Santouka Hokkaido Ramen opened here in the Philippines last year. I remembered the long waiting lines in their Glorietta branch, and it took me a long while to be able to try them out. Now, they have opened a new branch in Greenhills Promenade. Not only is there a new branch, but they have also opened their new katsu restaurant just exactly beside it called Katsu Sora. Their location is on the 2nd floor, replacing Burgoo.
Location: 2/F Greenhills Promenade, San Juan
Phone: +(63)915 8741990
Sora means sky in Japanese. So, does that mean their Katsu tastes so good that we'll feel like we're in heaven? We shall find out soon enough!
My friends and I just came from watching a movie last weekend, and we were thinking of where to eat lunch. We decided on Santouka, and I was surprised that they had a new restaurant which is Katsu Sora. I really wanted some ramen for lunch, but they said that we couldn't cross order as the restaurants had separate kitchens. How devastating! It's okay anyway as we wanted to try Katsu Sora as it's a new restaurant.
They say that their tonkatsu is made of premium quality. One look at the menu makes me agree as their prices are a bit on the expensive side, with P300 being the least expensive price. We were all girls and we wanted to share our orders as we were sure that we couldn't finish everything with the Unlimited Soup, Rice, and Salad they were offering with each set. Alas "No Sharing!" said the staff. #sadness
We decided to just maximize our experience and ordered all the premium tonkatsu sets available. Woah from sharing to splurging harhar! The tonkatsu sets consisted of the Iberico Pork Tonkatsu Set, Kurobuta Pork Tonkatsu Set, Shimofuri Pork Tonkatsu Set, and Sakura Pork Tonkatsu Set.
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| Photo from the menu |
Before our orders came, we went to get some greens from the salad buffet bar. I love salads, especially do it yourself salads. The selections are just lovely as most of my favorites are there. I really liked the shredded corn, watermelon, cherry tomatoes, and my ultimate favorite was the potato salad. I even went back for more potato salad yum!
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| Salad Buffet Bar |
This is the salad I made. Can you see my favorites inside the dish? :)
Let's get on to the main courses of our meal.
Iberico Pork Tonkatsu Set (P655)
This is the height of the premium pork experience made with the world's most sought after pork meat from Spain. It's highly marbled, juicy, and sweet that it melts in your mouth. Iberico means Spanish by the way. This set consists of Juugokokumai Rice, Miso Soup, Salad, and Hot Tea.
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| Iberico Pork Tonkatsu Set |
I totally agree with the description for the Iberico Pork Tonkatsu. It really is very juicy and flavorful, and I can understand why it is the most expensive set.
Kurobuta Pork Tonkatsu Set (P550)
A tonkatsu made with the most prized heritage meat from Japan. Kurobuta is finely marbled, moist, and flavorful with a delicate meat texture. This set consists of Juugokokumai Rice, Miso Soup, Salad, and Hot Tea.
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| Kurobuta Pork Tonkatsu Set |
I am loving the Kurobuta Pork Tonkatsu as I feel that it does taste very sweet, aside from the fact that it is also very flavorful. I like this better than the Iberico Pork as I tend to like food with sweeter flavors more.
*Juugokokumai Rice is a 5-grain rice that is high in fiber and more flavorful than plain rice.
Shimofuri Pork Tonkatsu Set (P450)
Shimofuri means marbled which means this pork tonkatsu is more delicious and moist compared to your usual pork. Every inch of it is saturated with flavor. This set consists of Japanese Rice, Miso Soup, Salad, and Hot Tea.
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| Shimofuri Pork Tonkatsu Set |
I'm not a big fan of the Shimofuri Pork Tonkatsu as I find the meat a bit hard and dry, and the taste is not as juicy as the other two.
Sakura Pork Tonkatsu Set (P345)
A tasty tonkatsu made from Canadian pork, which is premium meat that has passed one of the highest food standards in the world. The perfect choice for health-conscious pork lovers that want pork on the lean side, but still flavorful with a little bit of marbling. This set consists of Japanese Rice, Miso Soup, Salad, and Hot Tea.
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| Sakura Pork Tonkatsu Set |
For me, the Sakura Pork Tonkatsu has a lot of fat meat. The meat is really flavorful, but this would not be one of the healthier choices. I feel that the description is the total opposite of what I tasted.
Since there were 6 of us, we ordered two more dishes: the Chicken with Cheese and Ohba Katsu Set and the Ebi Furai Curry Set.
Chicken with Cheese and Ohba Katsu Set (P350)
Chicken served with a layer of cheese and Japanese basil, and deep-fried to perfection. This set consists of Japanese Rice, Miso Soup, Salad, and Hot Tea.
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| Chicken with Cheese and Ohba Katsu Set |
I love food with cheese, and for me, this dish could use more cheese. The cheese flavor is so subtle that I almost cannot taste it, but the meat is soft and juicy.
Ebi Furai Curry Set (P450)
Deep-fried tiger prawns served with a mild curry sauce, stewed vegetables, and rice. This set consists of Japanese Rice, Miso Soup, Salad, and Hot Tea.
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| Ebi Furai Curry Set |
I like the presentation of this dish, and there is a generous serving of prawns. I just think that more flavor can be added to the curry.
This is the miso soup served with all of the sets. You can refill your rice and soup just beside the salad buffet bar anytime.
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| Miso Soup |
Same as with all katsu restaurants, they serve a bowl of sesame seeds and you would need to mix it with the sauce provided at the table.
I like the ambience of the restaurant, and I like it that they use couch-type chairs. We were seated nearest the buffet bar, and I love our seats as they're real comfy. Too bad I don't have a picture of the interior of the restaurant.
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| Me and my friends seated at the couch booth (our guy friend made it after we finished eating) |
Overall, I liked the taste of their dishes especially the Iberico and Kurobuta Pork Tonkatsu. I would definitely order these two dishes again. Also, the salad buffet bar is something I look forward to trying out again. Potato salad here I come!
Do share what you think of this restaurant and their tonkatsu if you've tried it. That's all for now!
Ciao!
Kat <3
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