute walk from Meitetsu Kowa Line's "Takayokosuka Station."

From opening until 10:30 AM, they offer morning sets and sandwiches. The morning set, which includes coffee, toast, and a boiled egg, costs 500 yen. There's also a special morning set with salad and sausages. From 11:00 AM, you can enjoy about 20 classic coffee shop menu items, including Nagoya's famous TEPPAN Italian pasta and sandwiches.

Among them, the most popular menu item, ordered by about 80% of customers, is the "Roast Tonkatsu Teishoku." Although it's called roast tonkatsu, it's actually miso-katsu with miso sauce.

The biggest secret to its popularity is that "you can eat Yabaton's flavor at a coffee shop in Tokai City"! In fact, Tetsuo Hayakawa, the third-generation owner of Tirol, worked at Yabaton for 23 years, from the age of 18. At the age of 40, he retired from Yabaton and took over his family's coffee shop. When Hayakawa retired, he consulted with the president, saying, "I want to serve Yabaton's flavor at my coffee shop." He was specially given permission.

Yabaton's miso-katsu is known for its crispy fried cutlet and its sweet, smooth, secret miso sauce. The program invited Mr. Marbo, who has been a Yabaton DELA LOVER fan for 19 years, to taste Tirol's miso-katsu.

Mr. Marbo's impression was, "It's perfectly Yabaton! The crispiness of the cutlet, the flavor from the meat, and the fattiness are exactly the same as the pork used at Yabaton!" He gave it his seal of approval. It's a taste that even Mr. Marbo, who has eaten over 1,000 servings since high school, can agree with!

Both meat and miso sauce are delivered from the main store

The program closely followed the kitchen to uncover the secret to replicating Yabaton's flavor.

The meat used is the same South Kyushu pork loin as Yabaton. According to Hayakawa, he doesn't want to change the foundation of the flavor, so he purchases it from Yabaton's central kitchen and has it delivered. He says, "If the origin changes, the sweetness of the fat and the tenderness of the meat will also change. As long as I carry the Yabaton name, I can't change that."

The appeal of Yabaton's miso-katsu is the crispy cutlet, even after miso sauce is poured over it. Using the same ingredients, Hayakawa applies the techniques and dedication he cultivated during his 23 years at Yabaton to fry it to a perfect crisp.

Hayakawa's dedication starts from when he mixes the eggs. If mixed too much, the breadcrumbs won't stick to the meat. If too much batter is applied, it will absorb too much oil and become greasy, but if too little batter is applied, the coating will peel off when fried, ruining the texture. This exquisite battering is the secret to creating a crispy texture even when miso sauce is poured over it. The breadcrumbs are also sourced from Yabaton.

The cutlets are fried in oil at 170°C. The oil ratio is also the same as Yabaton's: 10 parts salad oil to about 1 part lard. According to Hayakawa, adding lard improves oil drainage and makes it less likely to cause indigestion. Originally, Tirol used an iron pot for frying, but to fry a large quantity of cutlets at a consistent temperature, they introduced a fryer, just like the main store.

And the most essential ingredient for replicating Yabaton's flavor is the miso sauce. It's a secret recipe since its founding, and Yabaton delivers miso sauce made in its central kitchen to all its stores. Surprisingly, Tirol also sources the same miso sauce. It's only because of Hayakawa that he was specially permitted to do so.

On the table, there are ground sesame seeds, mustard, and ichimi (chili powder). To allow customers to enjoy the same flavor variations as Yabaton, the seasonings are also the same as the main store.

Original menu items only available at Tirol

Tirol offers two original collaboration menu items with Yabaton that can only be enjoyed here.

The first is the "Pork Ginger Stir-fry Steak," which is not on Yabaton's menu. This is a unique dish made with Yabaton's pork loin seasoned with Tirol's special ginger soy sauce.

The second is "Katsu Curry." This is also an original Tirol menu item not available at the main store. It features a special homemade curry topped with a Yabaton-sized pork loin cutlet.

The curry is made by Tetsuo's father, the second-generation owner, Yosei. The preparation starts with stir-frying a large amount of meat. 2 kg of pork and 2 kg of beef are stir-fried and then simmered for about 3 hours. The recipe, which uses a large amount of pork and beef, is the foundation of the flavor inherited from the first generation over 50 years ago.

Bananas are added to the roux to enhance the richness. Apple chutney adds acidity and sweetness. The spicy curry becomes sweet, making it a flavor that is familiar to all ages.

The simmered roux is strained once to achieve a smooth texture. After that, the stir-fried meat is added and simmered further, so it takes a full two days to complete. It is prepared in large batches about once every two weeks, but it is so popular that it sometimes sells out.

Because there are customers who look forward to the taste passed down for over 50 years, they are uncompromising in preserving the original flavor.

From CBC TV "DELA LOVER" broadcast on April 22, 2026