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Tonkatsu by Ma Maison occupies a cozy corner at Eat Paradise in 1 Utama Shopping Centre and offers a selection of pork, chicken and seafood cutlets. rif and I recently dined with one of the partners of this business venture in Malaysia, Mr. Ng.

Tonkatsu has always been a favourite his and when the brand wanted to venture into Malaysia, he saw this as an opportunity to get the franchise. I was told the chef at Tonkatsu by Ma Maison in 1 Utama trained in the Singapore outlet for a year and the Japanese owner comes in on a weekly basis to make sure the food is consistent.

We started with the oroshi (white radish) with Tamari dressing to help refresh the palate and digestive process. I liked the cabbage salad – freshly shredded and drizzled with sesame dressing – said to help balance the meal and cleanse the palate.

My order was the “Mameton” set (RM32.90), with an assortment of pork loin, pork fillet and prawns. The set comes with shredded cabbage, your choice of white or multi-grain rice, tonjiru (miso soup with pork) and sweet and spicy tonkatsu sauces.

Breaded and deep fried till crispy perfection, the fillet and loin remained juicy and tender inside. I also enjoyed the prawn – fresh and sweet in flavour. Apparently, the pork is sourced locally, and cured and aged so it is juicy and flavourful. I really liked the Japanese curry and tartar sauce provided. The former is thick and robust in flavour – very tasty when eaten with the tonkatsu.

rif had the Tokusen Ippon Hire Katsu Set (RM28.90), with 180gm of deep fried pork fillet and his choice of white rice. I liked my set better, but if you’re only into pork, this is the set you should try. The Chicken Cheese Roll Katsu Set (RM25.90) was alright; outdone by the pork of course.

I also enjoyed the Kaki Furai/deep fried oyster (RM4.50 per piece) – crunchy, lightly cooked inside and insanely addictive. They ran out of jumbo prawns that night, so these large regular prawns made do. Overall, I found the food and portion pretty decent. If you’re a fan of Tonkatsu, give this place a try!

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Ambiance: 6/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 7/10 (non halal)
Verdict: I now have more reason to visit Eat Paradise. To try a bit of everything, order the Mameton Set.

Tonkatsu by Ma Maison
2nd Floor, Eat Paradise, Isetan 1 Utama
Bandar Utama
Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03 2096 2888