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Ok, so I know I am going against my rule of only introducing “local eats” in Japan with showcasing this restaurant, I felt that it deserved a spot on the list. 

I was hesitant about writing about it because it has gained so much traction on social media recently, and it seems that there aren’t very many people that travel to Japan who don’t know about it. But some places I still feel I should cover. 

Because it is popular, this naturally comes with a long line, and even when I went to it nearly 3 years ago we still had to line up for like 20 minutes. 

The good thing about this however, is that the restaurant is located inside of a building on the first floor and a bit tricky to find, so seeing the lineup will be a good visual landpoint. 

When in line, the staff will eventually come over and ask you how many people you have and the amount of rice (they are all the same price) you would like. You can also order 1 or 2 eggs (I recommend 2). 

Katsu-don, or a pork cutlet bowl is the only thing they have on the menu, and it allows them to be efficient in their rotation of the customers despite the restaurant only having 8 counter seats available. 

Now, what differs from other katsu-don places is I suppose the size of the meat, as well as the fact that they cover it in sauce before they serve it, which allows for a pool of sauce to form over top of the egg. 

The pork is well-breaded, and despite being rather thick, it’s still cooked perfectly. While I wouldn’t say it is the most tender piece of meat you will have, I didn’t find myself too fixated on it. 

What I think makes Zuicho particularly special is the sauce situation. A lot of katsu-don places just ladle a bit of dashi and egg over the cutlet and call it a day, but here the sauce is sweet enough to pool properly and seep into the rice underneath, which changes the whole dynamic of the dish.

By the time you get to the bottom of the bowl, the rice has absorbed all of it and every bite is just completely different from the one before. It is the kind of thing that sounds simple when you describe it but makes a lot more sense when you are actually eating it.

I also think the location works in its favour — because it is tucked away inside a building, the people who are there have specifically sought it out, which gives it a much more local atmosphere than you might expect given how well known it has become online.

It is the harmony of the dish that makes it, and that is why I suggest you order 2 eggs – because I found that I finished eating it before I was done with my meat. 

I mean, truthfully speaking, katsu-don can be found anywhere. But one with good quality such as this place that is well established are perhaps few and far between (the location is also great). 

But, with that being said, I am certain there are other katsu-don places, and many may taste a lot better. 

I just felt an obligation to share this as it is still technically “local” because it seems that Japanese customers do still frequent here (even though it is predominantly foreigners). 

If you are willing to wait, you will get a solid katsu-don. But if you want an even more local, lineup free place, then they are definitely out there – you just have to look.

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