I visited the Hokkaido Chitose Garrison for business and decided to have lunch while I was there. There are two restaurants at the Garrison Welfare Center, but unfortunately, the Suzumeya Diner, which opened in 1969, had closed down last year due to the passing of the owner. It seems they are still looking for a new tenant through public recruitment, but for now, it remains closed. So, I ended up dining at the neighboring café without realizing that it was already listed on Tabelog (surprise). I arrived at 11:30, a bit earlier than the usual lunchtime, so there were no other customers yet. Members of the Self-Defense Forces who reside on the base or those who have applied for paid meals can eat at the base cafeteria, but other members must either bring their own bento or dine at a restaurant like this one. By the way, you often hear the term "Self-Defense Forces personnel" in the news, but there is no such wording in the Self-Defense Forces Law. While the term "member" is mentioned, it includes not only Self-Defense Force members but also Ministry of Defense officials. Just a little tidbit of information for you (laughs). Now, despite being named a café, this place offers a wide range of food items, making it more like a casual dining café. I was torn between ordering the pork cutlet curry and the Napolitan pasta, but then I saw something intriguing on the menu – Katsu Cha-han. What? Tonkatsu on fried rice? Let's go for that! I could hear the sounds of cooking coming from the kitchen as they prepared it in a wok. When the Katsu Cha-han arrived, it was beautifully topped with a tonkatsu. I took a bite of the fried rice first and thought, "Wow, this tastes great!" The fried rice had the perfect balance of texture and a distinct salty flavor, making it delicious. The tonkatsu was thin and lightly breaded, blending well with the fried rice without overpowering it. It was my first time trying tonkatsu on fried rice, and I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty it was. However, since the tonkatsu already had sauce on it when served, I recommend trying it without adding any extra sauce. There were sauce and soy sauce on the table, so you can adjust it to your liking.