Simply Oiishi!

My companions and I arrived at Tonkichi Japanese Restaurant at Shaw House on a Saturday night with no prior reservation made, only to find out that (surprise surprise) we had to wait for a table. It has been a while since I have been here, and what I remembered as being a relatively empty restaurant devoid of crowds even on weekends is now entertaining full house crowds.

We requested for a booth, and after a bit of discussion I managed to get the manager to call me once a booth was available while my companions and I did some quick shopping at Isetan, as she had originally wanted us to wait in the restaurant for a table. What happened next impressed me, despite my initial reservation about having to physically wait in the restaurant for an available table - the manager called to ask if I wanted a table "by the windows", and despite this not being a booth she still called to ask if we wanted the first available table, lest we did not want to wait further. We turned her down, choosing to wait for a booth instead and five minutes later, I got a call from the manager notifying us that our table was ready. By now, I was thoroughly impressed with the restaurant despite not having tasted a morsel of what was to be a dinner that did not disappoint.

My companions and I wasted no time looking at the menu and deciding what we should order. Tonkichi was having a promotion whereby with every main course ordered, there was an option of an appetiser to accompany the main course at a reduced price. We decided to order the Buta Kakuni (simmered pork belly with soy sauce) and a potato croquette. Buta kakuni is one of my favourite pork items to have, and I had it before here at Tonkichi some time back when they offered it as part of one of their set meals. The buta kakuni did not disappoint - it was tender and flavourful, with a hint of mirin. The fat of the meat was of the melt-in-your-mouth sort, and while there were a few less tender pieces included (we suspected it was due to the cut of the meat and chef who dishes the meat out, since it was impossible that we could have had every piece being equally wonderful) these were still flavourful and went great with the rice in our main courses. In fact, my companions and I decided to use the leftover sauce of the buta kakuni with our rice, which made it all the more fragrant.

The Potato Croquette - made of mashed potato and minced pork coated with panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and then deep fried - was simply heavenly, and is one of my favourite dishes at Tonkichi, for it never fails to impress. It is one of my "comfort food" dishes, for the blend of potato and minced meat - two such simple items - is near-perfect, with the croquette being crispy on the outside, in contrast to the filling which is soft and when eaten hot, is definitely something I would come back just to have (and yes, I have).

Our main courses followed, with the first being the Prawn Fry and Rosu Katsu Mori ($24). Each main course set came with a bowl of rice, miso soup, pickles and fruit. I really do adore seafood when it's done well, and the prawn fry did not disappoint. The (three) prawns were fresh and crunchy, being firm and yet providing contrast to the texture of the panko. The tartar sauce that was provided for dipping also complemented the prawns very well, for the sauce, slightly sour without being overbearing went well with the sweetness of the prawns. The Rosu Katsu Mori (pork fillet) was juicy and tender as usual, and the panko made the meat seem even more fragrant and when eaten with the brown sauce, was simply delightful.

Next was the Mixed Seafood Fry ($24), which consisted of (two) deep fried prawns, oyster, a crab croquette and pacific dory fish. This is a perennial favourite of mine, something which I tend to order whenever I come here - unless a new set meal catches my interest first. The prawns were just as brilliant, and I gave the oyster to one of my companions, who proceeded to devour it while proclaiming that it was fresh and most excellent. The crab croquette contains shredded crab meat mixed with a bit of cheese, and was extremely tasty - the crab did not have an overpowering "fishy" taste as is the case with most crab croquettes, and just the right amount of cheese was used to go perfectly with the fried panko exterior layer. The dory was extremely fresh - to be honest, this is one of the best I have tried - and the portion was generous.

This is definitely one of my favourite restaurants where the food is affordable and the portions generous. If you're looking for some great fried/mori dishes, this is definitely the place to be at.