Tanjong Pagar’s new Shin Katsu fries up gratifyingly crunchy tonkatsu by ex-Ma Maison head chef
Where do you go for the best tonkatsu in Singapore?
Some would strongly push for stalwart Tonkichi, while we personally enjoy Hajime a ton, but you’ll also hear the Ma Maison’s name thrown around often.
If you’re a fan of Japanese food, there’s no way you would have missed the glowing reviews for Ma Maison and its famous tonkatsu.
But did you know there’s a new spot where you can get equally superb tonkatsu? Shin Katsu, a new restaurant at Tanjong Pagar, is headed up by the former head chef of Ma Maison — chef Matsubayashi Masato.
With over 15 years of Japanese cuisine expertise, there’s no doubt he has the credentials to put your doubts to rest.
Despite his wealth of experience in authentic Japanese cooking, Shin Katsu’s head honcho doesn’t just stick to the tried-and-true.
Guests will find a lot of creativity infused into Shin Katsu’s menu — be it the unique pork cuts sourced from all over the world, or novel ways of presenting tonkatsu.
The best tonkatsu in Tanjong Pagar
Japanese food geeks would know that Tanjong Pagar is one of the go-to spots for Japanese food in Singapore.
However, even with the abundance of ramen joints and izakayas, tonkatsu is something that’s lacking in the area — Shin Katsu might just be one of the best tonkatsu in Tanjong Pagar, along with recently opened Tonshou.
If you’re looking for a fresher take on tonkatsu, one of the most enticing things on Shin Katsu’s menus is definitely the mille-feuille black truffle katsu set (S$37.80).
It’s not your usual thick-cut tonkatsu: This dish features thinly sliced pork, layered with truffle, deep-fried in panko coating and then finished with luxuriating truffle salt.
Naturally, the mouthfeel is different, with more delicate meat, but elevated with silky truffle paste. Above all, the scent of truffles is just delightful.
Each set is also accompanied by an ensemble of miso soup, cabbage, pickles and rice — the rice is charcoal-cooked for extra fragrance and better texture!
Those who love their fatty pork must also get an order of the one-of-a-kind Mangalica rosu katsu set (S$42.80 for 160g, limited portions daily).
Originating from Hungary, Mangalica is a premium pork known for its thick and buttery fat, and is sometimes referred to as the “wagyu of pork”. So far, we’ve not seen it used at any other tonkatsu place in Singapore.
That said, if you’re more of a traditionalist, Shin Katsu also offers the classics of hire katsu set (tenderloin, from S$23.80 for 120g), rosu katsu set (loin, from S$22.80 for 120g) and chicken katsu set (from S$21.80 for 120g).
Those with bigger appetites can also opt for the Shin Katsu combo set (S$34.80), a three-in-one combo with both cuts, or pork and an ebi fry (fried prawn).
As far as the quality of Shin Katsu’s tonkatsu goes, it’s up to par with what you can get at Tonkatsu by Ma Maison — the batter is light and crunchy, and the meat is tender and juicy, with the rosu scored with a nice touch of fat.
If you’d like, you can also top up S$4.80 for Shin Katsu’s own special curry sauce, which is like a hybrid between Japanese and Thai curry.
Not just good tonkatsu
Sure, a visit to a tonkatsu specialist would probably mostly revolve around its tonkatsu, but there are a bunch of sides and appetisers at Shin Katsu that are probably just as worthy of your stomach space.
One truly unexpected stunner was the boneless chicken wings (S$8.80 for three) — immaculately seasoned and dreamily succulent with the lightest hint of crisp on its skin.
Another side dish that plays to Shin Katsu’s strengths is the unagi (S$8.80 for one) that is radically different from the usual grilled and tare-soaked (sauced) unagi most of us are familiar with.
Shin Katsu’s unagi comes deep-fried and sports the same panko crust as its tonkatsu. We’ve got to say: The fry is perfect — the eel is so tender, mildly sweet and briny.
If you want to go all-in on the seafood, Shin Katsu also serves a solid kaki fry (S$4.30 for one) with a plump, creamy oyster encased in airy batter.
Desserts-wise, it’s quite simple, but we quite enjoyed the fried taiyaki with matcha ice cream (S$5.80).
It’s a relatively straightforward dish, but the red bean-paste filled taiyaki is sweet and fragrant, while the matcha ice cream is nicely earthy. Good pairing.
We’d say come for the tonkatsu, but stay for the other dishes — Shin Katsu undoubtedly does one of the best tonkatsu in Tanjong Pagar (and probably Singapore), but sides such as the unagi will likely be the main draw for our next visit.
This was a hosted tasting.
For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on Subway’s new laksa pesto SG60 special sandwich and the newest fried rice stall opened by ex-DTF chefs.
Tues 11.30am - 3pm, 5pm - 10pm
Wed 11.30am - 3pm, 5pm - 10pm
Thurs 11.30am - 3pm, 5pm - 10pm
Fri 11.30am - 3pm, 5pm - 10pm
Sat 11.30am - 3pm, 5pm - 10pm
Sun 11.30am - 3pm, 5pm - 10pm
- Maxwell
- Tanjong Pagar
Evan started off writing about food on Instagram, before joining outlets such as Buro and Confirm Good to pursue his passion. His best work usually comes after his first whisky shot in the morning.
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