Sauce Katsudon

　It’s the first day of Silver Week in Japan. For the first time in a while, every station is bustling with Japanese travellers.

　This morning, I’ve come to Tsuruga to assist a foreign guest with their transfer. When one thinks of Fukui, soba, seafood and sauce katsudon spring to mind. In particular, Europe-ken, whose head office is in Fukui City, is popular as the original home of sauce katsudon. In Tsuruga, there is Tsuruga Europe-ken, which was established as a branch of the Fukui head office.

　The founder, Masataro Takahata, who had trained in Germany, devised the sauce katsu-don by seasoning schnitzel with Worcestershire sauce and serving it over rice, before opening ‘Europe-ken’ in Tokyo. However, he returned to Fukui following the Great Kanto Earthquake. Since then, sauce katsu-don has become firmly established as Fukui’s soul food.

　The sheer volume is truly impressive. A standard katsu-don typically features three slices of pork cutlet. As the cutlets at Tsuruga Europe-ken are thicker than those at the Fukui main branch, I imagine the ‘mini katsu-don’ with two slices would be plenty for a lady. It’s also great that they provide takeaway containers should you be unable to finish your meal.