Daniel utterly loves Tonkatsu. I occasionally will cook for him. But it is often a hassle cos ittakes a lot of oil to fry and I have to clean up my kitchen after that . Furthermore, I am particular about my meat and find that only the pork from Meidiya seems to be able to yield tonkatsu of the right texture. Haha, so I am always on a quest to look for good Tonkatsu! Actually I am also a big fan myself..... hee hee, Daniel is just a good excuse for me.
I have heard tried Tonkichi, Waraku ...they are ok. But I keep hearing that Saboten is quite good. Finally found a chance to go there today. I was not disappointed. The tonkatsu was good, crispy yet not oily. I liked the crisp, cool cabbage that went along with it. The meal came with free flow of rice, miso soup and a serving of matcha ice-cream.
As we were only keen to try the Tonkatsu, we decided to focus on that. So we ordered 2 large loin set and 1 tenderloin set. Danielle was only keen to share, she is a greater udon fan. So we ordered a separate rice and curry sauce with one set for her.
In all, yes, this is one of the best I have eaten so far. Liked both the loin as well as tenderloin. If you like a juicy pork taste with lots of bite, the loin is definitely for you. Daniel was keen initially on loin, but after he tasted the tenderloin, he preferred that as it was softer. Tze wei as well. Danielle who usually do not like tonkatsu as well was also sold on the tenderloin.
At the end of the meal, we had another pleasant surprise, 15% off with NTUC club card.
But I do like the tonkatsu, so will definitely be back for more.
Place: Saboten
Address: Changi Airport Terminal 1
Hours: 0700 to 2300
Tel : +65 62149504
Photos:
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| Roasted black and white sesame which you will need to grind with the mini suribachi (grinder bowl) to the consistency that you like. Both Daniel and Danielle enjoys grinding it. Afterwhich, you add the Tonkatsu sauce provided in a small pot on the table. I hear that the sauce is a secret recipe made from many many apples and other vegetables and fruits. I like my sesame a little coarse, Daniel likes his fine. |
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| This the Katsu tenderloin which both the kids and Daddy liked. In the end, I guessed we should have ordered two of these portions and one of the loin instead, cause there was not enough for the three of them. |
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| This is the loin, it was still juicy, cooked and the skin crisp. Those of us who cook knows that that this is not easy to master, cause the pork is very thick. To keep the skin crispy, without blackening and yet the meat juicy and cooked requires a good mastering of the heat. Hence, I like it more cause it really takes a lot more effort and skill. Hah...but it does provide more bite and chew than the tenderloin. |
I did not take any photos of the cabbage and sauces. There are two sauce, the Goma (sesame) with Mayo sauce and the Soya Sauce with Ponzu to go with the crisp cabbage. Most bloggers like the goma sauce. But I personally feel that the tonkatsu sauce already has the sesame taste and hence the Ponzu adds a different layer and complex texture to the whole meal.
We had also 3 matcha ice cream which was all consumed by Daddy, cause Danielle was not a big fan of matcha and Daniel and I was recovering from sensitive airway and had to avoid cold stuff. For me, it was no big deal, cause I can always make my own matcha icecream and mine is less sweet (which both my hubby and I like with more matcha).
On the whole, this was a good experience, and definitely a good add to one of the places I will be coming again.
