Tonkatsu Tamafuji - Dinner for 8, Kapahulu (9)

Tamafuji is back!

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 1/2 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 people I can vouch for. I can check this. I'm just taking the lead from the restaurant. Our group has many other events you can attend, so we can get to know you.

I did this event 4 times last year. Those on the event's waiting list, will get the first chance to sign up for subsequent event, maybe in November??

A note about the dinner size:

Lately, I've been posting dinners with 6-8 attendees, because I like the intimacy of being able to have a conversation with each of the dinner guests. Why not add a table for events with a waiting list? Well, I can only eat at one table, so the experience wouldn't be intimate. Instead, I've chosen to post more of the same events, giving those on the waiting list the opportunity to attend at a future date. I know it's frustrating being on the waiting list, but if you put yourself on the list, I'll get you to the restaurant; if not for the current event, for a future one.

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

💵
They allow separate checks.

🅿️
Mall parking at Hee Hing Plaza.

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

(more info):
phone: (808) 922-1212
website | menu | yelp 4.5 ⭐️ / $$
Opening review (February, 2017)
Japanese