Tonkichi Shaw Centre is THE standard for tonkatsu in SG. Limpeh has eaten at other tonkatsu places in SG, as well as many other tonkatsu places in Nihon so he is qualified to say this.
As a restaurant brand under Pokka Corp (jap company), the food and service standard has been kept at a consistently high level since i first ate there circa 2008. I pretty much don't bother with Imakatsu or any other tonkatsu place in SG when i feel like a tonkatsu fix. Tonkichi Shaw Centre is just that good (note that i specifically state Shaw Centre, not the other branches).
Their Shirobuta pork from Hokkaido is easily a match for Tontake in Shinjuku, Katsutei in Sasebo and Tamura Ginkatsu in Hakone.
If it has run out, Limpeh's next option is the standard menu's Oroshi Rosu Katsu. The grated radish and ponzu sauce provide a very refreshing counterpoint to the juicy pork encrusted with crunchy light-fried panko.
I won't bother with the non-Japanese Iberico pork option because you are essentially paying for freight from Spain.
Though the tonkatsu is the star, the supporting cast (other food) on their menu capably holds their own - Limpeh recommends the Agedashi Tofu and Spicy Tuna Roll to compliment your Tonkatsu Mains.
Limpeh say : come come, ho chiak!
Jason Wijaya
5
It was ver good, the katsu was well breaded and it was pretty crunchy. The best thing in my opinion is the free cabbage refill that you can ask the staff, the cabbage itself was so fresh and very crunchy. Other than that, they had the DIY sauce for the customer experience.
Henry Cheng
4
Tonkichi will always come to mind when it’s tonkatsu in Singapore. The thing that stands out for this branch of Tonkichi is that they serve sushi and sashimi as well.
There’s 4 variety of tonkatsu served here - original, England, Japan or Spain. Personally, I think you will do no wrong to go for the original or Japan. However, I decided to try something new - England. I was quite disappointed with it to be honest. The meat feels tough and the fat wasn’t really rendered well. Skin was crispy though.
The saba set was basic, everything you can expect from a saba but with more bones than usual. The thick cut salmon sashimi was fresh and really appetizing.
The rice quality was one of the best I had for a Tonkatsu chain. Fluffy and easy to eat with the main dishes served. The cabbage wasn’t cut fine enough but I think that could be a personal preference.
Overall, great place to satisfy your Tonkatsu craving in Orchard area.
crystal girl
4
We enjoyed the food in general. The salmon teriyaki was well cooked, flexible to change the salmon sashimi to either fried tofu or deep fried chicken. Service was prompt, food was served quickly.
Didn't like it that there were ants on the table, going to the sauce bottle.
Jeff
2
Comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges… for the price, this place is quite disappointing.
This place is known for tonkatsu and their unlimited shredded cabbage salad.
I tried the set for 2 pax where they had a little bit of everything and it’s disappointing. The pork was of poor quality for the price and was poorly done. The prawn was quite small and a little dry inside.
What disappointed me the most of the cabbage. It was the cheap sort of cabbage which isn’t sweet and leaves a slight after taste. And the sesame sauce used was the cheap kind. And I have a feeling the sesame was not even roasted.
For the price… I was kinda expecting restaurant standards and this was considered beginner’s home cooking at best.
MJ Quieli
5
Tucked into the 4th Flr of Isetan Shaw therefore not so crowded.
Great meal, unlimited refill of cabbage, super tender pork & chicken katsu
JATHL
5
Like their Takashimaya outlet, it’s a great place for katsu. Perfectly breaded and fried. I had the tenderloin(Hire) and prawn combo. The pork was so tender and the prawns were plump and fresh. They weren’t so well “straightened” though, so they kinked a bit after being fried. But that’s purely superficial/aesthetic.
V
3
Food was great but staff were terrible. We just literally ate finish and the staff walked up to us with the bill and stood there without saying anything. It felt like she was demanding us to make payment. Could we not sit and rest for a bit before making the payment when we wanted to? There were still a couple of customers in the store at this point so why are we getting chased out?
And when asked if we could pay by Kris+ as they had the QR stand there with favepay and Kris+ logo and they also had the Kris+ brochure to promote paying with them, but staff said no rudely.
Then when we asked if we could pay using favepay, she ignored us. Then we asked again and she said no.
Then to the owner, if we are not allowed to pay using these methods, why bother promoting them and have the QR code stand there? I don’t actually know if the staff was just being rude or they actually don’t allow those payment methods cos honestly it feels stupid to have the QR code there if we are not allowed to pay with them.
Not to mention that we paid $30+ on average per person for this meal. I don’t think this price is worth especially with the kind of service we paid for (10% service charge). There are many other stores with service charge that charge lesser than you with better service. Please work on it if you want to improve your business.
Johnny Tang
5
Sashimi was fresh and pork was tender. Authentic atmosphere, just missing some Japanese music.
Sheue Lin Ng
5
Ordered a Pork loin curry set. The pork was well fried. Crispy outside and juicy inside. The curry was thick but not fragrant or spicy enough. I would say this set is really filling. The short grain rice was very nice too. Generous portions of pork, rice and lettuce.
We also had a grilled fish set. The set is quite generous and no complaints about the quality.
Update: came back again and brought a few more friends. We ordered the 3 person portions and Spanish pork katsu. It's all good.