About a 5-minute walk from Higashi-Koenji Station. The place has a counter and about 7 seats. It's run by one older gentleman. Despite the many warning signs, the place wasn't as strict as I expected. They are taking serious measures against COVID-19, and the place is spotlessly clean, which is great considering how some places can be greasy. I ordered the pork bowl (Ton-don) for 790 yen. It comes with miso soup and a side dish as part of the lunch set. They use Galician chestnut pork shoulder (100g) and Canadian pork loin (75g). The meat was delicious, and you can clearly taste the two different cuts. The dish had a generous amount of onions and was relatively mild in flavor, which was unexpectedly elegant. Even though there was a decent amount of rice (300g), I finished it all quickly. Next time, I'll try the double meat portion for an extra 400 yen, or the Stamina Bowl for 900 yen, or the Mayo Pork Bowl for 950 yen. Thank you for the meal.

This was my first time here, so I started with a basic pork bowl. Usually, pork bowls are known for their sweet sauce, but here the black sesame flavor really stands out and it's not overly sweet, which I liked. The regular size was satisfying, although at first it was a bit tricky to eat without spilling the toppings. I visited during lunchtime, so it came with miso soup and a side dish, which was a good deal. The pork used is a mix of Spanish Galician chestnut pork (100g) and premium Canadian loin (75g), which is an original blend you can't find elsewhere. You can choose from a variety of flavors like salt, miso, ginger, wasabi, spicy, doubanjiang, spicy miso, cheese, grilled cheese, tomato, tomato and cheese, mayo, and many more. They also offer garlic-based, egg topping, and miso cabbage options, so I'm really looking forward to deciding what to try next time.

I revisited a pork bowl restaurant in Higashi-Koenji. It was their 10th year challenge and all pork bowls have been upgraded. They now offer Spanish Galician pork shoulder loin and premium Canadian pork loin bowls. They mentioned comparing it with Spanish Iberico pork, so maybe there are three types? The menu offers various options like salted pork bowl, making it hard to choose. The ginger pork bowl with two types of pork loin was luxurious and delicious, showcasing the expertise of the specialty store. The rice, sourced from Yamagata Prefecture, was delicious. The large cut onions and generous portions make it a satisfying meal even when ordering a smaller rice portion. The restaurant strictly prohibits using smartphones during meals and politely directs anyone who sneezes while eating to the restroom, showing consideration for other customers. The restaurant supports the idea of finishing all the food on your plate to address global issues. Though the staff initially seemed intimidating, they were kind and warm with a gentle smile. I would like to come back to try other pork bowls in the future.

In Suginami, at the Donburi-ya Pon restaurant, the impressive appearance is contrasted by the strict rules such as no smartphones allowed during meals, no paper scraps in the bowl, and a clean interior with white tones. The bowls made with Galician chestnut pork and Yamanashi-grown enoki mushrooms are top-notch. The Tomato Pork Bowl at 890 yen seems quite affordable. A truly luxurious "one-bowl meal."

I went to a training session in Higashi-Koenji. It was before the pandemic, so it was easy to go to Tokyo like this. They provided lunch, but I didn't want to miss the chance to try Donburiya Pon-san. The small restaurant had a counter and a few tables for two. I looked at the menu and decided to go for the refreshing pork bowl. I ordered the Pork Mayo Don with extra rice. It took about 15 minutes for the dish to be served, as they cook each piece of pork individually. The bowl arrived with pork and mayo beautifully arranged on top. It was like a bowl of pork and mayo with lots of fat. There was no salad, just pickled cucumbers on the side. I mixed the pork and mayo with the rice and enjoyed it. It was so delicious. It's been five years, but I hope to go back to Higashi-Koenji and eat there again. It was a great experience!

Today's lunch was at "Donburi-ya Pon" in Higashi-Koenji. I had some difficulty finding a place for lunch a few days ago when I visited this nostalgic area after many years. Eventually, I stumbled upon a restaurant run by a fish store called "Uogen" and decided to eat there. On my way back, I found a small, dirty-looking kitchen on a side street that seemed to specialize in B-class gourmet dishes, but it was not open until noon, so I had to give up. I then returned to the main road and tried a ramen shop that seemed like the only option, but hesitated to enter due to the heat with the door wide open. So, I headed towards Ome Kaido. The main dish at "Donburi-ya Pon" is the pork bowl, but they also offer options like "Steak Bowl," "Curry," and "Chicken Wings." Additionally, they had a special "Five-Vegetable Bowl" available only in August, which was the basic pork bowl topped with thick-cut stir-fried vegetables. It looked quite delicious. However, since it was my first visit, I chose the basic "Pork Bowl." After a 5-minute wait, it arrived. The portion was quite generous, with thick slices of pork and only onions, giving it a robust taste. However, upon taking the first bite, I thought, "This doesn't taste like a professional dish." It was too simple, tasting like something I could make at home. The onions were good, but the main pork lacked fat content. It seemed to be closer to pork loin than belly meat. Pork bowls rely on the fat content for flavor, so I believe they should use fattier belly meat to bring out the true taste. The secret sauce, passed down from the previous owner, was also disappointing as it lacked depth and complexity, tasting like store-bought sauce. It seems like the restaurant is still new, so I hope the flavors will improve over time. Despite my critical feedback, the restaurant's layout was stylish, and the waitress was quite beautiful. Until the flavors catch up, it's best to enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant. The "Fresh Tomato Pork Bowl" that the customer next to me was eating looked really delicious. There is potential for a revisit.

