Cheap! There are five spacious large table seats in the store. Couldn't get a reservation for Jiro's udon, so went to the Chinese place across the street. The fried rice was a bit small in portion. It seems like the amount varies depending on the menu. The shrimp and egg stir-fry had fluffy eggs. The oyster sauce yakisoba was like hard yakisoba, but these two dishes were delicious! It's a shame that there are only three types of ramen, but it was good! A restaurant that smokers will enjoy.

When I was a child, I ate my mother's dumplings so much that I almost died (that's a lie). As an adult, my mother passed away, and in the midst of that, Chinese restaurants started popping up in the area, but I always wondered where they sourced their strange minced meat from. I've never tasted anything like that in my life... There is a Chinese restaurant called "Fukukin" along the Shouheibashi street in Yushima, and there was a time when we used to have office drinking parties there. Honestly, I always thought the food at that place was not good no matter what I ate. I even suspected that the colleague who always organized the gatherings might have had some sort of kickback from choosing that place. But another colleague sitting in front of me would say that the pea shoots stir-fry there was delicious, or the dumplings were tasty. Human taste buds are really hard to understand... The name "Fukukin" is said to represent the body, but I hope that even if the store name is the same, the contents are different. With that in mind, I decided to enter the restaurant. Inside, it was surprisingly like a 4D restaurant. Normally, a dining establishment consists of the taste and aroma of the food, along with background music, creating a 3D experience. But here, the lingering smell of cigarettes added an extra dimension, creating a 4D space! There is a Chinese proverb that says "Your lies can be detected by the cigarette butts you break." The attitude towards the food in a restaurant can be understood by the lingering smell of cigarettes in the air. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but... I decided to go with the "Stone Pot Mapo Tofu" priced at 800 yen. Instead of thinking about what I wanted to eat, I had to consider what was the least risky option (laughs). But for me, going to a Chinese restaurant meant going for the classics. On the scorched stone pot, a white cloth (actually white paper) was placed over the face of a man from his country who resembled Terada Nou, who left with just one word, "Mazel," like a black magic spell. Just when I thought he had left, he returned with a paper apron for me, perhaps that was the first and last kindness he showed me, a requiem for the tofu. I clasped my hands together before removing the cloth. As I tied the paper strings of the paper apron tightly around my neck, I thought to myself, "Ah, I wonder if this outfit would have suited me if I had been in love for just half a year." (laughs) There were various things that happened, but in the end, I immersed myself in the task of removing as much of that suspicious minced meat as possible. I gathered the tofu part on top of the rice and added soy sauce as a hidden flavor because I thought it would be too bland otherwise. I often feel like I want to pay extra money just to leave without eating more and go to another restaurant, a feeling that comes to me a few times a year. But today, I just didn't have the courage to do it... I had been dining alone since the previous guest left, but when a woman dining alone entered, I felt relieved and decided to take my leave. Mother, where can I buy this minced meat? As I left the restaurant, guided by the voice of Yusaku Matsuda reading Nishijou Hachiju, the young medicine seller did not come.

I occasionally visit a Chinese restaurant. For lunch, I had the black pepper stir-fried pork loin. The main dish was delicious, with the pepper bringing out the flavor of the pork. However, the rice, soup, salad, pickles, and almond jelly were just average. The menu lists water dumplings as a side dish, but I have never been served them. I have never been disappointed with the main dish, so if you don't mind the side dishes, it's a good restaurant to visit. During lunchtime, smoking is allowed, so the restaurant can get quite smoky when it's crowded. Thank you for the meal.

I visited after a long time. There are two entrances here, one facing Shinjuku Gyoen and the other facing Yasukuni Street. It feels like "Daruma" in Shinjuku Sanchome. I ordered the "Yurinchi Teishoku" (800 yen). While waiting for about 10 minutes, several groups of salarymen came in. Two men lit cigarettes as soon as they sat down. It's rare to find a smoking-permitted restaurant, but it must be a joy for smokers. I started with the soup, which was a bit light. I ate the salad first. The Yurinchi was to my liking and very filling. The almond jelly for dessert was decent. I'm sorry, but I left the soup. Still, I was full in the end.

