あっとらんこ
The Okinawan restaurant group "Houbin" in Koenji. The business hours during the state of emergency are as follows: Houbin is open from 12:00 to 17:00, Houbin Tokiyo-ka is open from 17:00 to 20:00, and Urizun Shokudo is closed until May 31st. I visited Koenji for the first time in a while and decided to try some Okinawan cuisine. I entered the restaurant just after 12:00, and it started to get quite busy with several groups coming in. The restaurant is not very spacious, with about 8 seats at the counter (with dividers) and tables for 2, 4, and an irregularly shaped table for about 8 people at the back. I was seated at the counter as a solo diner, while groups of 2 were seated at the 2-person tables and groups of 4 at the 4-person tables efficiently. The lunch menu offers a variety of dishes such as Yaeyama soba, Soki soba, Taco rice, Daito sushi, daily Champuru, steak, and more. I was tempted by the Daito sushi and cold Yaeyama soba, but I chose the daily Goya Champuru since it featured Goya. The Goya Champuru lunch set for 750 yen (excluding tax) arrived in about 5 minutes. The set included Goya Champuru, rice, soup, and pickled radish. The rice, in a normal portion, was soft but not exceptional. The Goya Champuru had a generous amount of Goya, along with tofu, pork, and carrots. The taste was slightly salty. The soup was like soba soup and quite tasty. The pickled radish was standard. The taste of the Goya Champuru was quite good, but at 825 yen including tax, it felt a bit expensive. It should be around 750 yen at most, with maybe an additional small side dish. Overall, the Houbin group gave me the impression of being pricey, which was further reinforced by this experience. While I enjoy Kiyoka and would like to visit again due to its great atmosphere, I feel like I may not revisit the other restaurants. Besides the food, I was also disappointed by the tense atmosphere among the staff, the crowded seating arrangement despite alcohol disinfection and temperature checks, and various other factors.