Crunchy, juicy, flavorful, light, savory, and so much more! That is how I would describe the tonkatsu at Tonkatsu Tamafuji. Tonkatsu is a Japanese dish which is ultimately a piece of pork coated in Japanese bread crumbs and deep fried. Tonkatsu can be eaten with rice, or some people put it in between two slices of Japanese white bread and bake a “katsu-sando” (tonkatsu sandwich). Some eat their tonkatsu with Japanese curry too, which is also a popular dish in Hawai’i (katsu curry), or simmered with a sauce with a scrambled egg poured over (katsu-don). However you choose to eat tonkatsu, it’ll be delicious.
One Friday, we decided to try Tonkatsu Tamafuji on a whim. We had our fingers crossed that it wouldn’t be busy, and we’d only have to wait about 30 minutes. On a normal day (without COVID craziness), the wait for Tonkatsu Tamafuji can be from 1-2 hours. When you are seated, a friendly waiter greets you your menus and iced water. Their menu is vast, and is centered around tonkatsu. Other items include panko breaded jumbo shrimp and oysters. The two types of pork to choose from is Jyukusei pork loin and pork tenderloin. The pork loin is one thick piece, and the pork tenderloin comes as three smaller pieces. My boyfriend likes to order his katsu with melted cheese on top. Aside from the premium cuts of pork, what sets Tonkatsu Tamafuji aside from other places is their close attention to detail. They cook their katsu in copper pots which conduct high thermal frying temperatures. The panko (Japanese bread crumbs) used are made from fresh Japanese white bread loaves from a local bakery called La Tour. All ingredients were thoughtfully decided to ensure the highest quality. For more information of the ingredient specifications, you can see the descriptions of each ingredient here. After you choose the main dish, you get to choose from three types of rice (Hokkaido Nanatsuboshi white rice, 5 grain rice, or their house-made seasoned rice. The dish also comes with a variety of Japanese pickles and your choice of miso soup.
My go-to order is the Jyukusei 2-pc pork tenderloin katsu with 2-pc shrimp katsu set. I get the set with the plain white rice, and the red miso soup with clams. I’ve never been to a place with that offering! The soup is rich and flavorful from the clams and red miso. After the waiter takes your order, they drop off a bowl with sesame seeds for you to grind for your katsu sauce. The bowl, suribachi, is a ceramic bowl with ridges that you use a wooden mortar to grind the sesame seeds with.
After the seeds are ground to the desired consistency, you can add your katsu sauce. I think it’s a genius way to keep the diners occupied as their food is cooking. It makes the time pass quicker in my opinion. When the food comes out, there is a mountain of grated cabbage on the side as well! I love the unlimited cabbage option. It’s a nice and refreshing “in-between” between the fried tonkatsu. The tonkatsu is light and fluffy and very juicy. The pork itself is flavorful and I could probably eat the tonkatsu without any sauce – but the sauce just makes it that much better! That specific Friday I decided to add a glass of ice cold Kirin beer to my order. That really hit the spot. At the end of dinner I was full and my tonkatsu craving was completely satisfied.
All around, the experience of eating at Tonkatsu Tamafuji is one to remember. Everything is delicious! I have never had a bad experience here. The dishes are consistently perfect, and they seriously know what they’re doing when it comes to katsu. Remember, it is important to support the local businesses in your area. Especially with COVID, our community needs our help more than ever. So when you’re thinking of where to eat on O’ahu, look no further than Tonkatsu Tamafuji! I promise you won’t regret it. Until next time..
Leave a Reply