Hey Hive!
Now that it's been quite a while since Singapore has has been out of lockdown, or what our government has termed "circuit breaker", restaurants have been operating pretty much as usual aside from implementing safe distancing measures. We've also been eating out more and trying new places!
And one of these new places is this casual Japanese diner called Gochi-So Shokudo!
A couple months back, we were in town at this mall called Millenia Walk and wanted to try this udon place that Sean raved about, but unfortunately it was closed when we got there! It was only 7:30pm and we thought they'd be open for dinner but unfortunately not.
So we walked around trying to find some other food to eat. And since he got me in the mood for Japanese food, we went upstairs to check out the restaurants there, since there's literally a Japan Street on the second floor.
And that's when we saw that there was a really good promotion at Gochi-So Shokudo!
I'm pretty sure we've seen this restaurant before but we always passed on it since it's pretty expensive. So I'm not sure about the Grand Opening part, but the promotion itself was really quite reasonable. A full set like that for only $8.90? What a steal! We were really curious, and it's been a while since we've had katsu, so we decided to try it. And see how it compared to our favourite katsu place in Japan - Matsunoya (which I wrote about for tasteem if you're interested btw)!
The restaurant itself is pretty small and narrow, so we expected that it'd be crowded and we'd have to wait but luckily there were a couple of empty tables. It was actually surprisingly empty for such a good promotion. Granted, it was a Monday but still.
The interior looked quite modern and welcoming; blending light wood furniture with the modern spotlights. The benches were hard when I expected some cushion though, but it was comfortable enough.
So I guess Gochi-So Shokudo prides themselves on using iberico pork, which is known as one of the world's best & healthiest pork. The pigs graze on roots, herbs and acorns; which are rich in oleic acids (a very healthy fat that has a multitude of health benefits).
Apparently their active nature of foraging and munching through tons of acorns ensures that the fat is marbled throughout the muscle, and the acorns themselves produce a rich, nutty flavour in the meat. (Cr: from the menu below)
I'm not exactly sure, but from my research I think Campovilla is the brand of iberico pork that they use. And both Campovilla and Gochi-So Shokudo are under the parent company called Eurasia Global Food (EGF), which specialises in quality pork, sourced mainly from Spain. (Cr: Campovilla Iberico)
Anyway, their menu features a wide variety of sets, like curry, tonkatsu, and different types of dons.
They also offer side dishes if you wish to add on.
But of course, we would be ordering the promotion set which I believe is their signature - the Iberico Bellota Loin Katsu, where bellota refers to the meat that comes from pigs that were fed with acorns and pasture.
After 10 minutes, our food arrived!
It looked and smelled soo good! The katsu was fried to perfection and the meat inside was cooked nicely. Presentation points were definitely up there, with all the side dishes. Even a whole bowl of sesame seeds you could grind yourself!
The whole set looked so yummy! I could barely wait to dig in; my mouth was watering while taking these photos. 🤤
After a couple more shots, we couldn't take it anymore and started eating! The rice was nice and fluffy, and had that stickiness like standard Japanese rice. The cabbage was nice with the sesame dressing. And the miso soup was pretty average.
But the pork katsu was delicious! It was crispy on the outisde but not too dry, and nicely tender on the inside. I'm not sure if I could tell the difference between this pork katsu and others that I've tried (since I rarely eat it) but I guess this one did taste a little healthier? Idk maybe it's just my imagination after reading the menu.
It did pair with the plum sauce very well though. Normally I don't really like plum sauce, but the slight sour flavour gave it an extra kick that made it all the more delicious! 😋
I'd say this set was truly a steal for $8.90! We would've paid maybe $10.90 for that meal. But since the regular price is $17.90, I doubt we'll eat it again unless there's another promotion.
But if you're looking for some legit katsu, I'd say go to Gochi-So Shokudo! It's definitely worth checking out if you're in the area (preferably with some vouchers or smt)!
Thanks so much for reading!
To find out more about me, check out my intro post here!
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