Samurai Bento

I have to admit, I chose Samurai Bento because there was nobody in line to order. Normally, as a cart clubber cardinal rule, this is considered reckless behavior as it's usually a bad sign of the cart's overall quality: the lunch crowd votes with their feet and a cart with nobody in line, when others are packing them eight to ten deep, is about as enticing as a dip in the Willamette river after a rainy night. But having arrived late, time was of the essence.
The number of dishes offered on the menu is impressive, and most are displayed as colorful pictures which is helpful since you don't know Japanese (I'm right, aren't I?). I put in my order for chicken katsu ($6) and stepped back just in time for a group of Japanese teenagers to place their orders (things were suddenly looking up). The all-Japanese, three person crew consisted of a friendly young woman taking orders, a grey haired gentleman and a hipster-looking guy with tattoos (a telltale a sign of yakuza, the Japanese mafia - cool!). They worked well as a team, calling out orders in Japanese, dexterously avoiding each other while reaching for steaming pots or chopping something. The katsu came in about seven minutes (not bad). The dish is breaded and deep fried chicken (or pork) cut into pieces and then placed over white rice with a hearty heap of caramelized onion, sweet brown sauce and a cracked egg, garnished with broccoli, carrot and ginger.
The verdict: savory and delicious, but not necessarily light or healthy. I'll avoid the breaded and deep fried chicken next time and go with their grilled option. The authenticity and quality merits another visit. Domo arigato!