Katsuya - Tokyo-Trained Chef’s Twice-Fried Katsu

Katsuya is a small counter-seat restaurant on Tanjong Katong Road devoted almost entirely to tonkatsu, the Japanese deep-fried cutlet. Singaporean chef-owner Kervin Tay trained at a culinary school in Tokyo before opening the restaurant in 2011 at East Coast Road, moving it to its current home in 2023.

He runs it with his wife, Candra, in an open-kitchen layout where every diner sits at the counter and watches the frying up close. What sets the kitchen apart is its method: cutlets are fried twice in sunflower oil that is changed frequently, first at a low temperature to cook the meat gently through, then at a higher heat to set a light, crisp crust. The result is pork kept pink and moist at the centre beneath a golden shell. The menu runs from appetisers through pork, wagyu and seafood katsu to a whisky-laced dessert.

Salmon Hiyayakko — $10

A chilled appetiser that offers a cool counterpoint to the fried courses. Silken tofu is served cold and topped with aburi salmon, the fish lightly seared with a torch so the surface takes on a smoky char while the flesh stays soft beneath. The searing adds a warm, savoury edge and a firmer texture against the smooth, custardy tofu, making it a light plate to open a meal that is otherwise rich and deep-fried.

Tako Wasabi — $7

A cold appetiser of marinated octopus seasoned with wasabi, served to open the meal. The octopus has a firm, chewy texture, and the wasabi cuts through with a sharp, clean heat that resets the palate before the fried courses arrive. It is a small, simple plate, but it sets the tone for a kitchen that leans on a few precise flavours rather than heavy seasoning.

Ebi Taru Taru — $12

Prawns are coated in a thin batter and fried until crisp, keeping their sweet, bouncy interior intact. They come topped with a house-made Japanese tartar sauce lifted with chopped leek, which adds a tangy, creamy note against the prawns’ natural sweetness. It is one of the kitchen’s more composed starters and a preview of the crisp-batter technique that runs through the rest of the

Hire Tonkatsu Set — $35

The hire is the lean pork fillet, and it is the dish that best shows off the low-temperature frying. Cooked gently before the crust is set, the meat arrives pink at the centre, tender and juicy despite carrying almost no fat. The twice-frying gives it a fine, dry panko crust that stays crisp rather than greasy. Chef Kervin recommends eating the first pieces with just a sprinkle of salt, then mustard, before reaching for the tonkatsu sauce, so the pork’s flavour comes through before the condiments. The set comes with shredded cabbage that can be refilled and dressed with yuzu or sesame dressing, fluffy Japanese rice, pickles, and a red miso soup. The red miso is the deep, robust style associated with Nagoya’s miso katsu tradition, and it is not commonly served in Singapore.

Hokkaido Rosu Set — $42

The rosu is the pork loin, a fattier cut for those who want more richness than the lean fillet offers. A band of fat runs along the edge of the cutlet and softens as it cooks, melting into the meat with each bite and giving the loin a fuller, more succulent flavour. It is prepared with the same twice-fried method as the hire, so the crust stays light even against the richer cut.

Hokkaido Wagyu — $70

The premium option on the menu, this cutlet is made from marbled wagyu beef rather than pork. It is cooked to roughly medium rare using the same low-temperature approach, which keeps the interior soft and pink while the panko crust turns crisp and golden. The marbling renders as it cooks, giving the beef a buttery texture that contrasts with the crunch of the coating. It is the most indulgent way to experience the kitchen’s frying

Scallop Katsu — $36

The kitchen extends its breading and frying to seafood, and the scallop katsu is among the most requested. Plump scallops are encased in a crisp panko shell and fried so the exterior crunches while the scallop stays juicy and just-set inside, retaining its natural sweetness. Because the scallops are prepared fresh to order, pre-ordering when booking is recommended.

The Wider Katsu Range

Beyond the pork sets and scallops, Katsuya fries a rotating range of à la carte katsu that reflects its specialist focus. Depending on the day, this can include eel, salmon, oyster and lamb, each breaded and fried to order using the same sunflower-oil method as the pork. It is an unusually broad line-up for a tonkatsu specialist, and it gives regulars a reason to work through the menu across visits rather than settling on a single cut.

Katsuya is a rare independent tonkatsu specialist in Singapore, run by a chef who trained for the craft in Tokyo and fries each cutlet to order in front of his guests. Its low-temperature, twice-fried method and its broad range of pork, wagyu and seafood katsu make it worth booking a counter seat and working through the menu.

258 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 437046
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 12:00pm–2:30pm and 6:00pm–9:30pm (Closed Mondays)
Tel / Reservations: +65 9656 8183 (reservations via WhatsApp; booking recommended, with pre-order advised for scallop and other seafood katsu)
Instagram: @katsuyasg
Facebook: facebook.com/katsuyaSG