While thinking that I might end up ordering fried rice, I entered a new Chinese restaurant that used to be a ramen shop in the back of Sanjaku Park, aimlessly walking after work on a weekday. There were 7 tables in the restaurant, with 2 groups of customers already there. The restaurant still had a continental vibe, and it seemed like Japanese-style Chinese cuisine was not common in this area. The specialty seemed to be Taiwanese beef noodles (960 yen). The prices were average for a local Chinese restaurant. Not in the mood for noodles, I decided to go with my usual choice. Ordered Menu: - Shrimp Fried Rice: 860 yen (extra 100 yen for large portion) Taste: 3.7, Cost performance: 3.5 Ingredients included green onions, komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach), egg, and 4 small shrimp. The fried rice had a light salt flavor and was cooked on the drier side. It was easy to eat without any strong flavors. The small shrimp were simply boiled, so I wished there was more to them. The large portion was just about acceptable in terms of quantity. A simple fried rice that doesn't get boring. - Pan-Fried Dumplings: 380 yen Taste: 3.6, Cost performance: 3.6 Served with wings attached. The skin was chewy, and the filling had a strong seasoning with juicy meat when bitten into! Even though there were 5 pieces, the price in the 300 yen range seemed quite reasonable nowadays. After finishing the two dishes, I couldn't resist ordering one more item that caught my eye in the menu photos. - Wontons with Spicy Oil Sauce: 480 yen Taste: 3.8, Cost performance: 3.5 Today's MVP. A dish with wontons soaked in a red spicy soup, topped with chopped green onions. The wontons were large and had a chewy texture. The soup had a spiciness level of 2 and a numbness level of 1 (on a scale of 10), with just the right amount of saltiness making it delicious. It seemed like it would be enjoyable to mix rice into the soup for a porridge-like dish. Ordering this was definitely a good choice. Overall Impression: Perhaps because I like spicy food, the wontons with spicy oil sauce were a perfect match for me. Since this restaurant offers menu items that are not commonly seen in other places, I have high expectations for enjoying other original dishes here. Next time I'm in the mood for noodles, I might try the Taiwanese beef noodles.

On Monday, I went to "Hakkouka" near Oji Station. I mistakenly thought they opened at 11:30, but they actually opened at 11. It was hot, so I ordered cold noodles. I ordered the lunch special of Yodare chicken cold noodles, but when they took back the lunch menu, I was puzzled. They corrected the price from 880 yen to 850 yen and returned it with a big question mark in my head. (laughs) As part of the lunch service, they served complimentary bottled oolong tea. The mini fried rice was the usual taste, but the Yodare chicken cold noodles had a creamy flavor due to the sesame sauce used. While the Sichuan peppercorns were noticeable, I, of course, customized the taste with chili oil and vinegar. However, I liked the creamy Yodare chicken noodles, which had a hint of Bang Bang chicken flavor. (From "Casual Lunchtime")

I arrived at around 1 o'clock. The atmosphere was calm and easy to spend time in. It was moderately bright, not too dark. The speed of service was good. The appetizer, ramen, and gyoza came in that order. I ate the appetizer, and then the ramen arrived at just the right time. The staff were friendly. The taste was neither good nor bad, just average. It wasn't a taste that would leave a lasting impression.

In Tokyo's Kita Ward, in a mixed-use building where there used to be a "Tsukemen Ramen Haruki Oji Store," a new restaurant called "Hakkaxiang" has opened on the 1st floor. It's interesting to see a Taiwanese restaurant replacing a ramen shop. During lunchtime, the place wasn't too crowded, so it was comfortable. The restaurant only has table seating, no counter seating. The lunch set offers six options, all reasonably priced at under 1,000 yen including tax. I ordered the "Cold Taiwanese Mazesoba and Small Fried Rice Set" (850 yen tax included). The mazesoba I chose had a nice flavor that was not too strong, suitable for Japanese taste buds. It wasn't too greasy, which was good. The finely chopped green onions around the noodles felt a bit unnecessary. The refreshing coldness of the dish was nice, but it added some unnecessary spiciness. The small fried rice had a more ethnic flavor compared to what you would get at a typical Japanese-owned Chinese restaurant.

