【Katsumeshi】I wondered what katsumeshi was, but it's just rice topped with katsu. To put it more simply. It's a katsudon without egg and with about half the rice. The bowl is small too, so even a large serving isn't satisfying. It wasn't disappointing because I couldn't eat a hearty meal; the dish itself was disappointing. Both the katsu and rice were lukewarm, leaving me with nothing but disappointing memories. Its ingredient cost is lower than katsudon's, so this price seems unreasonable... 【Service】The owner and male employee were also overbearing, and it hurt to hear an elderly woman being scolded for not finishing her food. Their service toward me as a first-time customer was also quite intimidating, and honestly, I wanted to leave almost as soon as I entered. I don't recommend this place to first-time visitors. 【Thoughts】 This restaurant survives because it's in Urakawa, has a hotel next door, and has no other restaurants nearby. It probably wouldn't last somewhere like Susukino. Blunt, overbearing service isn't comfortable.

I had a large serving of katsumeshi. If you eat a lot, a double serving might be fine. It wasn't topped with sauce but with aonori, which had a lovely flavor and was delicious. My companion, who's picky about taste, raved about the grilled fish (hokke), so I regretted not getting the omakase set with a regular serving of katsumeshi.

The 7 of us used a private room. The meal centered on hot pot, but there was plenty of food for a 5500 yen course. The drinks were brought out at a good pace too, which was much appreciated. It's a small town, but there were a fair number of customers.

+1

It was very close to the inn where I was staying, so I decided to try it. At first I only intended to eat, but as I chatted with the owner, I somehow felt like having drinks, so I did. The meal was an omakase set for ¥2000. For drinks, I mostly followed the owner's recommendations. Both the food and drinks were very delicious. It was my first time trying salmon mefun (apparently salmon kidneys prepared somehow). It was quite salty, but very good as a snack with drinks. Since I'd originally only planned to eat, it ended up a bit pricey, but it made a wonderful memory at the end of my trip. If I have another chance to visit Urakawa, this is a place I'd definitely like to stop by.

+3

Urakawa's soul food, “katsumeshi.” A restaurant with not only katsumeshi in the original tradition but also a wide selection of seafood. However, it's best to ask before taking photos. Let me clarify first: I don't think this is the restaurant that originated “Urakawa katsumeshi.” I think “in the original tradition” is the correct description. That aside, having come all the way to Urakawa, I had to have katsumeshi. I haven't written reviews of them, but I've tried it at several restaurants, including some that have since closed. Since this place claims to be the original, I decided to visit. I arrived right at opening time. I wasn't very hungry this time, so I ordered a regular katsumeshi. They start breading the cutlet after the order comes in. It was served after a little while. A sauce-coated katsudon sprinkled with aonori is the hallmark of Urakawa katsumeshi. Time to dig in. I remember the katsumeshi at other places being relatively sweet, like eel sauce, but this one was light and clean-tasting, and delicious in its own way. It goes perfectly with the thinly sliced katsu. It's also nice how a faint aonori flavor spreads through your mouth with each bite. A regular serving might be a little insufficient if you're hungry. The soup contained that oozuwai crab, and it tasted good too. Overall, it was a satisfying katsumeshi. There are various stories, and I don't know which is correct, but I've at least heard the theory that it was a staff meal at “Yakko,” and the theory that a restaurant called “Suzumura” was the first. This restaurant apparently claims to be the original because it was opened by a chef from Yakko. Both have closed, so there's no way to confirm. I can't say, “So this is the original flavor!” but it's definitely delicious. Regarding photography, apparently the “menu” and “today's recommendations” are off-limits. I thought an omakase set meal might be nice too～, but having come all the way to Urakawa, I really couldn't pass up katsumeshi (sweat).

+3