I kept passing by this new tare-katsu shop, thinking about how it caught my eye, but finally stopped by during lunchtime. The interior has a pleasant and clean feel, with a woody atmosphere and a white wooden counter. I ordered the vegetable hire-katsu don (1,120 yen). They placed a freshly fried, crispy katsu on top of the rice, and the master generously poured a lot of tare sauce over it. I thought to myself that it might be too much, but as I waited, I found that the sweet and savory flavor wasn't overwhelming at all; it was a perfect match. The summer vegetables like eggplant, cherry tomatoes, and young corn were healthy and delicious, making me really glad I came in. It's also nice that a simple donburi costs just under 1,000 yen. I hope to visit often and support this place.

The restaurant is about a 10-minute walk from Karasuma Station and Karasuma Oike Station. Today, I’m here for lunch. The interior has a mix of counter seats and table seating, with the main menu featuring katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl). I ordered the katsudon set. Now, onto the tasting! The katsudon comes with three pieces of pork cutlet soaked in sauce. While the cutlet isn't particularly thick, it's tender and easy to eat. The dish is well-balanced, as it includes miso soup, pickles, and salad alongside the bowl. I also appreciated that they served tea instead of just cold water. Overall, it was a satisfying meal! Although it was a relatively busy time, the staff member managed everything swiftly, which left a good impression. I chose the katsudon set this time, but I think I would have felt more satisfied with the additional 80 yen for the "aimori" (mixed) bowl set.

I had lunch at a katsudon restaurant on Rokkaku Street in Kyoto. My impression of this place is that it offers the best cost-performance! I was able to enjoy a sauced katsudon for under 1,000 yen, and the quality was high and very delicious. Additionally, the atmosphere of the restaurant was nice, making it a great place.

While searching for lunch under 1000 yen around Karasuma Rokko, I stumbled upon "Tarekatsu Takakura Rokko." I ordered the katsudon set at the clean counter in the restaurant. It was my first time trying Niigata tarekatsu, and I found out that there are about 10 other stores as well.

In 2024, I continued my exploration of new restaurants, and I previously wrote about a place called "Dobozuke-ya" (Kyoto, Shijo Omiya) featuring sauce katsudon earlier this year. However, on January 7, the "Tarekatsu Takakura Rokkaku" restaurant opened in Kyoto (Karasuma Oike), specializing in Niigata-style katsudon (tare katsudon). I have previously visited "Tarekatsu Kyoto Honten" (Kyoto, Kawaramachi) and "Niigata Katsudon Tarekatsu Shinsaibashi" (Osaka, Shinsaibashi). From their lunch menu, which is available until 5 PM, I ordered the katsudon set for 920 yen.

Hirakatsu rice bowl set - 1,120 yen (two pieces of hirakatsu, one shrimp, salad, miso soup, pickles). I arrived on a weekday around 5:30 PM with no other customers present. The restaurant only has counter seating and operates continuously. I took a seat and ordered the hirakatsu rice bowl set. Since they fry the katsu after I place my order, I get to enjoy it fresh and hot. The "tare katsu-don" is a bowl of rice topped with freshly fried thin pork cutlets that have been dipped in a sweet and savory soy sauce. It arrived in about six minutes! The presentation was fantastic. The katsu is indeed thin, but there are two larger pieces, along with a shrimp tempura! Shredded cabbage is also placed on the rice, which is generously drizzled with sauce! The katsu isn’t super hot as it's been dipped in the sauce, but it’s still delicious! There's also tartar sauce for the shrimp tempura, allowing me to enjoy both the sauce and the tartar flavor! The miso soup, salad, and pickles were all quite good, and given the quality, I think it's a great value for just over 1,000 yen! The interior of the restaurant is clean and has a stylish atmosphere! However, this time, the service was disappointing. I believe it was just a rare occurrence, but while I was eating, three foreign tourists entered, sat down, and tried to place their orders, but the staff completely ignored them. Even I noticed they were waiting, but the staff didn't approach them at all. They ignored them for about five minutes, and when the tourists took the menu to the register to try to place their order, only then did a staff member respond, saying, "??? You order at the table!!" in a way that indicated they would only communicate in Japanese. It was surprising that they couldn’t speak English! The tourists eventually placed their order at the table, but it left a sense of neglect and poor treatment, which was disappointing. The food and the restaurant were wonderful, but this experience was disheartening. I hope these tourists won't be discouraged from returning to Kyoto. Thank you for the meal!