I used it for the first time. I think it's great for people who need to hydrate a lot because they serve Oolong tea in a pet bottle. They also have Dragon Highball on the menu. I think all the dishes are delicious and have good value for money, so I would like to use it again.

【2023/06/07】I went to Hakkeika for the first time in a while on Monday. It was a hot day, so I chose the cold beef and negi chashu noodles with fried rice set. I wasn't in the mood for hot beef noodles. The noodles were topped with plenty of negi, and the chashu made with simmered beef shank was also plentiful, making it quite satisfying. The spiciness of the negi was nice, but I added more heat with chili oil. The slightly sweet sauce was balanced out by the vinegar. Adding vinegar completely transformed the taste to a chilled Chinese noodle flavor. The cold, chewy noodles were delicious. (My birthday is coming up soon, so... 😅) 【2023/05/02】Yesterday for lunch, I managed to make it to the area near Oji Station and went to Hakkeika. I went to this mainland Chinese restaurant run by people from Northeast China, not Taiwan, to have their Taiwanese beef noodles. I ordered two dishes since I was with a colleague. My colleague had the Taiwanese beef noodles, and I had the spicy beef noodles. I ordered mine extra spicy, so it probably had more chili peppers added. I could have ordered just the noodles, but both the single dish and the lunch set with fried rice were the same price. The beef was tender and flavorful, just like last time. The noodles were a bit thick and chewy, with one piece of knife-cut noodles mixed in. This means they use fresh knife-cut noodles (probably store-bought). The mixed-in knife-cut noodles were also good, so I might order them next time. (Tingling ⚡ Tingling ⚡...)

The highly recommended Taiwanese restaurant that opened after "Ramen Haruki" is Taiwan New Ramen. They offer a lunch set which includes a small fried rice. New Ramen is a Taiwanese soul food where you eat noodles made from wheat flour with simmered beef and soup. It was my first time trying it, and it was delicious. I ordered the salt flavor this time, but they also have other flavors that I would like to try. The small fried rice was not half-sized, so the portion was very small.

Today is Prince Day. I decided to try a new restaurant that opened last week. It's called "Hakkai-ka," a Chinese restaurant where you can enjoy Taiwanese beef noodles. The menu offers a mix of Sichuan-style Chinese dishes rather than pure Taiwanese cuisine. The 1180 yen evening drink set caught my eye. For lunch, you can also order individual items, but I opted for the lunch set with Taiwanese beef noodles and fried rice. The Taiwanese beef noodles had a soy sauce-based soup that was surprisingly delicious, with a subtle hint of spices like star anise. The noodles were chewy. You can choose between thin noodles or knife-cut noodles for the standalone option, but the knife-cut noodles seemed to be of lower quality, so I recommend the thin noodles. Surprisingly, the fried rice came with beef instead of char siu, using beef that was stewed for the beef noodles. It added a unique twist to the dish, although some extra ingredients were accidentally mixed in. The chewy noodles were a bit long, causing me to choke while slurping, so it's better to avoid slurping. The beef was tender and flavorful. One great thing about this place is that it opens at 11 a.m., making it a convenient lunch option. The menu categories are a bit mixed up, with "Meat" under "Noodles & Rice," "Seafood" under "Appetizers," and "Noodles" under "Dim Sum," but it adds to the charm of the place. (From "April, 2nd Week~!")

I had the drooling chicken cold noodles. Topped with cilantro and white leeks. The first impression is the numbing sensation of sansho pepper and the spicy kick of chili oil. The flavor of cilantro enhances the deliciousness of the drooling chicken. The crunchy texture of white leeks is also good. The soup has a slightly sour taste like cold Chinese noodles, and the texture and sweetness of pine nuts are a nice accent. The thin Chinese noodles, which can be slurped up easily, were delicious with a rich flavor as the sauce coated them well.

I had ginger pork set meal. Watanabe treated me.