Heads up, tonkatsu lovers — there’s a new pork cutlet spot in town.
Tonkatsu @ Honolulu — yes, that’s the restaurant’s name — recently opened in the Ala Moana neighborhood. The cozy eatery is located on Waimanu Street, across from Ala Moana Center. It’s open from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. for dinner Thursdays to Tuesdays (closed Wednesdays).
The new restaurant can seat around 32 customers. The interior features a modern yet minimalistic design, along with an open kitchen.
Founded by Nagoya native Go Oyamada, Tonkatsu @ Honolulu specializes in deep-fried pork cutlets prepared by Michelin-trained chef Keita Maeda. The cutlets are made with premium three-way crossbred American corn-fed pork. The U.S. pork has been recognized with the Superior Taste Award by the International Taste Institute (ITT).
The eatery also features high-quality ingredients like Niji No Kirameki rice and premium A5 Japanese Miyazaki wagyu. Like Koshihikari rice, this Niji No Kirameki variety features larger grains with a chewy texture and natural sweetness.
A variety of housemade dipping sauces are available at each table. Choose from spicy tonkatsu sauce, mild tonkatsu sauce, and miso tonkatsu sauce. The latter pays homage to the restaurant owner’s hometown of Nagoya.
The eatery’s dinner menu, which we previewed at a media event, consists of teishoku sets. Some of the sets offer differing portion sizes to accommodate various appetites. Choose from sets like dry-aged pork loin katsu ($28-$38), dry-aged pork tenderloin katsu ($30-$33), chicken katsu ($28-$36) and shrimp katsu ($32 for five pieces).
All teishoku include rice, tonjiru (pork-vegetable miso soup), shredded cabbage with creamy sesame dressing, three side dishes and a tsukemono (pickled vegetable) of the day. Customers can enjoy one free rice refill and unlimited cabbage refills.
Each piece of crispy katsu features housemade panko breadcrumbs, which are made using freshly baked bread from EPI-YA, a local Japanese bakery. The breadcrumbs are fried in a special blend of soybean oil mixed with pork lard, resulting in umami flavors and intricate flakiness.
If you want try a variety of katsu, opt for one of the mix teishoku sets. We chose the pork tenderloin (2.6 ounces) and shrimp katsu set ($33) and chicken katsu (3.1 ounces) and shrimp katsu set ($33). The pieces of pork are thick yet tender, and the shrimp katsu delivered a delectable crunch.
While the pork might appear slightly pink, rest assured that it’s fried to the exact temperature required by food safety standards. It’s cooked in such a way to ensure that it stays crispy on the outside, but juicy and tender on the inside.
The chicken katsu is a delight — tender and juicy on the inside, without sacrificing that crunchy exterior. I recommend trying the variety of dipping sauces, but the miso tonkatsu sauce was my favorite, due to its nutty flavor.
If you’re feeling bougie, you can even get a A5 Miyazaki-gyu tenderloin katsu set (120 grams $90, 180 grams $135).
If you want to supplement your teishoku set, check out the a la carte items. You can add shrimp katsu ($4), oyster katsu ($4), curry ($6) and more. The housemade curry is thick and comforting, and worth trying if you want to zhuzh up your meal.
The eatery’s lunch menu features lunch specials, which feature two- ($18) or three-choice ($24) combination sets. Sets come with rice, shredded cabbage, one small side dish and tsukemono. Entrée options include dry-aged pork loin katsu, chicken katsu, shrimp katsu and oyster katsu.
Stay tuned — the eatery’s breakfast menu is tentatively planned to start in late August or early September. It will feature a variety of onigiri (rice balls) with shrimp katsu, ume, salmon, tuna with mayo, spicy cod roe, tonkatsu with miso and more. Onigiri prices will range from $2.50 to $6.50, depending on the filling.
Self parking is available in the parking lot adjacent to the restaurant; the parking lot entrance is on Waimanu Street. Scan the QR code inside the restaurant to take advantage of one hour of free parking; each additional hour after costs $3 per hour.
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CONTACT
Tonkatsu @ Honolulu
1232 Waimanu St., Honolulu
808-200-2110
Instagram: @tonkatsu_atmark_honolulu
Limited customer parking available in the restaurant’s lot (entrance on Waimanu Street)
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
