Hajime Tonkatsu & Ramen (Thomson Plaza)

chashu was cooked to perfection, not too soft or hard, and was extremely flavourful coming from a person who loves meat😊 was $17 for a bowl and there is chili powder provided for each table to add spice. service is very fast, waiting time for the food was only 5 minutes! will definitely go back again

This ramen dish is bursting with flavours of umami and spice! Noodles were springy and chewy, topped with a generous amount of crispy tempura. It was difficult to stop eating once I started.

The restaurant has free flow tea and water by the way, and that’s a huge bonus point for me because I often get thirsty eating these salty foods.
Service was great as well.

Overall experience here was very positive, I can see myself coming back again. We visited at about 6pm on a Saturday and luckily was able to get seats for 2 almost immediately. I saw a pretty long queue as I was leaving though, so best to make your way here early to avoid long waits!

This was so good! The chicken cutlet was juicy, deep-fried to crisp - somehow magically not made soggy by the moistness of the egg and sauces. Everything tied in so well together, the coming together of the saltiness and sweetness in this dish was perfection. I really liked the presentation as well, that made a great first impression.

The dish came with miso soup on the side, which had a zesty dash of yuzu. It was a refreshing accompaniment. I liked the chewy konjacs inside.

The restaurant has free flow tea and water by the way, and that’s a huge bonus point for me because I often get thirsty eating these salty foods.
Service was great as well.

Overall experience here was very positive, I can see myself coming back again. The dish was well worth the every cent we paid. We visited at about 6pm on a Saturday and luckily was able to get seats for 2 almost immediately. I saw a pretty long queue as I was leaving though, so best to make your way here early to avoid long waits!

Chef-owner Tan-San of @hajime_tonkatsu_ramen is an old hand in the Japanese food scene in Singapore with nearly 30 years of experience. Trained in Japan, he helmed the kitchen of Tonkichi, the grand dame of tonkatsu restaurants in Singapore before becoming the pioneer chef of Tampopo. It will probably be no understatement to say that a generation of Singaporeans grew up eating his tonkatsu.

Each order comes with free flow Niigata rice and shredded cabbage, and a bowl of tonjiru soup. As for their tonkatsu, you get to choose between pork loin or fillet. There is also a premium option which uses Japanese airflow sangenton pork loin.

Pork loin is wider and thicker with a sizeable fat cap running along the top. Pork fillet is taken from the rear of the loin --- it is narrower and thinner with little visible fat. Pork loin is juicy and tender. Pork fillet is one of the most tender pork cuts. It is much more flavourful but tends to be "dry" as there is little fat to keep it moist during the cooking process.

Both the fillet and loin were cooked to perfection at Hajime. I think its a matter of personal preference as to which cut is better. I love the fat cap in loin which gives the katsu a bit more bite and texture contrast whereas Miss K prefers the fillet which is super tender. I will however recommend getting the premium version as there is an obvious "upgrade" in terms of flavours and juiciness of the pork loin.

I am a big fan of Niigata rice because it is fragrant, fluffy and slightly sticky with a subtly sweet flavour. The rice served at Hajime though was rather disappointing as it tasted dry and rather bland. This was the case in both their Thomson Plaza and MyVillage outlets. It could be because the rice was too dry or overcooked but it was certainly disappointing.

Patronised the shop on a Friday evening and waited about 20+ mins for a table. Ordered the premium tonkatsu (22.90++) that comes with free flow cabbage and rice. Pork was a little tough and certain parts of the batter was slightly soggy. Overall was still pretty yummy with the grinded sesame and sauce. Think the outlet at Serangoon Garden might be a bit better! Would still return nevertheless.

The pork katsu is juicy and tender, with a nice set of side dishes to come along with, at a relatively economic price of $18.90. Service is prompt and overall it is an enjoyable dining experience. Will return for another meal!