On a Monday when I had to work from home due to a typhoon hitting directly, I visited a restaurant for dinner after finishing work. I ordered the "Tomato Salad Pork Donburi" (1200 yen) and waited for a while. The owner brought it to me, and in the center of the bowl, thinly sliced tomatoes were arranged like a rose. The bowl was covered with tomato slices radiating outwards, making it seem like the only way to eat was from the tomatoes. It felt like the owner was serving it as an appetizer. Next came the sweet and spicy sautéed onions. The Galician chestnut pork had not appeared yet. Ah, maybe it's too early for the meat. Indeed, I heard that it's better for your health to eat vegetables first. I ate the onions. Underneath, finally, neatly arranged Galician chestnut pork from Spain and premium Canadian loin appeared. That was the main dish. Underneath them, the white skin of Hane-nuki from Yamagata was visible. I repeated eating the remaining onions, chestnut pork, loin, and Hane-nuki in order. I wonder if the sauce had a little vinegar in it. Unusual. Just when I thought I came to a donburi shop, I was shown a tomato rose like an artwork, and when I thought I came to eat a bowlful, a course meal came out. It was very delicious. In front of a meticulously prepared bowl, my spine somehow straightened. It's not often that eating a bowlful makes your spine straighten.

Double the pork bowl ===========

Hmm.

The owner's response was terrible, the taste was average, but there were too many rules, so I never want to go back again.

The pork bowl here is unbeatable! The seasoning and portion are excellent. The downside is that the store is small with few seats, but it's so delicious that I recommend going during off-peak hours.

I thought the portion size looked small when the delicious bowl was placed in front of me, but it turned out to be quite substantial when I started eating. The price was a bit high and it took a while for the food to come out, which was a bit disappointing.

Opened in 2009 in Higashi-Koenji, "Donburiya Pon" is a pork bowl specialty shop that aims to recreate the taste of the owner's childhood. I visited for the first time in a few years since living in Koenji and went twice. [Access] From Higashi-Koenji Station exit 1, head towards Shinjuku on Ome Kaido on the right side, look for the yellow sign. [Interior] About 10 seats including counter and tables. It is small but neatly arranged. However, there is a somewhat tense atmosphere with signs saying "Please refrain from moving seats (without permission)" and "Please put your umbrella in the umbrella stand." Among the 20 or more pork bowl options, I chose the "Vegetable Pork Bowl (970)" with "Miso Soup (150)" and "Raw Egg (50)" this time. I opted for the regular size, although there is also a "mini (-170)" and a "large serving (+100)". * Depending on the menu, there is also a "medium (-70)". [Vegetable Pork Bowl] The pork bowl, overflowing from the bowl, includes vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, and onions. The pork used was not the previously emphasized (?) Iwanaka pork, but the SPF pork called Yumibuta. When I tasted it, I was surprised by the mild flavor. I was expecting a punchy garlic flavor, but it turned out to be a light ginger-based taste, which was unexpected. It was more similar to Yoshinoya's pork bowl than a special pork bowl. I probably ordered a "Pork Bowl" or a "Stamina Bowl" last time. I should have added garlic topping (100 yen), but it was too late. As for the pork itself, I feel like Iwanaka pork was thinly sliced and had a soft texture and umami, but my memory is vague about this one. It is elegant, but the lack of fat makes it unsatisfying. The rice used is Akita Komachi, perfectly cooked for a bowl. However, the amount is quite large, even in the regular size, it would be larger than a fast-food chain's special serving. The balance with the ingredients is off, and with this amount, I would have preferred a stronger seasoning. By the way, according to the menu, the order of size is large> regular> medium> mini. It is different from the order of large> medium> regular (small) at ramen shops. It is better to start with a mini size if you are not confident. You can choose between whole egg or egg yolk for the egg. The miso soup was not worth 150 yen as it was at an instant level. It is also disappointing that there are no table items. [Service] Operation by one staff member. Watching the cooking process from the counter, there was a bit of roughness. The greeting at the end improved from before, saying "Thank you very much~". [CP] It is not cost-effective, as it exceeds 1000 yen in total, despite being a pork bowl of a higher class. [Overall] Whether they focus on large servings or quality such as rice and branded pork is unclear. The target demographic is unclear, giving a somewhat ambiguous impression.

