Introducing “Katsu-don,” a staple of the bento lunch box
My name is Kimura and I live in the northern part of Tokyo. Typhoon No. 1 has formed in the south of Japan. According to the forecast, it will pass near Tokyo this Saturday and Sunday. It doesn’t seem to be such a powerful typhoon, but I wonder if we will be able to play outside this weekend.
Well, today, I bought a lunch box for lunch and I would like to introduce it to you. Bento restaurants offer a wide variety of dishes such as fried chicken, hamburgers, tonkatsu, curry, and rice bowls. All of them are high-calorie meals, so I worry about my health if I eat them every day, but they are really good for an occasional change of pace. This time. I ordered a bowl of katsu don and will introduce it to you.
What is katsudon?
I have introduced it with soba noodles in this blog in the past.
Tonkatsu” is necessary to explain katsudon. It is a dish made by deep frying thick pork and is popular for its crispy texture. (It’s also popular with international visitors!) This tonkatsu is further stewed with egg and sweet sauce to make it tender. Looking at just the text here, you may not get the image of what it is like because it is made by stewing and softening a crispy fried piece of meat. Also, if you have ever had tonkatsu in Japan, you have eaten it with a salty sauce or salt seasoning, but tonkatsu is sweetly seasoned. Both are sure to be deliciou
Opening the Bento Package
Your bento is served like this. 580 yen. I’m glad they still continue to offer it at this price.
Remove the wrapper, open the lid, and you’ll find a bowl of katsudon (pork cutlet served over rice). There was takuan (pickled radish) next to the pork cutlet. Still, the volume is amazing. The bento is heavy.
The tonkatsu portion seems to be well-cooked and has a sweet soup flavor all the way inside. I forgot to take a picture and finished it. I enjoyed it with the rice under the katsu-don!
Where can I get katsudon?
If you want to buy a bento box of katsudon, you can find it at bento shops, the deli section of supermarkets, and convenience stores. Famous bento chain restaurants include “Hotto Motto” and “Origin Bento”. Please try them when you see them on your trip to Tokyo.
Thank you for reading to the end.
Kimura
