*Posted this on the wrong location earlier. This is the right one now.
First dine-in outing since the recent lockdown and we were craving for a hearty meal of meat, veggies and perhaps some hot broth in an ambient setting.
Katsu came to mind immediately, and we were met with two nearby choices: Katsuya, or Mr. Tonkatsu. Takeout would have been good too, but one perk of dining-in at either restaurant was the unlimited refills of rice, cabbage salad, and miso soup, and that sounded really good on a cold day for two hungry people. I prefer the flaky katsu and miso soup at Katsuya but Mr.Tonkatsu seemed healthier, won by distance, and also held a nostalgic spot in my undergrad memories.
We started with two cups of Japanese green tea($2 each). I like that they provided the tea bags so we had the option of refills with more hot water. For mains we got the Pork Loin Katsu with Cheese + Soba(~$19) and the Pork Tenderloin Katsu with Curry($18). The soba is a small appetizer portion and was a tad bit overcooked. The broth tasted like msg due to the seaweed and spices. I would have preferred a lighter tasting app since the mains are fried and oily meats lol.
The pork and cheese katsu was less packed with meat than the pork tenderloin katsu; there was a lot of space from where the cheese was. I guess its half meat and half cheese rather than full meat stuffed with cheese? Either way it was still very meaty, albeit a bit rich. Then I tried the tenderloin..and it was oh so tender! And more flavourful than the pork loin too..which I found strange because loin is supposed to be fattier which means tastier..? Also the fact that it was drenched in curry provided more moisture and cut down on the greasiness that I would have otherwise gotten from the crust.
The rice and salad portions were smaller than I had remembered. It was half the portion that I would get in a takeout container. But we weren't worried since there were free refills.
My bf has a big appetite, as he scarfed down the soup, curry katsu, rice and the salad within minutes. It took me three chopsticks full to finish one portion of salad, but just one chopsticks full for him lol. Thank goodness for free refills. We checked with the server beforehand that the free refills policy was still valid, and she confirmed it. I wasn't close to finishing my meal yet so we ordered two refills of salad/soup first for him.
Half of the katsu was already very filling for me and I couldn't eat any more, so he took it over. I did finish the soup and salad though, and wanted more to cleanse my palate. He also finished the two refills we had gotten earlier, so we discussed how many more to get. We didn't want to get banned or anything..just wanted to get our worth of dining in, and plus, the citrusy cabbage salad is so refreshing. So we decided to order 4 more refills. Two for me, and two more for him. We thought it would be okay since it was small portions, and the server did confirm the perk at the beginning.. but when she took our order once again and went into the back kitchen, the kitchen staff laughed at the order. Soon after, she came back with an apologetic look on her face. Apparently the policy had changed and now its limited to 1 free refill per person.
I guess I don't have a poker face because I felt my face drop immediately lol. The website says 'free to refill', and not '1 free refill' (see attached). Not that we are being nitpicky about the number, but if the policy did change then it should be clearly stated. And I feel the server should have told us beforehand of this change. Also my bad for not confirming at the door. Oh well.
Personally I'm pretty disappointed, especially since I don't dine out as often anymore, so restaurant dine in visits need to be worth the go. As a major foodie with stored favourites across Toronto, the service, attitude, and misinformation on this visit has left a bad taste in my mouth. This kind of bad moment is the deciding factor that I will be resorting to Katsuya for katsu cravings from now on.
Before the pandemic I used to come here all the time with friends after a long exam, and it was the nostalgia that led me here this time. Feels bad that one bad moment can override a memorable place just like that. I don't appreciate the reactions of the back kitchen staff after hearing our refill order, and the rain on our parade towards the end when the server had to eat her words on the former policy.
I can't help but wonder what would have happened if we had ordered two more refills the second time instead of four...would they have agreed? Did the policy really change? read more