Food Picks: Juicy tonkatsu at Shin Katsu
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Shin Katsu's Mangalica Rosu Katsu Set is made with the “Kobe beef of pork” and is almost too luscious.
PHOTO: SHIN KATSU
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SINGAPORE – There is no disappointment like biting into a golden slab of tonkatsu and coming away with a mouthful of dry, lifeless pork.
So Shin Katsu, a new restaurant in Tanjong Pagar, is taking no chances. Chef Matsubayashi Masato, after all, knows a thing or two about good tonkatsu, having worked at Ma Maison in Singapore for 14 years, rising through the ranks to become the head chef of the Japanese Western food chain.
Shin Katsu, which is backed by Singapore food and beverage group The Gourmet Factor, overcompensates with the Mangalica Rosu Katsu Set ($42.80++), made with the “Kobe beef of pork” and almost too luscious – audaciously marbled, irresistibly buttery, with a fat cap so thick it accounts for nearly a quarter of each slice.
I think it is just enough of a good thing, but certainly not a dish you should tackle alone. Best to split the set with someone and alternate between the Mangalica pork and one of the US Kurobuta katsu sets ($35.80++ for the rosu cut, $36.80++ for the hire) – leaner, but still juicy.
Each slab of pork is breaded in a crunchy coat of panko crumbs and deep fried in canola oil. It also comes with refillable miso soup – unexpectedly robust and packed with meat – cabbage, housemade pickles and rice.
Oh, the rice. It is just as essential to the tonkatsu experience as the cutlet itself, and Shin Katsu’s pearly grains deliver an assist for the ages.
Rice is cooked for around 10 minutes in a Kamado Joe, a ceramic charcoal grill which locks in plenty of fragrance and moisture without leaving a trace of smokiness. It then rests for another 10 minutes, before descending – steaming and springy – on your table.
Mille-Feuille Black Truffle Katsu Set from Shin Katsu.
PHOTO: SHIN KATSU
It accompanies and elevates all sets.
The Mille-Feuille Black Truffle Katsu Set ($37.80++) might interest those looking for something lighter and more aromatic, while the 3-in-1 Shin Katsu Combo Set ($34.80++), which comes with a fried prawn, as well as bits of breaded loin and tenderloin, is an efficient way to sample what the restaurant has to offer.
If you need a break from all that fried food, the potato salad ($6.30++) is a good shout, as is the vanilla mochi, which comes with a serving of red beans.
Wash it all down with a strong cup of Suntory Kuro Oolong Tea ($5++), which deftly trims through the fat and leaves a pleasant earthy whiff in its wake.
Where: 84-86 Tanjong Pagar Road shinkatsu.co
MRT: Maxwell
Open: 11.30am to 3pm and 5 to 9.30pm daily
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