Tonkatsu by Ma Maison - Singapore

Juicy Pork Loin Salvation
After a day with Dodo's girlfriends spent gossiping in the hair salon and loitering in the mall as they tested skin cream and shouldered pricey bags, I felt like I'd grown ovaries.  What saw me and my shrinking gonads through it all was the anticipation of a deep-fried pork loin dinner at Tonkatsu by Ma Maison.  They served me the juiciest, most succulent, mind-bending tonkatsu - I cannot imagine a better one - not even on my upcoming Japan vacation!  If I find a superior version, as improbable as that is, it will be purely by chance.  I feel about their tonkatsu as I do about the Dodo - no need to search any further.

The Kurobuta loin, when placed before me, glistened and sparkled next to a ragged pyramid of shredded cabbage.  They'd crafted a work of art from an ugly black pig.  I counted out the seven slices and hoped it would be enough - all the gossiping and shopping had created a mighty appetite.

The food blogger me fought off the starving me.  The shots don't convey the juiciness.  I knew it was going to be good, I was already congratulating Pirate Pixels on the choice of restaurant.  Ever humble, she formed a stop sign with her small fingers "we'll see, we'll see."  When I took the first bite, I looked over at her.  She was chewing and neither of us spoke - a knowing silence.  MC, sitting to my right, fired a warning shot "don't talk to me, busy, busy."  There was little conversation during the whole dinner - remarkable for this chatty crew.

With each mouthful, the crispy first bite gave way to tender pork and a rush of viscous fats.  Kurobuta is a superior pig precisely for the way it stores fat throughout the muscle and it shows in the way the rich taste pours forth from all directions.  In my daze I didn't even notice that one of us had ordered deep-fried oysters.  I didn't think to try any - the ladies said later it was nice as well.

Dodo was on my left making her way through a lesser cut of pork.  I wonder about her sometimes.  She was happy, but as I raved and poked her, she defended her all time fave in Tokyo, Katsu I Chi.  I remember it well and we plan to visit next week.  With Ma Maison fresh in my memory, how will it stack up?  Stay tuned.

One thing's for sure - you cannot top the logo.  I might commission an artist to reproduce it in my apartment. 

Mandarin Gallery
333A Orchard Road
Singapore

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