Hajime Thomson Plaza Japanese Food Review

by - August 30, 2020

Hajime Best Tonkatsu & Ramen Place At Thomson Plaza

hajime thomson plaza review

So yesterday I was on my way to my favourite Japanese restaurant Omote, when I walked past this restaurant called Hajime at Thomson Plaza. I've actually seen this restaurant before, but it never really occurred to me to try it because I don't really like to eat Tonkatsu or ramen - and that's this restaurant's specialty.

I may not have noticed this place at first because Hajime is rather obscure due to its location. Most people don't usually visit that particular area of Thomson Plaza - the place opposite Han's and Burger King. But now you know what's there!

Anyway, my boyfriend and I decided to try it out, so we ended up queuing and before we knew it, we were seated down inside.
hajime thomson plaza
I quite like the ambience of this place because it's vibrant and welcoming. The diners are mostly families with children, groups of friends and couples. The staff are also really friendly, love cracking jokes, and even recommended us a few dishes when they found out that it was our first time here.

So in a nutshell, here's what we ordered:

  • Tonkatsu Premium Pork Loin ($22.90)
  • Kurobuta Shabu Ramen ($15.90)
  • Salmon Don ($18.90)
  • Potato Korokke ($4.50)
  • Potato Salad ($4.50)


Apparently the chef is Singaporean but he went to Japan to learn Japanese cooking. He is also the first Tonkatsu chef in Singapore! In fact I didn't even know the chef was local because the dishes tasted really authentic.
hajime tonkatsu premium pork loin
The Tonkatsu Premium Pork Loin was the highlight of the night and came with a set with rice, Tonjiru and watermelon slices. I have to say the Tonkatsu was the best I've ever tasted in Singapore. You know how Tonkatsu can be quite hard? This one was nothing like that! The meat was very crispy on the outside, and when you bit into it, it was soft and flavourful. I generally dislike pork, but this one lacked the strong pork smell and taste, and everything was just simple with just enough flavour.
hajime tonkatsu sauce
There's also this dipping sauce that you can make by gridding sesame seeds and adding Tonkatsu sauce. Have fun grinding! ;)

The Kurobuta Shabu Ramen was not bad - the ramen was alright, but the meat was so soft like it would melt in your mouth. The broth had a bit of spice to it but nothing that was too much to handle; it was still rather refreshing and 清淡. 
hajime salmon don
My dish was the Salmon Don. It looked absolutely delicious and tasted good, but I won't say it was amazing. The salmon slices were soft and creamy, and the rice had a decent amount of soy sauce that gave the whole dish a sweet and savoury taste. I enjoyed it very well, but out of all 3 dishes, this one was definitely outshined by the rest!
hajime side dishes
Even side dishes tasted amazing. The Potato Salad was wonderful and was the chunky kind with bits of vegetables in it. By itself, it was already rather filling. The Potato Korokke was 10/10 - crispy and soft on the outside, and warm and creamy inside. Best I've ever had, and the portion was generous!

For those of you who don't live near Thomson Plaza, Hajime also has food delivery via Deliveroo (for their Serangoon branch). But the food is so great, I think it's worth coming down to eat it fresh out of the kitchen. Looks like this will be my new favourite Japanese food place at Thomson Plaza!

Hajime Tonkatsu & Ramen
Address: 301 Upper Thomson Rd, #01-110 Thomson Plaza, S574408
Telephone: +65 6509 9952


Love this post? Feel free to share and comment below or check out my other Thomson Plaza food review.

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1 comments

  1. Looks delicious! For anyone in Singapore looking for more authentic Japanese food options, I recommend checking out this article review: https://hyperlocalnation.com/singapore_post/best-japan-restaurant-in-singapore/

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