ルーキー38
In the arcade shopping street "MILPA" at the east exit of Omori Station, there is a Chinese restaurant that seems to specialize in gyoza. Although it is called a Chinese restaurant, it seems more like a 24-hour "Chinese izakaya". I stumbled upon this place while looking for a lunch spot near a construction site nearby. The menu board outside caught my attention with its affordable prices, so I decided to give it a try. I ordered the "oily chicken set meal". The atmosphere inside the restaurant was a bit dreary, with customers drinking alcohol. It seemed like a place where you could drink regardless of the state of emergency. I noticed Sapporo "Red Star" beer in the refrigerator display case. Since I was on the job and had driven to the site, I refrained from drinking alcohol. My "oily chicken set meal" arrived after a wait of about 6-7 minutes. The oily chicken was served in two layers and was quite substantial. Underneath, there was a generous amount of lettuce, radish, and other vegetables. The set meal also included soup, rice, and a dessert of grapefruit. I tried the oily chicken, which had a tangy sauce that complemented the rice, but the texture was a bit tough. The meat wasn't too bad, but the batter was hard. The thickness of the batter was quite substantial, with some parts being hotter than the meat inside. Under the chicken, there was a bed of shredded lettuce and cabbage, which added a healthy touch, along with a good amount of acidity. The soup had a thick Chinese-style texture, but it was lukewarm, which was disappointing. The amount of rice in the small bowl was slightly excessive, with some clumpy parts. Combined with the generous portion of oily chicken, it was quite a heavy meal for me. In the end, I finished the oily chicken, leaving behind a bit of rice. I finished off with the grapefruit dessert, and that concluded my lunch for the day. At a price of 550 yen including salad and dessert, it was a good deal. The oily chicken was decent in taste, but the thickness and hardness of the batter were lacking. The service was typical of a Chinese restaurant, and the sight of customers drinking alcohol in the daytime didn't create a comfortable lunch atmosphere for me.