Yayoiken is actually a rather low cost Japanese-western restaurant, with its roots in japan. It has several outlets worldwide and currently there are 3 relatively new outlets in Singapore.
The menu is easy to read as everything includes pictures, and they have many set options to create a balanced meal. The menu and prices are available on their website. Set meals starts from $9.90++ which is pretty reasonable.
Tonkatsu set – $13.90++
The ala carte tonkatsu cost $10.90, and for just $3 more I can get miso soup, hiyayako tofu, salad and rice. Even though I do not want the rice, I thought it’s quite a good deal since individual portions of soup, salad and tofu would add up to more than $3. Rice here is free flow but too bad I am not interested in it.
Tonkatsu isn’t as simple as it looks and most random Japanese stall’s tonkatsu are not up to standards. Since Yayoiken has quite a reputation for proper tonkatsu, I decided to try it here. The panko batter looks very crispy and quite proper and indeed it did not disappoint.
However, the meat used here was normal pork loin, which was on the tough side and some parts were quite hard to bite off. A knife isn’t provided and the pieces are too big to chow down in one mouth so it was quite a hassle to eat this neatly. Perhaps I would try other parts and other species of pork when I have tonkatsu elsewhere next time instead of normal pork loin.
Nevertheless, for $13.90++, this tonkatsu set is quite value for money.
*****
Ambiance: 7/10
Food: 7.5/10
Value: 7.5/10
Overall: for a no frills Japanese-western meal this is an option, but I not for the best tonkatsu in town for sure.
*****
177 River Valley Road
#B1-50 Meidi-ya Supermarket
Liang Court Shopping Centre
Singapore 179030
Tel : 6338 7170
*****
Daily: 10:00am – 10:00pm
Hungry Bird 