Tom Ton, The Central

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by Jonathan Adler.

If Tampopo were your average salaryman-family resturant, Tom Ton (same owner) would be where the likes of keiretsu managers dined. The interior is darkish and classy, unlike those clinical Zen set-ups. For a new restuarant, Tom Ton has its cogs well-oiled as service was considerate and enthusiastic. Tom Ton specialises in kurobuta shabu shabu and we wasted no time in ordering the kurobuta YAKI-shabu. (Note: The set up consists of grilled plate perched atop the hot pot and a couple of sauces and shabu dip to accompany the grcooked items.)

The "GOOD": The shabu kurobuta layers were sliced so thinly, it took only a few swimstrokes in the hot pot for them to be thoroughly cooked. Semi Raw Pork = Suicidal. Needless to say, chewing was practically effortless, as each slice was incredibly tender.

The "ERM": Despite so, I found the yaki shabu a little too bland for my palate. The yaki slices fared better thanks to the fat which oozed and sizzled on the grill but pre-marinade would have elevated the fare from 'good' to 'wow'. The shabu slices were a lost cause. I did everything I could to salvage the situation- from smoking the slices in yaki-paste to prolonged immersion in the shabu dip, hoping that the FoRceS OF OSmoSIS would inject some flavour into the meat. Alas, alI I managed to do was assult the authenticity of shabu shabu.

The "YEAH BABY": If there is one item you should try in Tom Ton, it is most definitely the Top Grade kurobuta katsudon. Tom Ton has a way with katsu and both the katsudon and curry katsu were oh-so-fantastic. The brittle and delicate crust gamely seals in the juices, bringing me a step closer to heaven with each bite (oh, how will I ever be able to settle for mediocore katsu?!). The sweet potato katsu arrived pipping hot, drizzled with sweet sauce and was polished off in a matter of minutes.

After dinner, Tom Ton's owner stopped by to have a little chat with us. He told us "next week" (being this week) they will have a new Japanese chef who specialises in rotabayaki. He then added tongue-in-cheek-ly, "handsome... young chef... I like younger chefs- older chefs are too fierce..." Haha, what a candid fella..

Overall, my experience at Tom Ton was a hit-and-miss. Forget the yaki-shabu and indulge in the katsu instead.. That's what I would be doing on my next visit. Oh yeah.. let's not forget the "handsome japanese chef"..