Actually, I had planned to go to a different standing bar after work, but it was full when I left the office, so I ended up coming to my familiar spot near the station. I sat in the usual booth seat and ordered the usual set which includes a drink and two small dishes. I think it was shrimp and egg stir-fry and fried pork liver with a chuhai. Chinese food always tastes good here. They serve the small dishes quickly, which I really like. Well, I felt like I needed more than just this, but I was short on time. So, I ordered three more Nakas with a Hoppy set! For a side dish, I got my favorite dried tofu salad. I relaxed moderately, but I had to head home before closing time. When I looked back at my previous reviews later, I realized I unintentionally ordered the same menu again. I must really like it. It's convenient. Thank you for the meal.

The restaurant is located right next to the east exit of Kameido Station on the JR Sobu Line. I stopped by for a casual drink and noticed they had Lemon Sour and Oolong Highball for 190 yen, as well as an evening set (2 dishes and 1 drink) for 980 yen, which seemed like a reasonable deal for a variety of food and drinks. I visited on a weekday just after noon, and there were only a few customers inside. I ordered the evening set which included Potato Fries and Oil-Blanched Chicken, along with an Oolong Highball. The drink arrived quickly and was refreshing, although it had a lot of ice. The Potato Fries were decent in quantity but lacked flavor and seemed a bit oily. The Oil-Blanched Chicken, on the other hand, looked different from the menu photo and tasted more like fried chicken. Overall, the dishes seemed cheaply made and did not meet my expectations. I ordered another drink, a Chuhai for 190 yen, to finish the meal. While the menu offers affordable options, the taste and portion sizes were disappointing. I might try something different next time if I have the chance.

On December 25th, I had Chinese lunch at Koen Kameido. I chose the "Mapo Eggplant" set for 690 yen at the newly renovated restaurant near the east exit of the station. The portion of the Mapo Eggplant seemed smaller than last time. The taste was still quite salty, maybe they could reduce the salt by 30%. I didn't bring Sichuan peppercorns this time (of course), so I tried adding some black pepper, which was also good. As expected, I still felt like there wasn't enough rice. Thank you for the delicious meal.

On December 5th, the Chinese restaurant "Koen" in front of Kameido Station had changed ownership. The staff and menu were different. "Koen" was now "Koen"! Huh? The name hadn't changed. I decided to try the Chinese lunch. The variety of lunch options had decreased, but how would the taste be? I ordered the "Mapo Eggplant" for 690 yen. The dish had a good amount of eggplant. As a fan of eggplant, I was very pleased! It was a bit salty, so I felt like I needed more rice. If they could reduce the salt a bit, it would be even better! Adding Sichuan pepper or Japanese pepper could enhance the dish. It was delicious.

When it comes to dining in Kameido, it's all about the North exit. Lots of motsu (offal dishes). A relaxed and cozy restaurant where you can enjoy good food and drinks without any pretense. And just when I was thinking, "Is there a place like that?" I stumbled upon one as soon as I stepped out of the East exit. They stay open pretty late even on Sundays, and they sell super cheap assorted meal packs! It's a Chinese restaurant with cute staff members. Decision made! I'm going in with a friend for a casual dinner and drinks. They have a wide variety of dishes, but the focus is on affordable drinks and small plates. They even have hand-drawn sets for a quick drink, which are quite a deal. I discovered a mysterious drink called San Mei Tan/Wanglaoji, which I've never heard of as a Japanese person. I asked the waitress for an explanation, but it seemed quite complicated. I ended up ordering San Mei Tan out of curiosity. It's a soft drink! It's slightly sweet, like umeshu or Shaoxing wine. I may not order it again, but it was a fun experience. We ordered a variety of small plates like spicy mapo tofu, gizzard and cucumber in sauce, and gyoza (which I really liked). My main dish was shrimp and egg stir-fry. The shrimp wasn't top-notch, but it was satisfying. I'll probably order it every time. The deep-fried liver and other fried dishes are great when you're craving something fried. I enjoyed them with a chu-hi. I also tried dried tofu noodles for the first time, and I loved the chewy texture. It's hard to describe but delicious. I ordered two plates of it. We tried a variety of dishes, thanks to the small plates format. It's like sushi, where you can order until you're almost full and not waste food. It's wallet-friendly and the service is quick. They have table, box, and counter seats, and you can even buy their assorted meals to enjoy at home. It's a relaxed and enjoyable experience. I'll definitely come back! ♡

The Char Han with chicken and vegetables was delicious.

The fact that the restaurant is run by Chinese people speaks for itself in terms of the quality of the food. I also felt the sincerity in their customer service. Such restaurants often seem intimidating, so it's valuable to have a place like this where you can feel comfortable walking in.

This is a Chinese restaurant located just to the left after exiting the east exit of Kameido Station. The menu outside says "All items 280 yen (excluding tax) except for some." They also sell Chinese side dishes for 200 yen per pack. Inside, there is a counter around the kitchen and 5 tables in the hall. I ordered a highball for 198 yen and dishes like gyoza and sweet and sour pork for 280 yen each. The highball was strong, and the dishes were decent in quality. The bill came to 981 yen for 3 dishes and 1 drink.

