A Chichibu specialty, Waraji Katsudon (草鞋カツ丼) is a dish where a bowl of rice is topped with tonkatsu (カツ丼, Pork cutlet rice bowl) drenched in sauce. Waraji (草鞋, Straw sandals) is actually the name of traditional Japanese straw slippers – since the pork cutlets dipped in sauce resembled these slippers in shape and color, they were named Waraji Katsu.
When the Waraji Katsudon first arrives, you'll be struck by the portion size – two huge pieces of tonkatsu on the bowl of rice! The lid of the bowl also doubles up as a place for you to place the tonkatsu on the side so that you can dig into the rice. Rather than the fatty juicy tonkatsu you might have eaten before, the tonkatsu here is leaner and flatter, with a crispy exterior and tender meat on the inside. Having already been drenched in sauce, each bite is perfectly seasoned, with a good mix of saltiness and sweetness in the sauce. Paired together with the rice, it recharges you after the long hike up.
Be sure to grab the terrace seats, where you can enjoy your meal with a panoramic open-air view of the mountain range around. It’s a place with both delicious food, and a beautiful view. If you’re lucky, you may even spot a wild shika (鹿, Deer) in the garden below the terrace. This wild deer comes to visit the garden everyday as the restaurant owner feeds it.
