Archive | March 2025

Tonkatsu Tamafuji – Kapahulu

Yup! Back again at Tonkatsu Tamafuji – we were lucky enough to join in a friend’s reservation! It was still a 4:00 PM dinner lol. They changed their reservation system a bit, I heard that they now only take 2 months ahead of time – not sure when they open the times. Previous Tamafuji posts here and here.

Left: Clam & Green Onions Miso Soup, Right: Red Miso Soup

Hokkaido brand Nanatsuboshi with gloss and sweetness of rice

Jyukusei Pork Loin Katsu Set (300g) | $33.50

Oyster Katsu (3pc) & Pork Tender Loin Katsu (2pc) Set | $31.50

This was my dish and boy did I enjoy it. It was SO good. What do you think that white thing on the right side of the plate is? Silly me, I thought upon first glance that it was like some kind of fried fish cake and got excited. It’s just the empty oyster shell (ha!). The oysters were cooked perfectly, nice and fresh and I love tartar sauce so it was perfect with the oysters. The smaller pieces of pork tender loin katsu was so juicy and tender – I really enjoyed it. I just did my post on Tonkatsu Kuro yesterday and I think both are great, Tamafuji edges out in taste just by a little. But the reservation system and parking for Kuro is much better and I don’t have to eat dinner at 4PM. But hey, if I can jump on someone’s reservation for Tamafuji – I’m down! Excellent meals at both restaurants.

Tonkatsu Kuro – Ward Village, HI

At this time of writing, Tonkatsu Kuro is having their soft opening. Yet another new restaurant in the new Ward condo village. They are right next door to Nori Bar for those who know. I liked that they have reservations on Open Table so we made our reservation before it got super busy. They are currently only open for dinner but I’m sure they would expand later as they settle in, and I certainly hope they also expand their menu soon too!

Love the aesthetic interior! Very modern and sleek.

Salt, Katsu Sauce, Goma (Sesame) Dressing, Ponzu Sauce

iPad Ordering System! There are a lot of wait staff around who are very attentive. If you’ve seen the videos, you’ve always seen the robots “serving” food. Well, all they do is load the robots up and then the waiter comes and unloads the food onto your table. I was wondering how it would work!

Tiny Mortar and Pestle with Sesame Seeds. I say tiny because it is very small compared to Tamafuji lol.

Kuro Soba & Half Katsu | $25.00

Kuro Soba
chilled buckwheat noodles in a cold tsuyu broth

The soba noodles are perfectly cooked, small bit of bite in it. Perfect texture and perfectly seasoned tsuyu broth. I loved it! They do have katsu sets with rice but I really love noodles. I love this option – Tamafuji does not have a noodle option.

Half Katsu
tenderloin (60g) & shrimp (1 pcs)

This was so good! The set was actually very filling. The tenderloin was…well…tender! Juicy and perfectly cooked. The panko crust is crispy but not too thick. The shrimp is great. Big plump shrimp, also fried to perfection. They serve the shrimp katsu with a garlic aioli type sauce, not tartar sauce which was a surprise but a good surprise!! The entire set was delicious.

Free Cabbage Refill

They allow you to order two free cabbage refills – love the cabbage with the goma dressing. All in all, it was a great experience. The wait staff were attentive and the food came out quickly – all perfectly cooked. They did very well in soft opening – will definitely return!