Ton & Co — Restaurant in Melbourne

Avoid. When you specialise in one thing you need to do it well.

TL:DR this place doesn't understand the fundamentals of the dish they're trying to replicate. We received a twice cooked loin, it was tough and you could see where the chef had cut it, realised it was undercooked and put it back in to finish. It wasn't busy. The kitchen was not stressed. Go to Gypsy & Pig instead.

Fundamentals of this particular dish. The signature sauce of a tonkatsu place is what binds everything and here it's off balance. The mustard on the side is strangely mild given the tiny dab provided, it wasn't hot mustard. Shredded cabbage is usually served plain to give a break from the richness of deep fried pork, here it is heavily dressed in sesame dressing.

Tonkatsu is in the name. We had the Tomahawk and the Loin. It was strange that the tomahawk arrived before the loin given the size difference but more of this in a little bit. The tomahawk was a highlight, cooked perfectly. The cut itself had a luscious cap of fat that was delicious. The crumb is a bit dense and oily but that's nit picking. The loin. This was unacceptable, we received our loin about 5min after the tomahawk, the edge pieces were fine, but then we noticed that the sides of the middle 3 pieces showed signs of secondary searing. Clearly the chef undercooked it, cut it, realised they'd made a mistake and cooked the middle 3 pieces further. They overcooked it trying to fix it and still served it to us. If you're going to overcook pork please provide chopsticks (by the way this is a knife & fork place, should've raised alarm bells) trying to spear an overcooked lean piece of pork placed on top of a piece of mesh is hard because the mesh flexes.

The sides were the highlight. Potato salad was delicious, lightly mashed with slices of vegetable and some horseradish to break the richness. Rice was high quality.

Please note that the restaurant was not busy. 6 people were there including us. I would have been kinder if the kitchen was clearly being slammed but that wasn't the case. They're also extremely weird about being full all the time. 6 people in a 30 seat restaurant at 7.30pm and you're fully booked? The two front of house spent more time discussing bookings and where to put people than serving while at 20% capacity. I can only conclude that this is an early attempt at...

Ton & Co has been, and still is one of my favourite place to dine in Melbourne. A perfect example of doing just one thing and excelling in it, Ton & Co, as the name suggests, focuses on tonkatsu of the highest quality.

Currently there are two types of cuts available - the striploin and the rib eye. The former is leaner and meatier, while the latter has a more distinct layer of fat. Choosing which is the better cut is akin to choosing a favourite child - extremely difficult but comes down to a matter of preference. Both equally juicy and tender, and crumbed to a golden and crisped perfection.

The tonkatsu is not the only highlight here. Do not go pass the ox tongue skewers. Melt-in-your-mouth chunks of ox tongue, perfectly marinaded, this will induce a foodgasm I assure you.

Just as impressive is the ebi katsu. The freshness of the prawns used is evident, and them massive prawns are panko-crumbed to provide the most satisfying crunch ever. And not forgetting the dessert! Creamy and rich matcha cheesecake with matcha ice cream. Pro tip - it comes with hojicha ice cream but matcha on matcha is definitely the better pairing.

As with the delicious pork, the sauces here are also made in-house. That tartare sauce which came with the ebi katsu is what dreams are made off, I tell you.

If it's your first time here with a friend, I suggest you order two different cuts to share, find out which cut you prefer, and just keep coming back for that. Easy right?

Highly...

Ton & Co is a true hidden gem in Melbourne for those who appreciate well-crafted, comforting Japanese food. This wasn’t my first visit, and it certainly won’t be my last. Every dish I’ve had here is beautifully plated and consistently delicious.

I started with the Miso Dengaku Skewers – skewered tofu smothered in thick, sweet-savory miso sauce and finished with a sprinkle of chili powder. Soft inside, perfectly grilled outside. Then came the Crispy Tofu Curry Rice – a generous portion of golden tofu over Japanese curry, topped with shredded cabbage and pickled ginger. The curry was rich but balanced, and the mayo drizzle added an extra creamy touch.

The Tonkatsu Pork Cutlet was the star of the meal. It was juicy, with a perfectly crispy coating, served with fresh cabbage and a thick, tangy tonkatsu sauce. Alongside that, we had Fried Oysters with tartar sauce — crunchy, not greasy, and very fresh.

To finish off, the Matcha Ice Cream with whipped cream was simple but satisfying. Creamy, not too sweet, and the texture was smooth with a lovely earthy matcha flavor.

Service was quick and friendly, the atmosphere calm with great natural light, and the portions were generous for the price. Ton & Co truly delivers a Japanese dining experience that feels thoughtful and consistent.

Highly recommended if you’re looking for authentic, beautifully presented Japanese comfort food...