In February 2018, in Kameido, Tokyo, on my way home feeling a bit hungry, I stopped by a Chinese restaurant called "Koen" right by Kameido Station East Exit. They had a great value set meal on their signboard, so I ordered the "Youlinji Set Meal for ¥680". It came with Youlinji as the main dish, along with cold tofu, pickled vegetables, almond jelly, rice, and soup. The taste was decent, so I decided to add a Highball for ¥280 (excluding tax). Then they brought out a spring roll as an appetizer for ¥150 (excluding tax), even though I was already eating the set meal. It felt a bit strange for a Japanese person. The total bill came to ¥1,140. Wait, the Highball alone costs ¥460? That's quite expensive, isn't it? I made a mistake. It's a good place if you want to either eat or drink, but just having a cheap set meal and one drink is not a good idea.

I went to Koen near Kameido Station East Exit for lunch on March 31, 2017. Last time, there were many office workers and it was crowded, but this time there were only a few groups. Since I had a set meal last time, this time I decided to try a noodle dish from the Half-Chan set menu. I chose the Chicken Salt Ramen, which is basically chicken soba. Since my colleague ordered it last time, I knew the default portion size and decided to upgrade to a large portion for an additional 100 yen. After a while, the meal was brought to me. In addition to the noodles and Half-Chan, there was also salad, pickles, and dessert, all for 580 yen. The Chicken Salt Ramen was just as the name suggests - the soup was simple and the tender chicken pieces were a nice touch. The Half-Chan fried rice didn't have any standout features and seemed like it was just reheated from pre-made. They have a variety of menu options, so I would like to visit again.

On March 6th, I decided to explore a new restaurant for lunch. I went to Koen, a Chinese restaurant near the east exit of Kameido. When I entered, most of the tables were already taken, but I managed to get the last one. In addition to daily specials and lunch menus, you can also choose from the grand menu. Feeling like trying something different, I opted for the stir-fried eggs and wood ear mushrooms set meal. After a short wait, the server brought the meal to my table. The set meal included rice, soup, salad, and pickled vegetables. The stir-fried eggs and wood ear mushrooms dish had soft and fluffy eggs with generous portions of wood ear mushrooms. The taste was delicious and just to my liking. And all this for only 680 yen. I definitely want to go back for lunch again.

Kameido Station, located to the east of Chiba, just outside the east exit next to FamilyMart, is a Chinese izakaya called Chuka Ryori Koen where everything is priced at ¥280. They also offer a very affordable lunch menu. Today's specials were A and B for ¥550 each, with A being chicken and black pepper stir-fry and B being vegetable and egg stir-fry. I chose A and it arrived in about 5 minutes, with a generous portion of colorful bell peppers and plenty of chicken. It also came with salad, egg drop soup, pickled vegetables, and almond jelly. I didn't opt for the large portion, but the regular size was already quite filling. The menu also includes a five-ingredient fried rice for ¥480, which comes with soup and almond jelly. Maybe I should have tried that instead!

On a day off, I visited a casual lunch spot. Today, I went here. When I opened the narrow sliding door, I was surprised to find that the interior was actually quite spacious. There were already a lot of people drinking during the day. It was a bit different from what I had imagined. I sat down and looked at the menu, which featured a variety of dishes all priced at 280 yen each (including tax). From appetizers like preserved egg and pickled vegetables to main dishes like shredded pork with green peppers, sweet and sour pork, and chicken with cashew nuts, everything was priced at 280 yen! There were nearly 60 different dishes to choose from. Can you believe you can get General Tso's Chicken for 280 yen? I decided to try it out. I also ordered some dumplings. Oh no, unexpectedly, I ended up joining the day drinking crowd as well. A draft beer was also 280 yen, while a bottled beer was 380 yen. I usually pay 500 yen for a bottle! So, I went for the bottle today. The interior of the restaurant was like a messy family restaurant, but it was still somewhat tidy. The Chinese female waitress was not very friendly, but that seemed to be the norm. The shredded pork with green peppers arrived. The portion size was about 80% of what you usually see elsewhere. At 280 yen, this was a great deal. The seasoning was a bit light, but not bad. The dumplings were a standard size and came in a set of five. The taste was nothing special. I added a glass of Shaoxing wine for 350 yen and looked for the all-you-can-eat and drink menu. For 2980 yen, you could eat and drink as much as you wanted for 120 minutes. There was also a super luxurious 180-minute all-you-can-eat and drink option for 3980 yen, where you could order items like simmered abalone, simmered sea cucumber, Peking duck, and 18-year-old Shaoxing wine. The simmered sea cucumber alone was listed at 3280 yen on the menu. For just an additional 1000 yen per person, it seemed like a really good deal to be able to order these items. Finally, I ordered one of the 26 lunch sets available, priced at either 480 yen or 580 yen. These prices were tax-inclusive. The set came with salad and dessert. For rice dishes, you could get a free large portion of rice. For noodle dishes, you could get a free half portion of fried rice. Additionally, for an extra 100 yen, you could add two pieces of fried chicken or three dumplings. I chose the tantanmen for 580 yen. It came with salad, half fried rice, and dessert - as I mentioned earlier. The tantanmen had boiled bean sprouts and leeks on top of the noodles, with a cold meat miso topping served separately. Since it was the same price as the ramen, I guess that's just how it is. Oh, I ate too much! I should keep this place in mind for evening parties.

