Tonkatsu Taro, the birthplace of Niigata’s sauce katsudon. Even though I’d just finished breakfast, I still wanted to try it—thankfully they have a mini bowl option.
Two sauce-coated pork cutlets laid right on top of white rice. That’s it, super simple.
It doesn’t look especially pretty, but that’s kind of the point with Niigata sauce katsudon.
The sweetness of the sauce clings to the cutlet with a bit of chew, and with Niigata rice it tastes plain and comforting in the best way. When it started to feel a little rich halfway through, adding a bit of yellow mustard or pickled daikon totally changed the flavor.
No wonder it’s a beloved local spot—by the time I finished, there was already a long line out front!