I used to think it was a bit expensive, with pork bowls costing over 800 yen in the neighborhood, so I didn't go for a while. But I finally visited. The owner's attitude was mentioned quite a bit, but it didn't bother me too much, just seemed a bit nervous. There were a lot of notices posted inside the store, which gave off a slightly negative vibe. The ginger pork bowl for 870 yen was really delicious. The pork was tender, sweet, and had a good pork flavor. The sauce had a subtle ginger flavor that wasn't overpowering, but complemented the pork well. Even though it's a bit pricey, I can see why there are always people coming in. They also offer takeout, so I might consider bringing some home.

A visit to a restaurant near Higashi-Koenji Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, specializing in pork bowls and stamina bowls after a long time. Before entering, I looked at the menu with photos and decided. - Wasabi Pork Bowl I was under the impression that it would be a wasabi pork bowl. I imagined it would be covered in wasabi or have a pile of wasabi in the center, but there was no obvious wasabi flavor in the appearance. However, the taste was good! They use premium Japanese SPF pork, and there is plenty of satisfying pork meat to enjoy. This pork bowl is worth revisiting when you want a hearty meal!

I visited the Tokyo pork bowl restaurant called Donburiya Pon, which was featured on Tuesday Surprise for their overtime meal on a day off. I couldn't have the garlic-stamina bowl due to work, so I ordered the pork bowl for 820 yen with an additional 350 yen for extra meat and rice. The dish arrived with SPF pork belly meat beautifully arranged like flower petals on top of the rice. As I rolled the meat with rice and took a bite, the sweet and juicy meat juice oozed out from the fatty part, blending perfectly with the sauce-infused rice. It was a satisfying and delicious meal. I wish they had condiments like shichimi pepper, sansho pepper, or pickled ginger on the table to enhance the flavors even more.

After leaving the European-style curry restaurant in Higashi-Koenji and still having some room in my stomach, I stumbled upon this pork bowl specialty shop on the way back to the coin parking. The sign for Tokyo Pork Bowl caught my eye. The small shop had a kitchen and a counter with 4 seats on the right side, and 5 single table seats on the left. It was run by a male owner. I sat at one of the table seats in the back and ordered the mini pork bowl for 600 yen. The regular size was 700 yen and the large was 750 yen. They also had other variations like Stamina Bowl, Ginger, Salt, Miso, and more. The pork bowl arrived in 5 minutes. It tasted like the recently revived pork bowl from Yoshinoya, not the rich and sweet Hokkaido pork bowl. It had a simple soy sauce flavor with thinly sliced pork that was tender due to its thinness. It was not bad, but the taste was a bit plain and I got a little tired of it. I wanted to add shichimi (seven spice blend), but they didn't have any condiments available, not even pickles. Even fast food chains like Yoshinoya and Matsuya provide shichimi or pickled ginger. It was disappointing considering the price was double that of Yoshinoya. I hope they improve on this. This pork bowl gets a rating of 3.2 stars. The portion size for the mini was impressive, but the taste lacked a distinctive feature. Thank you for the meal.

When you exit the No. 1 exit of Higashi-Koenji Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line and go straight to the right, you will find a restaurant on the right side. I had the Stamina Don. It is a popular dish made with premium brand pork "Iwanaka pork" from Iwate Prefecture, including pork belly, pork shoulder, onions, eggs, and white sesame seeds, all mixed with a special secret sauce. Other options include pork bowl, Stamina Cabbage Don, Tomato Pork Don, Kimchi Pork Don, Mayo Pork Don, and Ginger Pork Don. You can also take out the food. -Nutritional benefits of pork- * Contains about 10 times more vitamin B1 than beef, which helps with fatigue recovery. * Vitamin B12 has a healing effect on a tired brain. * The fat in pork can help lower cholesterol levels.

World Gourmet Journey. At Higashi-Koenji, the "Stamina Pork Bowl" at Donburi-ya Pon costs around 870 yen. I was planning to go to an old Western-style restaurant near Koenji Station, but it was gone, so I wandered around. I could have just gone home, but while looking around Higashi-Koenji, I found a small pork bowl restaurant and decided to try it. The menu mainly consists of various pork bowl options and curry. The pork bowl was not the greasy and hearty type like Butadon, but it was incredibly delicious. It seemed to have a generous amount of garlic. It also had onions and sesame seeds. The portion size was just right, not too much or too little.