2022.11 Update: It seems like the chef might have changed again... The color of the sauce looks less chemical and more broth-like. However, considering that the soup for the side dish was cold, it might just be the chef using broth out of necessity rather than preference. On the other hand, the dumplings have become incredibly delicious. The flavor of the filling is amazing, with a great texture and plenty of umami, even a natural soup-like taste. Hmm, it might be a transitional period. 2022.07: I visited the restaurant after seeing a photo on Facebook that looked different. Not only does it look different, but the crucial broth flavor is completely missing. - Tenshin Don x3: I was surprised by the lack of cloudiness in the sauce. I believe the cloudiness is proof of the broth, but this time, it's just the color from seasoning, and there's hardly any broth flavor when you taste it. The egg topping is not bad, so I think it's a fundamental issue with the broth base. Even after going three times over about two and a half months, the taste hasn't changed much, including the fact that the green peas topping has been replaced with mixed vegetables. It doesn't seem like a temporary chef situation. - Pan-fried Dumplings x3: I was impressed before by the neatness of the wings and the perfect sear of the dumplings, but the first time, the wings were torn and visually unappealing, and the dumpling itself was also torn, lacking in juiciness. The second time, the wings were clean, but the dumpling itself was torn, so the taste was off. However, the third time, both the wings and the dumpling were great, not as good as before but satisfying enough. The staff says, "It's the same chef all along," but the dishes are clearly different. The last visit was in January 2021, so it might have changed shortly after that... The dumplings felt more like an evolution (though they've caught up to the average level) rather than a deviation, but the Tenshin Don remains at a steady low. I recognize it as the third generation of the Hong Kong-style stall, but in terms of the food changing, it might effectively be the fourth generation. If you're interested, give it a try...

It's a place that takes about 10 minutes to walk from JR Musashi-Koganei Station. It's a local Chinese restaurant rooted in the community. The lunch special at "Hong Kong Yatai" is Wan Tan Men with Fried Rice for 750 yen. It's a casual neighborhood Chinese restaurant. The menu is diverse, ranging from noodles to set meals. Listening to the staff's language, they don't seem to be Japanese. Is it authentic Chinese cuisine? I can't decide between my favorite dishes like Qingjiao Rousi or Mapo Tofu, but I decided to go for the classic combo of noodles and fried rice. I ordered the Wan Tan Men, which came with shredded cabbage and almond jelly. The Wan Tan Men had the usual toppings like char siu, green onions, narutomaki, and seaweed. The fried rice was simple with just eggs and green onions, but the aroma was outstanding. It had a strong fragrance, perhaps from lard, and was incredibly delicious. Despite the simplicity of the ingredients, a good fried rice can still be very tasty. I enjoyed the meal without stopping, savoring the fried rice and slurping the noodles. It felt like a casual place where people might enjoy some drinks in the afternoon, a neighborhood Chinese restaurant with a down-to-earth atmosphere.

There is a shop located a 25-minute walk from Musashi-Koganei Station, with parking for one car nearby. The interior of the shop has only table seating. Payment with au pay is possible. On January 26, 2022, at 12:00, I dined alone. I had stir-fried mushrooms, pork, and scrambled eggs for 650 yen including tax. It came with almond jelly, salad, pickled vegetables, and soup. The pork seemed slightly old and the taste was not great, but it might have been marinated meat. The cost performance is very good. Rice refills are free, and I believe this is the cheapest lunch in the area. The staff are not Japanese, so communication was a bit difficult, but still possible. Considering the cost performance, I would like to visit again.

The current owner is the third generation. I used to visit often during the first owner's time, but I didn't like the taste of the second owner at all, so I stayed away. The Hong Kong street stall I visited after a long time had more of a town Chinese taste than a Hong Kong street stall taste. The Chinese spices like star anise were mild, with a taste that Japanese people would like. I had shrimp fried rice and half ramen for 750 yen. The ramen was light and tasty. The fried rice was moist and salty, with just the right amount of saltiness. The taste was consistent, with less artificial seasoning and a homely flavor. All the menu items are reasonably priced. There is only parking space for one car. Although the restaurant is listed as a PayPay introduction store, only auPay is accepted, so be careful.

