I am not someone who eats tonkatsu very often,
but since I came to Kagoshima for this trip,
I decided to enjoy it properly.
A few days ago, I had the tonkatsu at Roppakutei.
It was bold and intense,
so I described it as “tonkatsu for young people.”
Today I wanted something easier to eat and still delicious.
This is my second visit to this place.
I was already familiar with the style, and I liked it beforehand.
The place I want to introduce today is Juan (寿庵).
Juan has three locations in Kagoshima.
The main store and Tokai branch are a bit far from the center,
so I came to the more convenient Chuo Station West Exit branch.
This restaurant, like many others in Kagoshima,
serves various dishes made with Berkshire pork.
The most representative ones are shabu-shabu and tonkatsu.
And I personally like the tonkatsu here.
I arrived exactly at lunchtime,
so there was a short wait.
But since it was a weekday,
the line wasn’t long.
I entered “1 person” on the lobby machine,
got a ticket, and waited about ten minutes.
Last time I sat at a table,
but this time they guided me to a private room.
Being alone in a private room felt surprisingly relaxing,
so I enjoyed my meal at a slow and peaceful pace.
I ordered a glass of draft beer first.
A weekday lunch beer feels like a small luxury
that only travelers can enjoy.
It didn’t matter that my body was tired
from traveling and drinking.
This was the moment to drink.
On the table, there were two types of tonkatsu sauce
and two types of salad dressing.
The sauces were karakuchi (dry) and amakuchi (sweet).
They don’t change the flavor dramatically,
so I used them casually.
The dressings were daidai and wafu.
Daidai, a citrus fruit,
was so refreshing and good
that I even wanted to buy the dressing as a souvenir.
I looked at the menu and ordered the Yokubari Katsu.
It includes fried shrimp, loin cutlet, and fillet cutlet.
Of course, I think the loin cutlet is the best,
but today I felt like eating a shrimp fry too.
And I also wanted to try the fillet again.
When you order tonkatsu,
they bring a bowl of sesame seeds and a cabbage salad.
It’s that old-style experience
where you grind the sesame yourself while waiting.
I don’t really love grinding it myself,
but since it came out, I did it properly.
The Yokubari Katsu finally arrived.
At first glance, it looks like a very ordinary tonkatsu.
But the taste tells a different story.
It is extremely comfortable to eat.
Especially after eating the “young people’s tonkatsu”
the other day, this one felt even gentler.
The breading is not too heavy,
and the fat of the loin is not overwhelming.
You can enjoy the flavor of the pork
while still feeling light and relaxed.
I tried the fillet first.
It was tender and clean in flavor.
But the real charm of Kagoshima Kurobuta
is in the fatty, savory loin.
So the loin cutlet was the true highlight.
Next time, I want to eat more of the loin.
But then the shrimp fry surprised me too.
The umami from the shrimp was rich and impressive.
Maybe this is why people choose the Yokubari set.
Today, while eating at Juan,
I realized something.
Ah, this is my favorite tonkatsu in Kagoshima.
Its Tabelog rating is around 3.48,
lower than some of the more famous places.
But this gentle, mild style
is exactly the taste I’ve been looking for.
And when I think about how many customers here
are older women,
I feel like they probably understand
what I mean by “comfortable flavor.”
Of course, when I visit Kagoshima again,
I will try new tonkatsu restaurants too.
But at the end of the trip,
I’ll come back to Juan once more
to revisit this simple, comforting flavor I like so much.
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