I happened to pass by and decided to enter. The open-air interior of the restaurant had a refreshing atmosphere, which is highly recommended during this season. The steamed chicken and dim sum were delicious, but the mapo tofu with minced meat on top was excellent in both appearance and taste. I discovered a new and delicious version of mapo tofu.

I was curious about the new Chinese restaurant that opened up. I noticed the construction going on, and now it's finished. It has an open feel, with mostly outdoor seating. It's still hot out though. I got bitten by a mosquito. The restaurant has a counter, one round table, and two tables for four people. It's small, with only one server. They seemed nervous and didn't smile much, but they worked diligently. It's not really a place to relax and enjoy your meal. The food was delicious!

The second branch of "Foo Foo Restaurant" in Kinshicho opened on August 18, 2023, right after leaving Kameari Station. I visited the restaurant and found that there were many flowers displayed in front of the shop. The entrance was wide open, despite the scorching heat. The strong air conditioning inside the restaurant was not effective due to the open door and the heat from the kitchen. It seemed like they wanted to showcase the interior from outside or speed up the turnover. The menu at the Kinshicho branch includes not only ramen and fried rice but also set meals, but the Kameari branch offers only ramen and fried rice, possibly due to the size of the kitchen. Despite the hot weather, I hesitated a bit before ordering ramen, but with limited options and a focus on ramen, I decided to order the "Kyoto-produced Ninejo Green Onion and Creamy Chicken Soba for 880 yen" and the lunchtime-only "Mini Sichuan Mapo Don for 380 yen." While waiting for the food, I noticed a few things inside the restaurant that caught my attention. It was nice to see female staff wrapping dumplings, but their long and colorful nails were a bit concerning for a food establishment. Also, there were some loud noises when the pot warming the soup was bumped into while waiting, indicating that the operation was not yet smooth. The Sichuan Mapo Don was served first, and it seemed like it was just reheated without much thickness and a watery texture. Despite the presence of Sichuan pepper, it was not visually or taste-wise impressive. As for the ramen, they seemed to be boiling whole chicken, chicken bones, and maple leaves to make the soup using a pressure cooker and a strainer in the kitchen. After taking a sip of the soup, I didn't feel much of the chicken soup flavor, lacking richness, and somewhat compensating with spicy miso. The noodles were thin straight noodles, resembling dried noodles rather than the noodles used in Hakata ramen. It felt like the restaurant mainly focuses on evening operations rather than lunch. Although I didn't order fried rice this time, based on what I saw from other customers' orders, it seemed like a simple egg fried rice base with toppings.

The second branch of Ho Ho Restaurant (3.45) has opened right by Kameari Station North Exit, offering a great location. Looking at the point card, it seems that Ho Ho is part of a chain that includes Senmen in Kinshicho, Monzen-Nakacho, and Asakusabashi, expanding across the eastern side of Tokyo's downtown area. The restaurant features a straight-line counter in front of the kitchen (with space for about 10 people) and 3 tables for 4 people each. Around 6 pm, there were 2 men and 1 woman in the kitchen, and 5 women in the hall, totaling 8 staff members. Compared to high-end hotel Chinese restaurants in the area, which offer personalized dishes, Ho Ho gives off a "chain restaurant taste" impression. It is a more daring local chain compared to major chains, but personally, I prefer the high-end Chinese restaurants. Craft lemon sour (580 yen), Kirin Ichiban Shibori draft beer (580 yen), dim sum assortment (1,180 yen), shrimp spring rolls (480 yen), boneless spare ribs in black vinegar sauce (980 yen), Sichuan-style spicy and numbing chicken (780 yen), low-temperature cooked chicken liver with leek sauce (780 yen), one-bite Szechuan-style ramen (580 yen), homemade rich mango pudding (480 yen). Here are my thoughts on the dishes I tried: Dim sum assortment (3.3): A combination of 5 items including scallop shumai, meat shumai, shrimp and meat shumai, shrimp and chive dumplings, and shrimp dumplings. Although it offers a slight discount compared to ordering each item separately, some of the dim sum seemed over-steamed and watery, affecting the texture. Shrimp and meat shumai was the standout with a good texture. However, the assortment seemed skewed towards shrimp, lacking variety. Shrimp spring rolls (3.3): A visually appealing dish with 3 shrimp rolls showing the cross-section of the shrimp. The skin was thick, possibly due to the need to tightly wrap the shrimp, and it absorbed a lot of oil, leaving a greasy residue. It seemed more focused on appearance than taste. Boneless spare ribs in black vinegar sauce (3.1): The ribs were boneless and lacked the expected richness and fatty texture. The meat was dry and lacked the usual succulence of spare ribs. The combination of black vinegar sauce and lean meat did not seem necessary, making it suitable for those who prefer a light dish. Sichuan-style spicy and numbing chicken (3.5): A quick dish with chicken breast cooked to a tender texture, topped with a spicy and numbing sauce and plenty of cilantro. The sauce could use more depth, but the cooking of the chicken and the speed of service were good. Low-temperature cooked chicken liver with leek sauce (3.2): The chicken liver and heart were cooked to a tender texture and seasoned with soy sauce, vinegar, and a generous amount of leeks. However, the liver's slight odor was noticeable despite the use of leeks.

The second branch of a popular cyberpunk-style Neo-Chinese izakaya in Kinshicho. Since we were a party of two, we sat at the counter. The interior and exterior of the Kameari branch don't really have a cyberpunk feel. The restaurant is generally narrow, with a layout that seems to have been forced into a space the size of a standing bar. Behind the small counter seats, there is another counter facing the street, so every time a staff member passes by, customers have to adjust their posture. The food menu has some quirky items, and the taste was decent. However, the shallow and low-rimmed plates made it difficult to pick up the food, adding to the stress in the cramped space. Overall, it was not as relaxing as a typical Chinese restaurant, and lacked the impact expected from a concept izakaya. The lack of the Neo-Chinese or cyberpunk vibe may be contributing to this impression. But the natto fried rice was delicious, so I plan to give it another try when the restaurant is less crowded. Thank you for the meal.