Kamaya Tonkatsu & Tempura
A tonkatsu set meal restaurant on Mobara Kaido in Kita, Ichihara, famous for its rice cooked in an earthen pot (kamado) over firewood — using locally contracted Koshihikari rice. Google Maps 296+ reviews; Yahoo! Maps 4.06, 26 reviews; TripAdvisor 4.0, ranked 7th among 1,309 restaurants in Ichihara. The restaurant fills with regulars within 10 minutes of opening. Its jumbo loin cutlets, crispy tempura, and mixed fry sets are crowd favorites. Rice refills cost just ¥50 — outstanding value. Takeout available. Smoking permitted throughout (no non-smoking section).
"Almost everyone lining up before opening was a familiar face — I was surprised at first." "The aroma of the earthen-pot rice cooking makes you instantly hungry." "A ¥1,000 tonkatsu with this volume is a treasure of Ichihara." "Even as takeout, it stays crispy."