Popular Korean pork cutlet brand Tonshou opens first international outlet in Singapore
Tonkatsu fans in Singapore, you’ll want to save this new pork cutlet specialty shop for a visit sooner rather than later.
Hailing from South Korea, Tonshou specialises in not just tonkatsu, but specifically charcoal-grilled tonkatsu.
While you may not have heard of the brand since it doesn’t have outlets in Seoul (yet), its reservation slots apparently get snapped up within minutes of opening, at 10am daily. This is even though it has already been around for six years.
It currently has four outlets in Korea (three in Busan, one in Daegu), and this new outlet at Tras Street is its very first one overseas.
Tonshou Singapore is in its soft-opening phase and is only taking in online reservations for now, till its grand opening on December 20 when it will be walk-in only thereafter.
Though this might be its first international outlet, the decor closely resembles the minimalist, wood-finished aesthetic of its Korean predecessors. It seats 19 diners, but we hear there might be plans to expand seating slightly to accommodate the growing demand.
The space is small, but in no way cramped, and no matter where you sit, you’ll have a good view of its four-step cooking process.
At Tonshou, all pork cutlets are first cooked at a low-temperature to ensure even doneness, before a high-temperature fry to lock in all the juices and for that crispy, golden crust. The cutlet is then left to rest, to ensure it remains tender, before it is grilled over charcoal for that smoky finish.
While its pork cutlets come in a pink-hue (hence the term “rosu” in its menu, a Korean term used to refer to the rose-pink shade of its meats), everything is served well-done.
Trying out Tonshou Singapore’s menu
This being our first visit, we knew we had to go for the best: We had the Hokkaido kurobuta rosu katsu set (S$37), which features Hokkaido pork loin cutlet, served with cold corn soup, rice, kimchi — this is a Korean brand after all — pork miso soup and cabbage.
For the uninitiated, Hokkaido kurobuta (black pig) is prized for its tender yet firm texture, and rich flavour. We understand that the other cuts served that aren’t labelled with “Hokkaido” are imported from Australia.
Biting into it, even after letting the cameras eat first, we could see what the hype was about. The crust was light, crispy and not in the least bit greasy, while the meat was so tender and non-gamey and you might forget you were having pork for a moment.
There are some fatty parts in the Hokkaido kurobuta cutlet, great for those who love these sorts of cuts, but even if you don’t, it’s not excessive and you’ll barely notice it.
Above all else, it was the subtle smokiness that really had us going back for more — fragrant and not overly done, it added just the right depth to the dish.
For those who prefer their cutlets in more manageable bite-sized portions, there’s the hire katsu set (S$28), which comes with pork tenderloin cutlet instead.
Perhaps we were spoilt by the superior cuts of meat in the first set, but we preferred the flavourful loin over the tenderloin, though the tenderloin was expectedly more tender and juicier.
If you happen to be going with non-pork loving companions, or just want to order a non-pork dish to break the porcine monotony, there’s also its ebi katsu set (S$24) or ebi sando set (S$24). The former features four pieces of shrimp tempura, while the latter sees a thick shrimp cutlet in between toasted, crustless bread, served sando-style.
The combination of the bouncy shrimp, lightly crisp crust and soft bread was enjoyable, though the bread used by Tonshou Singapore seemed thinner and sweeter than the Japanese milk breads typically used in sandos.
Perhaps it was for the best so you can save space for its delicious sides.
A first for us, the cold corn soup was quite a refreshing treat, having entered the outlet during a blazing weekday afternoon. While my dining companion didn’t take to it as it felt too dessert-like, I thoroughly relished the creaminess and milkiness of it.
As with all tonkatsu meals, you’ll get a side of cabbage (which you can spruce up with its yuzu dressing), miso soup and rice, but Tonshou’s also comes with kimchi. You can ask for a refill for all of these, except for the corn soup.
We were particularly impressed by the full-bodied miso soup which came with sizable chunks of pork belly, tofu and carrot.
The sets don’t come cheap (the cheapest starts at S$21 and goes up to S$37), but when you factor in all these additions, it does make for a pretty value-for-money experience.
Oh, and if you find its complimentary accompaniments of tonkatsu sauce (made with tomato, oyster, pork, beef, wheat and soybeans), yuzu kosho (yuzu chilli paste) and Maldon salt insufficient, there’s always the option to add a small bowl of its chunky savoury-sweet curry (S$5).
We’d recommend it, especially if you’re the type that loves to drench your crispy cutlets in sauce, though the free sauces and salt do the trick pretty well, too.
This was an invited tasting.
For more eats around Tanjong Pagar, check out Seoul Noodle Shop, a street away, or grab some desserts at Elijah Pies.
Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.
You can also book a ride to Tonshou Singapore for a taste of this viral tonkatsu.
Tonshou Singapore
51 Tras Street
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar, Maxwell
Open: Monday to Sunday (11am to 9pm, with a break between 3pm to 5pm)
51 Tras Street
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar, Maxwell
Open: Monday to Sunday (11am to 9pm, with a break between 3pm to 5pm)