After losing my wallet in Fukushima and returning to Tokyo, I set off on another journey to the Tohoku region. Before heading to Tohoku, I decided to have lunch at a Chinese restaurant called Koen located about 20 meters from Kameido Station on the Sobu Line, along the railway tracks. They offer 12 different lunch sets for 580 yen each, and you can get a free extra serving of rice. I ordered the popular Chinjao Rosu set meal for 580 yen with extra rice. The dish consisted of stir-fried pork, bell peppers, bamboo shoots, and carrots, seasoned with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chicken broth, creating a well-balanced and flavorful taste. The soup was a light Chinese soup with egg and seaweed, the salad was made of shredded cabbage and carrots, and there were four slices of lightly seasoned zasai. The rice was served in a generous portion, with a substantial volume of more than a bowl (about 400g). The almond jelly dessert was ordinary. Overall, I enjoyed the affordable Chinese set meal options and the complimentary extra rice, making it a convenient and satisfying dining experience.

Kameido Higashiguchi Station is about a 20-second walk away, making it a great location, which is why I often visit this restaurant. I am a big fan of their sweet and sour pork and spring rolls, sometimes even eating there three times a week (lol). I recommend trying the sweet and sour pork and spring rolls at least once! However, the spring rolls are a popular menu item and sometimes sell out. The green pepper shredded pork is made with pork, not beef (I personally prefer pork). I do not recommend the sesame sauce cold noodles from the summer menu shown in the photos. The ramen is a light soy sauce-based broth. The noodles used in their dishes are usually thin, and the portion size is a bit small. Some dishes may not go well with the noodles, so be careful. I actually prefer the sweet and sour pork with pineapple that they used to have. I just found out today that this restaurant has a page on the website, so I decided to upload all the photos I have taken at once. I would appreciate it if they could make the restaurant smoke-free! === March 20, 2013 Update === Since February this year, there have been some changes in the chefs and menu items. They no longer have miso negi ramen or other variations, only miso ramen. Some of the menu items in the photos I added today have already been removed, so please be cautious. Sometimes the dumplings come with "wings" when they are in good condition.

This is a Chinese restaurant located just to the left as soon as you exit the east exit of Kameido Station. It seems like a relatively new place with a clean and fresh interior, making it suitable for women as well. The menu includes daily lunch specials and regular items. Some of the popular items like Tantanmen are available at a discounted price during lunch hours, with dishes like Mapo Tofu set meal and Chive and Liver set meal priced at 600 yen instead of 680 yen, and Seafood Gomoku Men and Homemade Tantanmen at 700 yen instead of 780 yen. Additionally, they come with a small portion of rice and a pork bun, making it highly recommended to opt for the lunch set. The set meals include Koyo Special Sweet and Sour Pork set meal, Pork Ginger set meal, Green Pepper Pork set meal, Large serving of Chinese Vegetable Stir-fry set meal, Pork and Garlic Sprout Stir-fry set meal for 680 yen. Noodle options include Soy Sauce Ramen for 480 yen, Negi Ramen, Bean Sprout Ramen, Zaru Ramen, Miso Ramen for 580 yen, Wonton Men, Sichuan Mapo Men, Char Siu Men, Koyo Vegetable-packed Tanmen, Seafood Yakisoba, Jajamen, Miso Negi Ramen for 680 yen, Negi Char Siu Men, Homemade Spicy Tantanmen, Koyo Special Seafood Gomoku Men, Gomoku Ankake Yakisoba, Gomoku Kata Yakisoba, Green Pepper Pork Stir-fry Yakisoba, Miso Char Siu Men for 780 yen, Miso Negi Char Siu Men, Shrimp Men for 880 yen. Rice dishes include Fried Rice for 480 yen, Zaasai Fried Rice for 580 yen, Mentaiko Fried Rice, Mapo Tofu Donburi for 680 yen, Tianjin Don, Chinese Don, Gomoku Seafood Fried Rice, Mabo Fried Rice for 780 yen. The menu offers a variety of unique dishes that pique interest. The Homemade Tantanmen I tried was packed with vegetables like bean sprouts, chives, wood ear mushrooms, and carrots, with a generous amount of chili oil making it flavorful yet easy to eat. The noodles were slightly thin and curly. The soup had a hint of white sesame floating on top, although the flavor was not very pronounced. The pork bun that came with it was small but freshly steamed and hot. Since the filling was sparse, I enjoyed dipping the chewy dough in the Tantanmen soup. The taste was neither exceptional nor disappointing, but the Tantanmen portion was ample, and with the additional rice and pork bun during lunch, I found the meal to be quite satisfying in terms of volume.