TONSHOU Review: Korea-Famous Pork Cutlet Restaurant Opens In Singapore

TONSHOU is a Korean charcoal-grilled pork cutlet restaurant

Katsu is one of my favourite meat dishes, so you can imagine the joy I felt when I heard that a new tonkatsu specialty restaurant had just opened in Singapore. TONSHOU, hailing all the way from Korea, specialises in charcoal-grilled pork cutlet. 

They are also said to be one of the most popular restaurants in Busan, with reservation slots getting snatched up almost as soon as they are released. After visiting the restaurant myself, one thing’s for sure: I can attest that TONSHOU’s popularity does not just stem from the hype factor as their offerings are incredibly delicious.

Food at TONSHOU

What sets TONSHOU apart from other tonkatsu restaurants is that they charcoal-grill their pork cutlets. This unique culinary method involves cooking the meat on low heat, then high heat, followed by resting the cutlet before grilling it over charcoal. Though laborious, this is important in imparting a richer, smokier flavour.

You can enjoy your tonkatsu in two ways here: with rice or sandwiched between two thick pieces of bread. The chef recommended that we try both the Hire Katsu Cutlet ($28++) and the Rosu Katsu Cutlet (from $29++), so we did just that. For the uninitiated, the former is pork tenderloin and the latter is pork loin.

Besides the usual rice and miso soup served alongside tonkatsu, these sets also came with corn soup and cabbage kimchi. The corn soup, which was served as a starter, was creamy and sweet. Interestingly, it came chilled, which I grew to like the more I had it as the weather was scorching on our visit. Though it was nothing to shout about flavour-wise, it was a nice start to my meal.

Here comes the star of the show: the charcoal-grilled tonkatsu. We first started with the Hire katsu AKA tenderloin. 

The meat was cooked perfectly with a delightful melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. It was also on the leaner side which I preferred, since tonkatsu tends to get heavy for me pretty quickly. 

I can imagine grease-avoiding Singaporeans feel the same way as I do, which might make this dish the preferred choice for many. The only minor problem I had was the charcoal-grilling aspect, which didn’t really enhance the flavours of the tonkatsu.

There were a lot of variations on the menu but we were specifically recommended the Hokkaido Kurobuta Rosu Katsu ($32++). This was more premium than the regular version, which explains the hefty price tag. They were also generous with the slab of meat, which made for a really satisfying meal. 

Additionally, the cutlet had a good mix of lean meat and fat, with some pieces well-done and the others served medium rare. 

My gripe with a lot of katsu cutlets in Singapore is that the batter-to-meat ratio is almost always off. But this one struck the perfect balance between the two components. 

The breaded coating complemented the meat instead of competing with it for the spotlight. This meant that I could savour the rich taste of the meat much better without the thickness of the batter getting in the way. 

We also cleared our bowls of miso soup with ease as it was the ideal pairing for when the tonkatsu got a bit much. It was rich, flavourful, and packed with delicious ingredients: boiled pork belly, cabbage, onions, and carrots.

Moving on to the condiments, kudos to whoever made this Curry sauce. It was pretty remarkable, boasting a complex flavour, well-layered with tons of spices. 

You have to top up an additional $5 for this small pot, but I find it a worthy addition to the meal even with the free condiments on the table. 

The kimchi was another great pairing with the meat as it did a great job of cutting through the greasiness. I’d like to extend my sincere apologies to the shredded cabbage on my plate that got replaced by the fermented cabbage eventually; the latter carried out its purpose far more effectively.

Of course, we had to try the tonkatsu the way the restaurant intended it to be eaten: with Maldon salt and a squeeze of lemon, followed by some tonkatsu sauce. Although we were slightly worried about spiking our sodium levels at this point, we enjoyed the salt and lemon combintation very much. 

We were pretty satisfied with how the tonkatsu paired with the rice sets thus far, and were intrigued to see how the katsu would fare in sandwich form: Katsu Sando ($21++). The meat and bread were cut into a similar thickness, which was a smart decision as that balanced out the flavours well. 

I found that the tonkatsu cutlet in the sando had a much more significant streak of fat, which made it extra indulgent. Paired with the sweet and fluffy white bread, this was another super delicious dish in my books, and it was a much-needed switch up from the rice I had earlier. 

Ambience at TONSHOU

The first impression I had as soon as I set foot into TONSHOU was that the space was cosy, with dim warm lighting that gave the restaurant a nice ambience. I also liked the open kitchen concept, giving diners a view of the cooking process. It’s similar to a teppanyaki experience, where you watch the chef cook in front of you! The restaurant isn’t the most spacious as it can only seat 20 diners at a time, but this also means you get an intimate dining experience.

TONSHOU is conveniently located in the CBD district; it’s a five-minute walk from Maxwell MRT Station and a four-minute walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station. 

The verdict

As a big fan of katsu, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed TONSHOU’s fare. I’d pay the steep price to dine there again, as the cutlet ticked all the right boxes: it was crispy, tender, cooked to perfection, and with a perfect batter-to-meat ratio. I recommend it to anyone searching for some of the best tonkatsu in Singapore because this can definitely be one of the contenders for the title.

For those planning end-of-year gatherings and searching for somewhere new to go, save TONSHOU on your to-visit list. We recommend booking a table as we see this spot getting popular in the coming months!

For more Korean fare in Singapore, read our Seoul Noodle Shop review, where we tried knife-cut noodles in Tanjong Pagar. Otherwise, read our guide to cheap Korean food in Singapore.

Address: 51 Tras Street, Singapore 078990
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11am to 2pm, 5pm to 7pm, Sat 11am to 2pm, Sun 5pm to 7pm
Website
TONSHOU is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Marcus Neo.
This was a media tasting at TONSHOU.