On this day as well, working from home, I felt like having a delicious lunch and hurriedly left my house. However, there was only a little time left until noon. With limited time, my options were also limited. I hopped on my mama-chari and rode south on Shin-Koganei Kaido. First, I passed by the extremely popular local shop "Ramen Shop Tsubaki". Going downhill, I found "Tawara Meshi" and just ahead was "Miso Kura Marushu", and about 100m further, I stopped at the corner of the red roof signboard shop at the Gakugei-daigaku Higashi-monzen intersection. No, what caught my eye was the signboard saying "Recommended Ramen ¥500". However, this was not a ramen specialty shop. It was a Chinese specialty shop called "Hong Kong Yatai". This shop has been around for a long time, but despite being a local, I had never eaten here. In fact, I had never even thought about eating here because the place always seemed empty whenever I passed by. However, a review by a senior reviewer who frequents Koganei and mentioned that the place had become significantly more delicious since the change of ownership last autumn came to mind, so I decided to take the plunge and go in. When I entered the shop, there were 7 four-person table seats, but there was only one previous customer. I started to feel anxious. The staff brought me a paper cup of water and said, "Please have a seat here!" I sat down at the table and felt even more anxious. The menu was extensive, with lunch sets and fried rice and noodle sets, as well as various side dishes posted on the wall. I was lured in by the "Ramen ¥500" sign but with so many menu options, I was indecisive. I finally settled on a set menu with a standard "Ramen + Half Fried Rice". By the way, the set also came with salad and almond jelly, all for the price of ¥650. Recently, even a normal bowl of ramen costs around ¥800, so a one-coin price was incredibly cheap. And for this set to be only ¥650 was unbelievably inexpensive. At that moment, I assumed the taste would be cheap as well. I placed my order, and as I waited, more and more customers started coming in. The takeout service was also available, so some customers were taking their orders to go. In no time, there were around 10 more customers in the shop. The subsequent customers were mostly ordering lunch menu items such as ginger pork, hoikoro, and fried chicken, all priced around ¥650 with free rice refills. If the taste was good, then it was natural for the shop to be crowded during lunchtime. My expectations started to rise a little. After a short wait, the "Ramen + Half Fried Rice" set arrived! The ramen had a soy sauce clear broth with toppings such as simmered pork, seaweed, naruto fish cake, nori, and chopped green onions. The fried rice had quite a substantial volume for a half portion. The toppings included chashu pork, egg, carrot, green peas, corn, and chopped green onions, with a side dish of pickled radish. The salad was a mix of finely shredded cabbage and carrots dressed with dressing, and the dessert was almond jelly. All of this for ¥650 was truly impressive. I immediately tried the soup of the ramen, and to my surprise, it was delicious! The taste was completely different from what I had imagined from a one-coin ramen. I was shocked. The chicken broth was rich and flavorful, with a combination of aromatic vegetables and dried ingredients adding depth and umami. Come to think of it, when ordering ramen, you could choose between soy sauce or salt. This was similar to other ramen specialty shops where the soup is finished by combining the broth with soy sauce or salt. The aromatic oil seemed to be chicken oil, but both the production method and the taste of the finished soup were very Japanese, and yet, to have such a delicious ramen for just one coin was truly surprising.

The third-generation Hong Kong street food stall, where the owner and chef switched roles in 2021, has excellent broth and grilling techniques, but sometimes struggles with the one-person kitchen and one-person floor setup. On Day 1, I tried the Cantonese noodles and half-fried rice set. The ramen soup was delicious, and the vegetables blended well with the soup after a while, creating a wonderful flavor. However, the fried rice was a bit cold, possibly because they waited for the noodles to finish cooking before serving the set. On Day 2, I had the mapo rice and fried spring roll set. The mapo had good broth and spice balance, but lacked in aroma and texture. The fried spring roll, on the other hand, had great texture and taste. It felt like they waited for the spring roll to finish cooking before serving the mapo rice. On Day 3, I tried the Tianjin rice bowl and chicken dumpling set again. This time, they served the dishes separately, allowing me to enjoy the aroma and broth of the Tianjin rice bowl and the perfectly grilled chicken dumplings. It might be better to request the dishes separately instead of together. Overall, the establishment has great broth and cooking skills, and I hope it becomes a well-established restaurant in the community. I recommend giving it a try if you have the chance.

I noticed that there are more restaurants with empty structures in September 2020, so I decided to go around Koganei Chinese restaurants with the theme of Tianjin rice bowl. The seventh stop was a Hong Kong stall where the third generation took over while the red exterior sign remained the same. - Tianjin rice bowl (\780): At first glance, it looks like a simple Tianjin rice bowl. However, when you take a bite, you will be surprised by the strong dashi flavor, unlike the first generation Hong Kong stall or the second generation Sanwagen. The egg is also simple but fluffy, showing skill. I didn't have high expectations for this group this time, but it turned out surprisingly amazing, or rather, it was a great night that made me rethink. - Pan-fried dumplings (\450): A dish I casually ordered turned out to be pan-fried dumplings with wings. The balance of texture and flavor was surprising. The crispy first bite followed by the delicious skin and real meat juice made it a very delicious dish. - Tianjin rice bowl - 2 (\780): Because I was so impressed on DAY-1, about a month later, on DAY-2, I ordered the same Tianjin rice bowl. The deliciousness of the broth, acidity, and sweetness in the sauce made me smile again. It was the second cup that convinced me that this place has become amazing. - Shumai (\5?0): A side menu that caught my eye on DAY-1. Served steaming hot, with a fluffy skin and juicy meat, it was simply delicious. This dish is also amazing. It may be a bit pricey, but it is highly recommended. The soup served on the side was also delicious, and I believe that a skilled chef who can make a good broth (tang) has come. The first generation had flashy signs and a wide variety of menu items, the second generation (Sanwagen) offered cheap daily specials, but now it seems that the focus is on skilled cooking. It has become an interesting restaurant. If you have the chance, please do visit...

There is a restaurant in front of Tokyo Gakugei University. Whenever you go there, you will see young students who seem to be from the university. I ordered the mapo tofu set meal, which costs 600 or 650 yen. The rice was a bit firm, but that's expected from a Chinese restaurant in a student area. However, the mapo tofu pleasantly surprised me. The first bite was sweet, but then a nice level of spiciness followed, making me crave for more rice. When combined with the rice, it was delicious. The portion was generous and the cost performance was quite high. You can choose the spiciness level of the mapo tofu from 2 times to 4 times.