There seems to be a recent surge of renowned Japanese eateries entering the scene—think famous oyako don chain Tori Sanwa, and Butahage from Hokkaido, known for their massive pork bowls. Another contender to add to that list is Katsu-an, a popular chain with over 50 outlets across Japan!
Run by the same team behind Sukiya, the new eatery is conveniently located in Suntec City Basement 1. It’s also worth noting that this is Katsu-an’s first international outpost; before the launch, you couldn’t find them anywhere outside of Japan.
No surprises here: Katsu-an specialises in katsudon AKA deep-fried pork cutlet atop pearl rice. You’ll also find other katsu-ed protein options and variations on the dish, but more on that later.
We started with the signature Katsu Don, available at an unbeatable price of $5.90 for a medium portion. And yes, all prices are nett here.
I was immediately impressed by the generous serving size. For $5.90 a bowl, you get a decent amount of short-grain rice, blanketed by fluffy eggs cooked in dashi, and strips of crispy pork loin katsu. It was a steal, especially considering the eatery’s central location.
The egg-and-tonkatsu mix was well-seasoned, with the breaded pork cutlet still retaining a bit of crispiness despite sitting out for a while. According to a brand representative, the pork and eggs are local, while the rice and breadcrumbs are imported from Japan.
I loved how the pearl rice plumped up after absorbing some of that slightly sweet, umami sauce. Personally, I had no complaints—again, the price point sealed the deal.
If you’re extra peckish, get the L or XL portion, priced at $7.50 and $9.50 respectively. The former gets you extra meat, whereas the latter comes with a double serving of meat and extra rice.
Another feature you can look forward to is the condiment section, where you’ll find two unique sauces to dress up your meats. There’s the sweet and umami-packed Original Sauce that’s made with 16 different ingredients, and the Apricot Sauce that’s a tad more tangy and fruity.
Zhng up your meal with a side of Chicken Katsu ($4.90) and drizzle the slab with your choice of sauce. Both sauces were delicious, complementing the crispy and savoury deep-fried chicken thigh cutlet!
Should you wish to splurge, Katsu-an offers Teishoku AKA sets to choose from. We were recommended the Cheese Loin Katsu Teishoku, well-priced at $10.30 for an 80g portion of meat, and $11.30 for 120g instead.
Each set comes with a bowl of rice, miso soup, pickled veggies, and a mountain of shredded cabbage.
Although the creamy nacho cheese went well with the crispy fried pork, the thick sauce turned cold rather quickly, resulting in a layer of film at the top. If you choose to order this, you should definitely tuck in this stat, as soon as it arrives at your table.
Koshihikari rice, a popular short-grain rice developed in Japan, is used. Unfortunately, we found the rice that came with the set slightly dry, though dousing it with some sauce helped loosen the grains.
Then there’s the pile of shredded cabbage, a lovely complement to all the deep-fried goodness. Drizzle over as much sesame dressing you like, and enjoy the salad in between bites of katsu to cut through the richness.
If you’re up to try something different, I’d recommend the Chicken Karaage & Calamari Fry Teishoku ($12.50) instead. This came with two strips of katsu-ed calamari, cut up into bite-sized pieces, which I appreciated. Accompanying this was three sizeable chunks of chicken karaage.
I loved how well-cooked the calamari was; each piece was soft and bouncy with a firm bite. The squid boasted a mild, natural sweetness and freshness that went impeccably well with the uber-crispy breadcrumb crust.
The karaage, on the other hand, was a bit of a letdown. The deep-fried coating on the chunk was thicker than I’d liked, and the meat within was slightly dry too.
On a brighter note, the Clam Miso Soup ($3.50) was a hit. For some reason, this rendition tasted better than Sukiya’s version—the soup itself was perfectly seasoned, while the clams were plump and sweet. Additionally, you can get this with your Teishoku for a small top-up of $1.50!
Katsu-an sits on Basement 1 of Suntec City Tower 2, an eight-minute walk from Promenade MRT Station. The casual eatery is tucked away in a corner, so it might take a while to locate them if you don’t frequent the mall. Here’s a tip: find Giant Supermarket, go up the stairs next to it, and walk straight ahead.
When you venture inside, you’ll see that there’s a fair number of seats for small groups of up to four. This setup reminds me of Sukiya, complete with self-ordering machines for a no-frills dining experience.
While we were there on a weekday, the office lunch crowd started streaming in as early as 11:30am. It might be wise to avoid the peak lunch and dinner timings if you hate queuing.
Katsu-an scores for their delicious and value-for-money katsudon and Teishouku sets. Coupled with the super-central location, I can foresee the brand being a huge hit in Singapore!
In related news, Ben’s Cookies has just opened at Suntec City! The famous cookie chain first launched in 2014 before closing in October 2021 and making a comeback in 2023. Sen-ryo will also open their second outlet in the same mall, so you can get affordable sushi and bento sets very soon.
Address: 3 Temasek Boulevard, #B1-149A Tower 2, Suntec City, Singapore 038983
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 10pm
Website
Katsu-an is not a halal-certified eatery.
This was a media tasting at Katsu-an.
Photos taken by Daryl Lim.
Summary
Pros
– Affordable mains with great portions
– Unique sauces
– Convenient location
Cons
– Meats and rice were a tad dry
Recommended dishes: Katsu Don ($5.90), Chicken Karaage & Calamari Fry Teishouku ($12.50), Clam Miso Soup ($3.50)
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 10pm
Address: 3 Temasek Boulevard, #B1-149A Tower 2, Suntec City, Singapore 038983
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