“Tonkatsu by Ma Maison at Mandarin Gallery has the BEST tonkatsu in Singapore,” my pal Fred would tell me every time when we meet up for our glutton outings with Beatrice and Velda. After hearing this, how do you expect me to pretend that nothing had happened?

The few of us finally arranged a date to go there for dinner. And after trying it, I have to agree with Fred. Tonkatsu by Ma Maison has one of the best, if not the best tonkatsu in Singapore.

From rosu katsu ($29.8), to hire katsu ($29.8), to katsu curry ($21.8), to katsudon ($21.8) – Tonkatsu by Ma Maison offers options for everyone. We ordered in our usual manner (which means too much food) and after a short wait, the table was filled with plates and plates of gorgeous tonkatsu.

If you have a big group of friends to share the calories, try the deep fried jumbo prawns ($38.8 for 2 pieces) — it is a great starter while waiting for the tonkatsu to come.

The hire katsu ($29.8), on the other hand, was a little too dry and lean for my taste. But it was a hit among the girls because the fillet cut has less fat than pork loin.

The kurobuta rosu katsu ($31.8) was up next. It was very good; in fact, much better than most tonkatsu restaurants. I was about to declare it as the best tonkatsu in Singapore, until Fred told me to try the Hungarian mangalica rosu katsu ($31.8).

I took a bite, and for that few seconds, words failed me. It was, hands down, one of the best tonkatsu I’ve ever had. My life will never be the same again.

Tonkatsu by Ma Maison at Mandarin Gallery is very popular. Go before 7pm, otherwise, be prepared to queue for at least 45 minutes. Good luck!

Tonkatsu by Ma Maison
333A Orchard Road
#02-35/36 Mandarin Gallery
Tel: +65 6733 4541
Mon to Fri: 11am–3pm, 5pm–10pm
Sat, Sun & PH: 11am–10pm

Bugis Junction has gone through a revamp and some of the newer (okay, maybe not that new) restaurants at Bugis Junction include: Let’s Sweet Japanese Desserts Buffet, Nanxiang Xiaolong Bao, and Nando’s. The funny thing is, I have never eaten at any of the Bugis Junction restaurants before.

Even though I always pass by the restaurants in Bugis Junction, they somehow didn’t appeal to me, and one of them is Ma Maison Restaurant. The dark entrance of the place was probably the main reason, and it took me until now to try the food there.

Ma Maison Restaurant is located on the second level of Bugis Junction (they also have another branch at the Central). Although it is a Japanese restaurant, the decoration is predominately French, and they serve Japanese rendition of European dishes.

There are five different choices for Ma Maison’s set lunches, and each comes with soup, salad, rice/bread and a drink. The options for the set lunch are the following: Set A) Japanese Western Set Lunch (changes daily), B) Japanese Western Set lunch (changes once every 3 days), C) Hamburger Steak, D) Salad Set, and E) Curry Rice Set.

We opted for Set A, and it was fried Chicken with Japanese dressing for that day. I couldn’t quite describe the taste of the dressing, it was slightly sweet, yet savoury – I felt that it didn’t go very well with the chicken.

Ma Maison is famous for its Hamburger Steak, so it goes without saying that I had to try it. With a beautiful sunny side-up sitting on top, the hamburger steak was well prepared, and the lovely brown sauce complimented the meat perfectly. Although the portion looked small, it was actually quite substantial with the additional salad, soup and rice/bread.

Ma Maison recently opened a new cafe at Parco Marina Bay which serves pastries, cakes and coffee. They are currently having a promotion for their set lunches, have a fruit tart for dessert by topping up an additional $4.80++. I wasn’t expecting much from the Mango Fruit Tart, but it turned out to be exceptionally good.

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Prior to this visit, I was under the impression that Ma Maison Restaurant was quite pricey, but after glancing at the menu, most of the main courses are reasonably priced from $15-$20ish and they also have a 20% promotion off ala carte items for ladies on Monday Nights. However, if you are a big eater, you will probably need to order an extra appetiser/dessert to share as the portions at Ma Maison are small.

Ma Maison offers value for money set lunches which range from $12.9++ to $16.5++. This is the place to go for lunch if you are working in the Bugis or Clark Quay area.

// Also read about the $10.50 three course set lunches at Chef Daniel’s Kitchen.

For more recommendations, read my list of the Best French Restaurants in Singapore

Singapore Food Restaurant Review
Ma Maison Restaurant 200 Victoria Street
#02-51 Bugis Junction Singapore
Tel: +65 6338 4819

6 Eu Tong Sen Street #03-96
The Central @ Clarke Quay Singapore
Tel: +65 6327 8122

Cafe Ma Maison
9 Raffles Boulevard #P3-03
Parco Marina Bay, Millenia Walk Singapore
Tel: +65 6338 9391