On this weekend day, I went out to Denenchofu in the morning and returned to Kamata in the afternoon looking for a lunch spot. I couldn't find a place that really caught my eye, so I ended up wandering around the basement floor of Grandeau Kamata Nishikan and found a Yokohama Chinese bento at the Sakuraxin store. Among Sakuraxin's classic bentos like the shumai bento and fried rice bento, this is actually my favorite. However, it's often sold out probably due to limited production, and this is the first time I've been able to buy it in about a year and a half. It was 70 yen more expensive this time at 1080 yen per box, which seems reasonable for the current times. When I opened the bento box at home, it was filled with traditional shumai, shrimp chili, black vinegar sweet and sour pork, stir-fried pork with green peppers, oil-drizzled chicken, pickled vegetables, and zha cai, a popular Chinese menu. And they were all delicious. The shiny steamed rice was also tasty. The only downside was that I had run out of beer in the fridge that day. It was too much trouble to go out and buy some in the heat, so I settled for tea instead. But next time I buy the same bento, beer is a must. I'll make sure not to forget to buy it.

This is the newly opened food floor of Sukiya Koen, located on the first floor of Grande Duo Kamata Nishikan. The previous sales floor was temporarily closed due to the floor renewal work that started in January. While continuing to operate with limited dates and limited products on the first floor of the East Building, the new sales floor started operating simultaneously with the opening of "Kamachika Gourmet" on April 26. The new sales floor seems to have moved to a slightly larger location. On this day, I decided to make this bento the main dish for dinner due to various circumstances, and then make do with what I have at home. It was around 3 p.m., but the sales floor had almost all the standard bento boxes, including shumai bento. I can make 1-2 side dishes with what I have at home, so I decided on a rice-centered bento. Thinking so, I purchased two "Yokohama Fried Rice" for 690 yen each. It was said that the first 50 people who purchased over 1,000 yen as part of the renewal commemoration would receive a "Hyochan Towel," but unfortunately, it was already over. Competition seems to be tough in this town when it comes to such things. The fried rice I ate that night was still delicious even when cold. Fried rice is often divided into dry and moist types, but this fried rice is neither. The rice is shiny and each grain is firm and chewy, which feels closest to "okowa" (sticky rice). Sukiya Koen steams the white rice just like okowa, so maybe that's related. I'm grateful that Sukiya Koen has returned to the basement of the West Building. I would like to visit again.

On this day, as usual, I bought a bento for dinner. I was instructed to get a shumai bento, so I went to the counter at Grande Duo Kamata Nishikan underground floor. It was past 4 pm, but they still had two types of bentos left: shumai bento and red rice bento. I don't dislike shumai bento, but I've had it many times before. So, I bought a shumai bento for my friend for 900 yen, and a red rice bento for myself for 1020 yen. This may be the first time I've bought a red rice bento. The black bento box, designed to look like a stacked box, contained red rice with chestnuts, traditional shumai dumplings, grilled salted salmon, shrimp fry, minced fish and burdock root patty with arrowhead, simmered dish, simmered bamboo shoots, kamaboko (fish cake), rolled omelette, herring and kelp roll, pickled rapeseed flowers, and black soybeans. The shumai dumplings, bamboo shoots, kamaboko, and rolled omelette were the same as in the shumai bento, but the rest seemed to have a festive touch. The dishes, including the shumai and surprisingly delicious shrimp fry, were all tasty, but the star of this bento was the red rice. Each grain of rice, lightly dyed red, was shiny and chewy. The flavor of the red beans was also good. I was surprised to find out later that at Sakurayama-ken, they use the same steam-cooking method for making white rice as they do for red rice and okowa. That explains why the red rice is so delicious. It turns out that Sakurayama-ken also sells a red rice shumai bento for 1000 yen as a limited reservation item. I don't know how many they accept per order, but if I have the chance, I'd like to try it.

This is the sales floor of Sakuraya located on the basement floor of Granduo Kamata Nishikan. While you can also buy shumai bento boxes and traditional shumai at HANAGATAYA on the second floor, this place has a more extensive selection. On this day, I visited to buy the "Yokohama Pilaf" for dinner, which my friend asked me to get as I would be coming home late. The packaging of the "Yokohama Pilaf" looks very similar to the "Yokohama Fried Rice" that I have had many times before, but I have never tried the "Yokohama Pilaf" and it's not something I see often in stores. When I checked during lunchtime, there was only one "Yokohama Pilaf" left, and its expiration time was 6:00 PM, which was too early for me. I asked the staff, and they told me that the "Yokohama Pilaf" only arrives twice a day, during the first and third shipments, with only one piece arriving in the third shipment after 5:00 PM. They asked if I wanted to reserve one, so I did and came back in the evening after 5:00 PM. I purchased the reserved "Yokohama Pilaf" and also got a "Yokohama Fried Rice" for myself, each priced at 660 yen. Both had an expiration time of 11:00 PM. I ate them quite late, around 10:00 PM. When I opened both boxes, they both had three shrimp and green peas on top of the rice, but the color of the rice was lighter in the pilaf. The side dishes were different, with the fried rice having bamboo shoot stew among other common items, while the pilaf had potato salad, Neapolitan pasta, pickles, and other unique items. The pilaf had a light and tasty broth flavor, while the fried rice was consistently delicious. The traditional shumai included in both were also tasty, with more scallops than before, it seems. Both bento boxes are compact and perfect for a late-night snack or a meal while drinking. Next time, I think I'll try the pilaf for myself.

