“Tonkatsu so tender it can be cut with chopsticks” – now, that is a claim few can muster. But it is certainly MAiSEN’s pride as for nearly 60 years, MAiSEN is renowned in Japan for its tender meat tonkatsu. Their main restaurant in Aoyama (off Omotesando) is famous for its setting as a 1920’s bathhouse – an old building repurposed to a restaurant. After so many years, MAiSEN has expanded to a few Asean countries and Malaysia is its most recent. Opened barely a month ago at Sunway Pyramid, now we can all savour their famous tender tonkatsu served with their special sauces.
Truth be told, I am not an avid tonkatsu fan but the experience at MAiSEN has changed that. I have always thought deep-fried breaded meats are greasy and dry. However, the methods and meat quality at MAiSEN have revealed otherwise. They meticulously choose each slice of pork, from the top 10% of the piggy, which is then carefully cut and pounded to loosen the tendons, ensuring its tenderness. The meat is then coated with panko – their unique breadcrumbs and carefully fried in special oil under controlled temperatures. When you look at the golden evenly breadcrumbed meat, appreciate the “kendachi” in their tonkatsu – an expression of how the breadcrumbs stand straight (and not lumpy), like blossomed flowers!
On every table at MAiSEN, you will find 3 types of sauces: Amakuchi (sweet & tangy), Karakuchi (bold & savoury) and Sando (savoury & tangy) – feel free to add on to whatever you ordered.
Every tonkatsu meal here is served with refillable sauce, fragrant rice, heaps of thinly-sliced crisp cabbage and a comforting bowl of miso soup.
Katsumabushi Tenderloin Set – combo of bite-sized tenderloin katsu served over rice, accompanied by rich dashi broth, onsen tamago and side condiments. Best eaten topped with sesame seeds, wasabi and spring onions provided.
Their katsu sets are also available served with Japanese curry, cheese and even sukiyaki style! Besides tender pork, you can opt for chicken or prawns. Besides tonkatsu, MAiSEN also serves other popular items like…
If you are not a fan of rice, well, there’s udon as well.
Desserts are also on the menu. We had their Yuzu Sorbet (RM12) and Nama Choco Rolls (RM12) – simple fares but satisfying.
MAiSEN | LG1.45 Lower Ground One | Sunway Pyramid | Jalan PJS 11/15 | Bandar Sunway | 47500 Petaling Jaya | Tel: +603-5611-6899 | Open Mon-Sun 10.30am-10pm