A few weeks ago after my last visit to Marked5, I kept hearing how delicious the pork or chicken sandwiches were. Well, usually the conversation bordered on someone walking around with a Marked5 rice bun wrapped creation in their hand while simultaneously emitting groans of culinary pleasure coupled with, “Oh.mlarg(incomprehensible).Garrrd!”

I dove headfirst into deep-fried goodness with the Katsu Pork ricewich(or at least that’s what I’m calling them from now on). It’s basically tonkatsu, or breaded deep-fried pork cutlet with tonkatsu sauce. There’s a  sprinkling of shredded cabbage to give some fibrous flair and it’s packed between 2 grilled rice buns for mobile munching.

As you can see from the photo, the pork was a pretty long slender piece almost like a big chicken finger. The flavor was better than the torakku beef, but then again this puppy was fried(plus I added some sriracha). For me,  it was way too much panko porkiness to finish(damn you, healthy eating!!), but that’s what hungry friends are for. To eat your leftovers after you’ve posed it and sampled the prime cuts.

Overall, I think I would really dig a tonkatsu curry sandwich–like a street version of this:

Marked5 does have a chicken curry ricewich. Anyone want to go 90/10 on it with me? Of course I retain all rights to pose said food beforehand.

My neighborhood taco trucks and I have an understanding. They park within approximately the same quarter mile on the same street at the same times on the same days. I would expect them to tell me they’re now driving all over LA County and I’ll have to track them via a Twitter account as much as I would expect them to diversify their menu by offering sushi. They serve tacos–it’s what they do and what they’re good at. If I want another country’s cuisine, I’ll gladly trek to a restaurant specializing in said cuisine.

So it’s safe to say that while I’m not a fan of Twitter-stalking my food, I’m also not easily won over by fusion culinary creations either. There are some who are a fan of the above activities, and for you, I present, Marked5.

My mid-afternoon meal at Marked5 occurred during a particularly empty period in my stomach’s history, when I just so happened to be in the proximity of their mobile eatery. Marked5’s menu is short and sweet, with a literal handful of Japanese fusion sandwiches including Chicken Curry or Katsu Pork.

I opted for the only non-deep-fried option, the Torakku Beef–a 100% Angus beef patty marinated in Marked’s house “torakku” sauce, served up inside a rice bun.

With some instructions on how to hold it, I approached the burger cautiously. It reminded me of some kind of massive onigiri especially with a piece of nori wrapping the outer rice buns. Although grilled, the buns were very sticky and no amount of pinky raising and careful unwrapping prevented pieces from breaking off and scattering around me. The main culprit? Massive quantities of syrupy sweet housemade sauce seeping into the rice.

The core of the burger lay nestled past the layers of rice bun, sauce, lettuce, cheese and tomato. The patty was well-done by default; being someone who prefers a nice pink midsection, the burger didn’t have much flavor cooked as it was. Although I wasn’t prompted for a preference, this might be something to keep in mind to ask when ordering.

After my onigiri burger encounter, I’d probably opt for the Katsu Pork or Chicken Curry next time–because everything tastes better fried. Marked5 also has a good offering of Japanese snacks and beverages in place of the usual coconut juice and Mexi-cokes. Ask your server for pairing suggestions–they’re a friendly bunch.