Saturday, May 22, 2010

Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin

C says:

A is finally out from the army, and having suffered particularly bad food this time round, being the good wife that I am, I’m allowing him to choose our dining venues for a while. This means no Chinese and no chicken for some time.

Japanese is thankfully on the menu, so today we finally tried something new on our to-eat list – the katsu sandwiches at Ginza Bairin in the basement of ION (near Food Opera).


The katsu sandwich is delicious in its simplicity. Super soft white bread (no crusts), a thin breaded pork fillet in between and lightly sauced with a sweet yet tart vinegary katsu sauce. Very addictive indeed.


We also tried the mini pork burgers. These are adorable – only 3 cm in diameter, the sign proudly proclaims. This needs to be eaten in one big mouthful, otherwise the cherry tomato half will squirt, and while it’s pretty good, the katsu sandwich is definitely better. I found the burger bun a bit on the hard side.


I decided to try of their recommended dishes – a soup udon with tempura pork belly. Two thin slices of pork belly are battered and deep fried, and served with a simple soup udon. At first I removed the pork belly, not wanting to get it soggy. But I found the pork belly a bit bland on its own, and the soup a bit on the salty side. That’s when I realised that it’s probably intended to be eaten together, and sure enough the tempura pork belly tasted much better after it had absorbed some of the soup.

The katsu sandwich is still the best dish here, so it’s probably good for a snack, but not a main meal given the host of other choices at ION.

A says:

I love katsu sandwiches. And although the ones here are pre-made and a bit cold, they’re still very good. Definitely will be back.

Btw, you have to place your order at the outside counter before taking your seat. I wonder what happens if you can’t find a place to sit by the time your order comes.

Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin
2 Orchard Turn
#B4-39/40 ION Orchard
Tel: 6509-8101
Open daily: 11 am – 10.30 pm

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