I heard that Tarekatsu opened a second location last month, so I decided to visit for the first time. The interior features an L-shaped counter with about 12-13 seats. It's best suited for small groups of one to three people! I tried the "Special Hire Katsu Combo Bowl," which is part of their holiday set available only on weekends. The bowl is piled high with various vegetables, one piece of hire katsu, and one shrimp (ᵔᴥᵔ). The katsu here is perfectly crispy, and the quality is impressive! The vegetables retain their crunchiness and freshness, allowing me to fully enjoy their textures and flavors ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ The hire katsu is made from thin, tender meat that’s marinated in a mildly sweet soy sauce-based glaze. This sauce is refined—it's not too strong and doesn’t overpower the ingredients' flavors! Even after being soaked in the sauce, the dish maintains a delightful crispy and light texture, which is great! Adding plenty of sansho pepper and gari from the counter enhances the experience even more (๑>◡<๑). The shrimp is juicy and has a perfect texture! And above all, the tartar sauce is delicious! The creaminess and richness from the egg paired with the sweetness from the onions stand out, making it rich yet refreshing to enjoy (*´꒳`*). I love the food and atmosphere here, and since this location is easier to access than the main store for me, I plan to visit regularly! However, the entrance is narrow, which makes it less noticeable. It might be a challenge to attract new customers since it’s not easy to recognize when passing by the shop (^◇^;)

In February 2024, I visited a new branch of "Tarekatsu," which specializes in Niigata's local gourmet dish, Niigata Katsudon. This branch, located near Karasuma Oike Station, follows the one in Kyoto. The restaurant has a narrow layout with just a bit over 10 seats at the counter. On the counter, they have shichimi (seven spice) powder, sansho (Japanese pepper), and mustard, but honestly, the food was so delicious that I didn’t feel the need to use any of them. I ordered the "Vegetable Hirekatsu Don," which is a gold medal-winning menu item highlighted in "Otona no Shumatsu" magazine. This bowl came with two pieces of tender hirekatsu, along with giant corn, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, and pumpkin, making for quite a generous portion. The thinly sliced hirekatsu was moist and flavorful! The batter was light, allowing the deliciousness of the vegetables to shine through. Although I’m not usually a fan of giant corn, today it tasted exceptionally good. The rice was cooked slightly firmer than usual, which I found quite enjoyable. The miso soup, made with tofu and wakame seaweed, was classic but very tasty! I can definitely see myself ordering the same dish again next time. Thank you for the meal!

I visited the new Niigata Katsu Don that recently opened in Takakura Rokaku, Kyoto. “Tare Katsu” is a chain of Niigata Katsu Don restaurants primarily operating in Tokyo. The restaurant is known for its unique style of Katsu Don that doesn’t involve egg, which is called “Tare Katsu Don.” This Tare Katsu has now opened the "Takakura Rokaku store." The "Takakura Rokaku store" is the second location in Kyoto, following the "Kyoto Main Store." The interior features a wooden decor with only counter seating. The entrance has glass doors, making it easy to see inside from the street. Just beyond the counter, the kitchen is visible, allowing you to see the staff pounding the pork and frying the Katsu up close (photos including staff members are not allowed). The menu for Katsu Don starts at 960 yen. The recommended item is the basic "Katsu Don." This time, I decided to try the “Double Layer Katsu Don.” The food was served quite quickly. ● Double Layer Katsu Don The dish included Katsu Don, miso soup, and pickles, and was served on a wooden tray. Although the Katsu was thin, each piece was quite large. There were four pieces of Katsu on top of the rice, presenting a very simple appearance. The Katsu had been dipped in a soy sauce-based tare, making it flavorful even on its own. The premium quality pork was tender and delicious! The meat had less fat, allowing for a satisfying meat texture. The sweet and savory soy sauce tare was appetizing and complemented the rice well. As I continued eating, I discovered two more pieces of Katsu hidden beneath the rice. With four pieces on top and two hidden beneath, that made a total of six pieces. This double-layer structure seems to be a feature of the “Double Layer Katsu Don.” The Katsu steamed beneath the rice had a slightly fluffier texture. It was enjoyable with a moist feel as well. While the Katsu was delicious by itself, I also enjoyed changing up the flavors with shichimi (seven-spice), sansho pepper, and Japanese mustard. The sansho pepper added a rich flavor that I personally really liked. After eating six pieces of Katsu, I felt very satisfied. With the ability to change up the flavors, it was a delightful experience!

I took out the tarekatsu from "Tarekatsu Takakura Rokkaku" in Kyoto! The crispy coating paired with the sweet and spicy sauce goes perfectly with the rice, making it even more delicious. The quality was just as great as eating in the restaurant, allowing me to enjoy authentic flavors at home.