Zhāo Hé Chī Chá - 小鹿野町

I visited on May 22, 2022. It was lunchtime but luckily there were no other customers. I had the straw sandal cutlet bowl. The sauce was well soaked in, so the breading wasn't crispy, but it was still delicious. There is enough space to park a bike in front of the restaurant, but I parked for free at the parking lot of the tourist information center about 100m away. By the way, I'm not sure if it's because it's Sunday or because of the pandemic, but they mentioned that they only offer the straw sandal cutlet bowl and egg bowl.

The Tamagodon was delicious. It had a very gentle flavor. The Waraji Katsudon was properly dressed with Waraji and was tasty as well. The miso soup was comforting. This is definitely a restaurant that I hope continues for a long time.

Chichibu Okanomai is not far from Chichibu, getting off at Sayama on the Ken-O Expressway from Yokohama and entering Chichibu on Route 299. I have driven this route before, so the trip to Chichibu feels long and leisurely. Okanomai is not too far from Chichibu. There is a municipal parking lot along the street, so I park there. It is geared towards tourists, so parking is free and there are toilets available. Okanomai is known for its spring village kabuki. It seems to be canceled this year. Showa Junior has been in business for 62 years and is run by a couple. There are tatami and table seats, with customer messages lined up on the walls. Due to COVID-19, they kindly ask for quiet dining. The Waraji Katsu Donburi for 900 yen features two cute waraji of different sizes lined up. The katsu is thin but soft and delicious. The miso soup has a homemade taste. The pickles are a nice touch. The Waraji Katsu Donburi is also served at restaurants in the Chichibu area, but using cucumber and pickled ginger to make waraji seems unique to Showa Junior. The Tamago Donburi has a traditional flavor and seems to be popular.

わらじカツ頂きました。 ちゃんとわらじのディスプレイがしてありお茶目でした。味は美味い!カツの柔らかさとタレの甘さ。塩加減とご飯とタレのバランス。食べた後も脂っこさがありませんでした。味噌汁もうまし。ごちそうさまでした。

夏の想い出…この雰囲気、これがいいんだよなぁ。 夏休み真夏のむちゃくちゃ暑い昼に、小鹿野でわらじカツ丼。ご夫婦で頑張ってらっしゃる、お母さんは一生懸命消毒して。あいだに頂くお新香がなんとも優しく、美味しい。 きゅうりと生姜のひと工夫が嬉しいです 頑張ってわらじカツ丼１位