If you love Chicken Katsu...

You will LOVE this post. Or be mad at me. Because I am about to tell you were to find the BEST chicken katsu EVER.

On Thursday night, I rode the shuttle bus into base with Bruce, got off at the gate (since I didn't have my base pass yet) and wandered around on my own for a little bit until it was time to meet Josh. He had told me to meet him at the Shell gas station (because it's pretty easy to find) at 5:30pm which was entirely too optimistic of him because he didn't show up until about 6:20ish. -.- Lucky for him, two of the guys that were also going to dinner (it was a going away dinner for one of Josh's crew) saw me waiting and took it upon themselves to ask if I was maybe waiting for Josh! I was a little nervous when they first approached me but when they started talking about Josh and Bruce's bromance and how much Josh loves ice cream, I knew they really knew my man and I was put at ease. :-) We headed across the street to wait for Josh and the rest of the crew in front of a small, nondescript building that frankly, looked nothing like a restaurant.

looking into the restaurant from the street.

Finally, Josh and the others shows up and all 10 of us file into this tiny room, stopping at the entrance to take off our shoes and then sitting down into a traditional Japanese table where you sit on the floor and there's a lower area for your feet. We really had to get cozy with each other for all 10 of us to fit, we took up the entire restaurant! There was a one older Japanese man working and I soon found out he was the only one there and he did all the work! He took a head count, passed out cups of hot green tea and water and then began prepping, without barely a word. About 20 minutes later he got around to taking our orders and we all ordered the "Katsu Special Chicken" or "Katsu Special Pork". We then sat and chatted for a good hour or so while he did all the cooking right there on the other side of the room, which was only about 3 feet away from where we were sitting. :)

                         

the table

waiting for dinner!

He then handed us each a serving try  food with a bowl of rice, a couple small sides (veggies), miso soup, and a little bowl of sesame seeds plus a grinding tool thing. Josh explained to me that we had to grind up the seeds and then Hiro would add the katsu sauce to it. Next, Hiro handed out the plates full of friend food and by the time it was set in front of me, my stomach was growling and I may or may not have been drooling.

we crushed out own sesame seeds

Rice, miso soup, sides, and sesame seeds

the plate: salad, carrot katsu, lumpia katsu, chicken katsu, a giant shrimp katsu, and even APPLE katsu! 

he pours the salad dressing for everyone and then dishes up the sauce in our sesame seed bowls

ready to eat! 

                                 

Everything was SO amazingly good. You didn't even need a lot of sauce because the meats were cooked so perfectly. And the apple? Fried apple? It was soooo gooooood! Like a dessert. Mmmmmm. While I was busy devouring every last bite of my meal, Josh (who had been in one time before) was making small talk (of course) with Hiro in very broken English. Hiro apparently used to play in a Hawaiian music group I believe. His restaurant is decorated in maps of Hawaii and luau advertisements. The first time that Josh went, Hawaiian music had been playing and Josh started singing along to one of the songs he recognized so of course he is now best friends with Hiro. :) He was trying to get Josh to sing along with him to different songs but Josh didn't understand any of them so finally we all teased him into singing one he did know (Aloha 'Oe) and sure enough, Hiro knew that one too! It was pretty cool! I wish I had thought to taken my Canon camera but sine it was "just dinner" I left it at the apartment and ended up using my iPhone (sorry!). But as everyone was getting ready to leave, I pulled out my Fujifilm Instax Mini and asked Hiro if I could take a picture of him. Then Josh suggested taking a picture to give him so I got one of Hiro with Josh! Hiro asked him to sign it and so we asked him to sign the one of him... and I'm pretty sure it's going to be one of my favorite mementos.

Hiro and Josh and their shakas! 

Hiro - my new favorite chef! 

So if you ever find yourself near the Naval base in Yokosuka, Japan. Try and find the katsu restaurant with a picture of my Hawaiian on the wall and make sure to order the special! You will not regret it.

Arigatou gozaimasu and mahalo!