Tonkatsu lovers rejoice, as Katsu-An, a famous Tonkatsu chain restaurant from Japan, has opened a new store in Singapore! It’s located at Suntec City, where you can find many Japanese restaurants. As it’s a newly opened store, there was a line of people waiting to try out their affordable Tonkatsu. Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait for long before I was ushered into the restaurant.
Katsu-An is known for their Tonkatsu rice bowls and Teishoku set meals, so I knew what I had to order. I ordered their signature Katsu Don($5.90 for M size) and their Loin & Tenderloin Teishoku($10.90 for M size). In addition, they have a small condiment section at the side of the table where you can find their Original Sauce, Sesame Sauce for salads, and Apricot Sauce(I found that to be interesting as it’s the first time I’ve seen a Tonkatsu restaurant offering it).
I seldom like to eat Katsu dons as I find that their pork cutlets feel soggy as they’ve been doused with a sweet and savoury sauce. However, to my surprise, the pork cutlets from Katsu-An not only tasted juicy and tender, they retained their crispness when biting into the breaded skin. The eggs were also fluffy and the rice was tasty after absorbing the sauce.
I had a different experience when eating katsu pieces from my loin and tenderloin Teishoku as I could taste the crispiness of the katsu by themselves. In addition, I loved the jelatness from the fatty part of the cutlet as it was more pronounced and it blended well with the juicy tonkatsu meat. Even though I tend to like the Tenderloin cut of the Tonkatsu the most, the Tenderloin from Katsu-An – though it was amazingly tender – felt a little dry, which is why I liked the Loin cut of the katsu more.
The Teishoku set also came with cabbage and miso soup, but the cabbage wasn’t to my liking as it tasted bitter. I like eating cabbage in the middle of or at the end of Tonkatsu as it cleanses the palate from the katsu oil. This was a miss for me and I wish the cabbage wasn’t bitter. The miso soup, on the other hand, had the distinct taste of miso and was thick, which I appreciate whenever I’m at a Japanese restaurant.
In conclusion, it was a pleasant experience dining at Katsu-An as the food was not only delicious, but wallet-friendly as well. The service was prompt and they even give a cup of Houjicha tea when you’re seated down. Most importantly, there was no service charge as everything was charged at net price.
