Obviously, the food left a memorable impression. But I was also deeply moved by Hajime's owner cum head chef, Chef Tan, who is Singapore's First Tonkatsu Chef and the same man who once headed the kitchen at Tonkichi (yes, that famous and popular Tonkichi).

Credentials aside, I was impressed by the man's passion (the way his eyes sparkled as he spoke about his food) and his dedication to serve quality Tonkatsu in the most authentic way possible at affordable prices.

Tonkatsu is literally translated as a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet but an authentic Tonkatsu experience is more than that. The other components- fresh, fluffy rice, crunchy, refreshing cabbage, fragrant, roasted sesame and a delicious tonkatsu sauce are very important too.

To ensure that we get the best authentic Tonkatsu experience, Chef Tan insists on serving air-flown Japanese pork, Tonkatsu sauce made with specially sourced Nagoya miso sauce and Niigata rice, which is recognized as the No.1 rice brand in Japan for its delicious flavor, despite the higher costs and the fact that he is offering free-flow rice to customers. He also revealed that he uses only freshly made bread crumbs (not packet ones) so that his Tonkatsu can attain that extra crunch his customers enjoy. The only ingredient he conceded is the cabbage, which he sources locally. This does make a difference in taste but he more than makes up for it with the Tonjiru soup he serves in the sets.

Typically, Tonkatsu is served with a regular soupy miso soup, but Chef Tan took the trouble to simmer Japanese pork with a little yuzu for 12 hours to make a hearty bowl of Tonjiru soup consisting of Tonkatsu broth served with a generous amount of pork and vegetables. It's so good, it almost stole the show from the Tonkatsu itself. Luckily, the breaded exterior of the Tonkatsu was non-greasy and so crunchy while the tender, juicy pork had just the right amount of fat to lean meat ratio that it remained the star.