Tonkatsu Tamafuji - Dinner for 8, Kapahulu (16)

This is an out of the blue reservation that was offered to me just after my March event. Apparently Tamafuji is moving to a larger space downstairs; so this might be my last event at their original location.

One of my first dinner meetups was at Tonkatsu Tamafuji; I remember waiting in line for our turn at a table. And the line was long; in fact, I remember the maître d' coming out to tell some folks they wouldn't be seated that evening. That was 2018, now I'm making reservations, with a 5 - 6 month wait (this kind of reminds me of San Francisco).

Hokkaido’s Tonkatsu Tamafuji opened on Kapahulu Avenue on February, 2017, and the lines filled the second floor of Hee Hing Plaza with folks hungry for deep-fried meat.

Tonkatsu - pork cutlet, coated with fine bread crumbs, deep-fried to a crisp in hot, hot oil, and served with a ketchup-shoyu-Worcestershire sauce; when it’s done well, it’s divine. At Tonkatsu Tamafuji, you’ll find variations on the dish: chicken, oysters or shrimp instead of pork and topped with runny eggs for katsudon.

The Tonkatsu Tamafuji franchise has 11 locations in Japan (2017), and the menu here comes with some exclusive-to-Hawai‘i items: cheese loin katsu, cheese chicken katsu, mix katsu and the one-pounder katsu.

Because of their popularity, they can afford to be strict: 1. we can't be seated until our entire party arrives (so please be on time); 2. we lose our table if we're not seated within 15 minutes of our reservation; and 3. dining is confined to 90 minutes, I actually had to acknowledge this before they accepted my reservation.

Because of the above, I'm limiting RSVPs to members with zero no-shows. I'm also limiting RSVPs to long-time members, or new members who have attended at least one event in the past 4 months. Hosts can check this. I'm just taking the lead from the restaurant.

For those of you who enjoy eating out, please consider becoming an event organizer.

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They allow separate checks.

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Mall parking at Hee Hing Plaza.

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2, 13, 14, 24: Kapahulu Ave & Leahi Ave (1 block).

(more info):
phone: (808) 922-1212
website | menu | yelp 4.6 ⭐️ / $$
Opening review (February, 2017)
Japanese