Due to the rain yesterday, the cherry blossoms are starting to fall. Today is a slightly cold day with no rain or wind. As usual, I am walking back from Shinjuku Gyoen through the back streets. I discovered another Chinese restaurant past Meigetsuro that is themed in red, serving set meals even at night. Inside, there is a table for 6 people, attracting groups of colleagues and families. A group of older men are enjoying Chinese dishes quietly but happily. Perhaps it's the start of the new fiscal year, people are letting loose after holding back. They offer all-you-can-drink and all-you-can-eat, creating a peaceful yet enjoyable atmosphere. I ordered the sweet and sour pork set meal (800 yen) from the menu. The orange sauce and onions are vibrant, sweet and savory. The fried pork is crispy and delicious. The soup has a balanced salty taste like ramen broth. The pickled vegetables could use a bit more kick. The almond jelly is a refreshing end to the meal. Overall, it's a standard Chinese set meal, but for 800 yen at night, it's a satisfying choice.

Today was a relatively warm day. Even though it's winter, I felt like I might start sweating if I wore a coat. I was thinking of having some smooth zaru soba for lunch on a day like this, but I always see my coworkers at the soba shop, so I didn't feel like going there. Instead, I decided to go to a Chinese restaurant just a 2-minute walk from the office. It had been a while since I visited "Fukushin," but it still had the same feel. The menu didn't look particularly delicious, but not bad either. When I entered the restaurant, the waiter told me that the daily special was Char Siu Ramen with half a fried rice, so I ordered that. It arrived in about 3 minutes, which was too fast. But the portion size was still impressive. It cost ¥780, which seemed a bit expensive. If I were 10 years younger, I might have ordered the ramen with extra noodles. The taste was average. Not exceptionally delicious but not bad either. However, the fried rice was more like a mini portion rather than half. It was about one-third of a regular fried rice portion. And it didn't have that perfect fluffy texture you'd expect from fried rice. It wasn't bad, but... Well, I might go back again when I feel like it. Overall, it was an okay meal. Total bill for today: ¥780.

Due to the coronavirus, I went out for lunch alone without deciding on a restaurant and ended up at a Chinese restaurant called Fukushin. They offer set meals and knife-cut noodles on their menu, with prices around 800 yen, which is average for a casual Chinese lunch. They also have two daily specials priced in the 700 yen range, one of which is my favorite hot and sour soup noodles (which is why I decided to dine here). I was surprised when I entered the restaurant. It turned out to allow smoking, which caught me off guard as most places have become non-smoking due to health promotion laws. All the customers were older men who were smoking. It seems like a "hidden gem" for smokers. The staff all spoke Chinese, and their voices could be heard clearly. I ordered the hot and sour soup noodles with half-fried rice (780 yen). The portion of the fried rice was small for a "half" size, and it seemed like it was not freshly made but rather pre-prepared. The temperature was cold. The amount was actually good, and the lack of saltiness was a plus. The salad had a store-bought sesame dressing. The hot and sour soup noodles lacked sourness and had only a hint of spiciness. It was thick and more like a sauce than a soup, with a slight peppery taste. The inclusion of fried rice made me think that eating everything would make me full. The strong cigarette smoke made me leave the restaurant quickly.

Today I returned from Korea, so I decided to eat out for dinner instead of cooking. I was thinking of either Chinese cuisine or izakaya for dinner, but I ended up choosing Chinese. The dishes at izakaya often overlap with Korean side dishes, so I wasn't feeling very hungry for that tonight. - Drinks: Fukujin Sour, Shochu Freezing Lemon Sour - No appetizers provided at the Chinese restaurant, which was quite reasonable. - Dishes: 1. Silkworm tofu with garlic flavor 2. Fried small squid legs 3. Grilled pig trotters 4. Gyoza The silkworm tofu had a strong garlic flavor, and the fried squid legs were small and thin, possibly leftovers from other squid dishes. The pig trotters were small and had a distinct Chinese taste. The gyoza had thin skin and a flavorful filling. Overall, the dishes were good, but I wish they were served warmer.

