きょうもお腹いっぱい : Jumbo Ebi Maruyama Monden Ten

I always leave satisfied after enjoying high-quality tonkatsu (such as loin and tenderloin) paired with a large prawn tempura. This time, as part of the crab festival, I replaced the usual miso soup with a crab hot pot. The rice came as bamboo shoot mixed rice. The price is a bit higher, but it’s worth it to be filled with delicious food.

I occasionally visit this restaurant with family and friends. For me, it's a drive to get here, so I mostly come for meals, regardless of the time of day. It gives off the vibe of a typical tonkatsu restaurant, perhaps similar to the large chain 'Matsuya.' The refill system is similar as well, except they only offer rice and cabbage for refills. A standout item is their famous Jumbo Ebi Fry, which I believe is over 25 cm long. I'm not sure about the specific type of shrimp, but I've heard it might be sourced from Indonesia. While it's quite filling, it also comes at a higher price point—with a set meal of two costing around JPY 2500 to JPY 3000 per person. There are options that offer smaller sizes or combinations with one ebi fry and a tenderloin cutlet to help reduce the cost a bit. The tonkatsu set meal with a medium loin cutlet is around JPY 1500. All in all, the prices are on the higher end, but considering the cleanliness of the restaurant, the service, and above all, the delicious food, it's justifiable. By the way, when I took a seasoned American traveler here, they were incredibly impressed by the loin cutlet, saying, 'This is the most tender pork I've ever tasted. It might be the best in the world.' So, it’s objectively delicious. You can mix sweet and spicy sauces to your liking. Each person is given a mortar with sesame seeds, which they grind with a pestle and mix into the sauce. It’s a little effort required from customers, but it’s a simple task—a sort of ritual, really. Ultimately, it feels like a somewhat upscale tonkatsu and ebi fry set meal restaurant. It's a highly recommended spot if you're driving!