Hajime Tonkatsu Thomson Plaza by the First Tonkatsu Chef in Singapore

Hajime Tonkatsu & Ramen is one of the new restaurants at Thomson Plaza. It is the second Hajime outlet in Singapore. The person behind Hajime is Chef Tan-San, said to be the First Tonkatsu Chef in Singapore.

According to their website, Hajime is the Japanese word for “beginning” (初め) and the short form for “Hajimemashite”, which means “Nice to meet you”. Chef Tan-San mastered the art of tonkatsu in Japan in the 90s. He returned to Singapore to helm the kitchen of Tonkichi and subsequently at Tampopo. In 2016, the first outlet of Hajime Tonkatsu & Ramen opened at Serangoon Gardens.

The Hajime Tonkatsu Thomson Plaza outlet is a popular place. On weekdays, it gets quite crowded at lunch. I picked a day to have an early lunch to avoid the crowds.

Hajime Tonkatsu Thomson Plaza Menu

Here is a picture of a portion of the Hajime Tonkatsu menu. The main attractions are the tonkatsu and ramen. I picked the second most expensive tonkatsu meal – Nagoya Miso fillet ($19.90).

Like the other popular tonkatsu restaurants in Singapore, some of the sauces and condiments are laid out on the table. The tonkatsu sets come with free flow of rice and cabbage. I did not have to ask for any refill as one portion of rice and cabbage was more than adequate.

The Nagoya tonkatsu set comes with a dish of thick miso sauce. It is different from the standard tonkatsu sauce in that its more flavourful and richer. Personally I prefer the miso sauce. But it does not normally come with the bowl of sesame seeds to be ground and added to the sauce. I asked for some and they were provided to me. The added sesame seeds enhanced the taste noticeably.

Hajime Tonkatsu Thomson Plaza- Nagoya Miso Fillet

The star of the tonkatsu meal at Hajime Tonkatsu Thomson Plaza was the tonkatsu pork. I understand that these are airflown from Japan. The taste was clean and non-porky. The deep-frying was expertly done, leaving a dry crunchy surface that had very low traces of oil.

Here is a picture of the cross-section of the tonkatsu pork. Well cooked but still moist in the middle. This is one of the best tonkatsu pork I have eaten in recent memory.