It is rare to find a restaurant around here where you can have a set meal even at night. I didn't have high expectations for the daily special of stir-fried tofu, but it was surprisingly delicious! I am very satisfied with the price as well.

Sunny on 9/28. Tonight, I ended up having noodles again after drinking. I was walking towards Gyoen-houmen from Shinjuku Sanchome, thinking about where to eat. I ended up at a Chinese restaurant near the station that I had been to before. It's a Chinese restaurant, not a ramen shop. The menu is divided by price ranges. I looked for noodles. I found Cantonese noodles and Tan Tan noodles in the higher price range for soup noodles. In the lower price range, there were stir-fried noodles but not soup noodles. I ordered the Tan Tan noodles. They were very, very spicy. Is Tan Tan noodles supposed to be this spicy? It felt like a burning sensation every time I took a bite.

There is a restaurant near my workplace that offers all-you-can-eat dinner for 2,980 yen, which caught my interest. I finally decided to try it out on a rainy day because I didn't feel like walking too far. The lunch menu has a wide variety of options, and the set meals are very filling with unlimited rice and soup refills, making it a great value for money. The menu is extensive and reasonably priced at 780-800 yen. However, the restaurant is not smoke-free, which is a downside. It's worth a try if you're in the mood for Yurinchi or Chinese-style set meals.

Daily lunch special: Stamina stir-fry

A happy place with smoking allowed and small plates available.

Cheap and delicious

This place used to be avoided because of the smoking, but recently, with the rise of electronic cigarettes, it has become more accessible. On this day, after ordering, about six people suddenly started smoking, which made it uncomfortable. The food here tends to be a bit sloppy. The mixed vegetable dish was good, like yakisoba without the noodles. When I asked for half the rice, they didn't listen at all. The Chinese staff here are often careless. They have innocent smiles, but sometimes you see them smoking outside. The taste is good, but the occasional smoking and careless service can be off-putting. Overall, the value for money is average.

I've been really into liver and leek stir-fry recently. Yesterday's liver and leek stir-fry was delicious, so I'm looking for other tasty liver and leek stir-fry dishes. I went to a Chinese restaurant near the one I went to yesterday. As soon as I entered, I asked, "Do you have liver and leek stir-fry?" They said, "Yes, it's 780 yen." I ordered it along with some dumplings because the prices seemed really cheap. The food arrived in about five minutes. The liver and leek stir-fry set included salad, soup, bamboo shoots, rice, and liver and leek stir-fry. The salad seemed like it had been sitting for a while as there was water at the bottom. The soup had coriander in it and was delicious. The bamboo shoots were slightly spicy and to my liking. The liver and leek stir-fry was pretty good too! However, the liver was a bit dry, which brought down the overall taste. The seasoning was good though. The dumplings I ordered at the end were perfect - the skin was chewy, they were filled generously, and the juices were mouthwatering. They were delicious, especially when eaten with vinegar. They reminded me of the dumplings my mother used to make. I would definitely want to order about four plates of dumplings next time. I highly recommend the dumplings.

The miso ramen set meal here costs 780 yen. I used to avoid this place because they allow smoking, but recently electronic cigarettes have become popular and the smell has decreased. Personally, I think if you're going to smoke something, you might as well just quit. As for the miso ramen here, it's more like tantanmen. While miso ramen is usually spicy like gochujang, this one is different. It has a subtle miso flavor, with a nice sesame aroma and ground meat that adds to the taste. The noodles were a bit overcooked, but it wasn't a big issue. The downside here is the portion size. Even when I asked for half the noodles, it was still a huge amount. The same goes for the rice in the set meal, even when I asked for half, they gave me around 160g. The delicious ramen here comes in an unfriendly quantity for an average person. The fried rice they serve is flavorful with hints of star anise, but it's served cold. I didn't eat it because I wasn't hungry enough to want to eat cold fried rice. That's all, thank you for the meal.