Onkei Tonkatsu Burpple Beyond Set ($39.90++)!
Onkei Tonkatsu Paya Lebar Burpple Beyond dinner set: pork tonkatsu, ebi fry, oyster katsu, mini fried sets, miso soup, rice. $39.90++.
Dinner at Onkei Tonkatsu Paya Lebar branch via Burpple Beyond. $39.90++ set. πππΌ
What was on the table:
- Two main tonkatsu plates: thick-cut pork loin breaded in panko and deep-fried golden brown, served on the standard wire rack to keep the crust crispy from the bottom
- Shared appetiser plate: ebi fry (panko prawn), bite-sized chicken or oyster karaage pieces, fried oyster katsu (kakikatsu)
- Two bowls of miso soup: clear-ish brown miso, scallion garnish
- Two bowls of mixed rice: scattered with sesame seeds + chopped pickles + ume / chirashi style mix
- Side dishes: shredded cabbage with mayo, sliced cucumber, pickled vegetables, sesame paste in a small dish, soy-based tonkatsu sauce in a smaller dish
- Garnishes: julienned daikon, plum tomato wedge, pickled radish slice
Onkei Tonkatsu (ζ©ζ΅) is the Japan-branded tonkatsu specialist with several outlets across Singapore including the Paya Lebar location. The brand specialises in the panko-breaded pork cutlet (and its variants) format, with sesame paste grinding being the dining-table ritual.
The signature Onkei dining ritual:
- Sesame paste grinding: each table gets a small mortar of toasted sesame seeds and a wooden pestle. You grind the seeds to your preferred coarseness before mixing in the tonkatsu sauce. This is THE thing to do at Japanese tonkatsu specialists.
- Add tonkatsu sauce to the ground sesame: stir to combine into a thick paste-sauce
- Dip the cutlet pieces: the resulting sesame-rich sauce coats each panko-crusted bite
- Optional yuzu kosho, mustard, or other condiments: depending on the menu
What makes Japanese tonkatsu different from Western breaded pork:
- Panko breadcrumbs (large flakes, not fine): crispier, less dense, less oily
- Cut thicker (1.5-2 cm pork loin or fillet, not pounded thin): juicier centre, more cutlet identity
- Marinated lightly with sake / mirin / soy / salt before breading
- Deep-fried at lower temperature first, then high heat finish: the two-stage fry that creates the signature ultra-crispy crust without burning
- Sliced for serving so each piece can be eaten with chopsticks
- Served on wire racks so the bottom doesnβt go soggy from condensation
The assorted fried items plate in the middle is the chefβs selection or kushi-katsu sampler:
- Ebi fry (prawn): butterflied panko-fried prawn with the tail on
- Kakikatsu (oyster katsu): panko-fried fresh oysters, briny inside, crispy outside
- Bite-sized chicken karaage: the lighter fried option
Burpple Beyond dinner sets at Onkei sit in the mid-tier Japanese dining value bracket. The Paya Lebar branch sits inside PLQ Mall.
At $39.90++ for the set (around $46 after taxes), this is mid-range Japanese dining. Below upscale tonkatsu like Maisen ($25-$40 per pax), above the budget casual options.
Overall: 4.1 / 5. πππΌ Solid Onkei dinner set. The cutlet thickness was on point. Would re-visit when Burpple deals return.