I heard that a limited edition black fried rice bento box for Halloween was released, so I checked various locations of Sakuradori-ken in Kamata and Kawasaki, but couldn't find it as it was sold out. Although I have no interest in Halloween itself, I was intrigued by the black fried rice. Since the sales period until Halloween is almost ending, I decided to call the store at the basement of Grande Duo Kamata Nishikan. They said the morning stock was already sold out, but the next batch would arrive around 3 pm, so I asked them to reserve one for me. I went to pick it up in the evening, and there was only one pack of black siu mai buns & pumpkin buns on the shelf. I told the staff my name and was able to receive the black fried rice bento for 930 yen. I also bought the black siu mai buns & pumpkin buns for an additional 550 yen. The black fried rice bento includes black fried rice, three traditional siu mai dumplings, chicken in chili sauce, deep-fried pumpkin, pickles, simmered bamboo shoots, and salt-grilled yakisoba. The rice grains in the fried rice are shiny black with Chinese soy sauce, and there are yellow scrambled eggs mixed in. A few green peas are sprinkled on top. When I tried it, the soy sauce was fragrant and the taste was quite good. It becomes even more aromatic when heated in the microwave, but being from Sakuradori-ken, it was delicious even at room temperature. The black fried rice is a specialty of Chinese restaurants, but it is cost-effective and tasty. The chicken in chili sauce is reminiscent of Yokohama fried rice, and the simmered bamboo shoots are familiar from the siu mai bento. Regardless of Halloween, I wish they would sell this delicious bento year-round. The black siu mai buns are the same as usual except for the color. Surprisingly, the orange pumpkin buns are tasty. I feel that Sakuradori-ken's limited edition products, such as the "Char Siu Rice" limited to Tokyo, Chiba, and Saitama, and the "Siu Mai Bento at That Time" for the Tokyo Paralympics commemoration, tend to be hits based on my experience.

I love the bento boxes from Sakai Bokushin, which are hard to find in Hokkaido. While I usually go for the shumai bento, I was intrigued by the Yokohama fried rice. It was a small size, which was great, and priced at a reasonable 660 yen. Even when it cooled down, the fried rice was still delicious. It also had shumai in it, which added to the overall satisfaction. I wonder if they sell these in Hokkaido?

This is the Sakiyoken sales floor in the food section on the basement floor of JR Kamata Station Building Grande Duo Kamata West Wing. While Sakiyoken bento and shumai are also available at "Zenzai" on the second floor of the same building, that location only offers some products on consignment. The official sales floor here has a more extensive lineup. However, when it comes to shumai bento, the second floor, which is open from early morning until night, is more convenient due to the quick turnover of products. On this day, I purchased ingredients on the basement floor and decided to use this location after a long time. Among the shumai bento, early summer bento, early summer Kanagawa flavor bento, red rice bento, etc., I chose the "Yokohama Fried Rice" for 660 yen. The amount is suitable for satisfying a small hunger and the reasonable price was a deciding factor. When I ate it at home, the fried rice maintained its delicious taste even when cold, which is a contradiction I always enjoy. The rice grains are not oily and have a fluffy texture similar to firm cooked rice. The shrimp and green peas toppings are vibrant. The bamboo shoots in between help refresh the palate. This bento is one of my favorites at Sakiyoken, after the shumai bento and Yokohama Chinese bento. Once again, I enjoyed it deliciously.

In the Kanagawa area, this bento box is very popular, but I had never tried it before, so I decided to buy it. It was okay. It's not much different from supermarket shumai, or maybe even worse. It might just be popular because it's a classic.

I bought it to eat for lunch that day and was told to eat it on the same day. It's fine at room temperature. So I had it for lunch, but even though I hadn't opened it yet, the smell of shumai was strong. When I opened the box, I saw that it wasn't wrapped in plastic, just covered with paper. This is smelly. It bothered me at work. But the taste was the usual delicious and good six pieces. I don't use soy sauce or mustard, I eat it as is, it's tastier that way. This is soul food for those who have never lived in Kanagawa. I wonder what it is, anything other than this isn't shumai. Maybe it's the pepper that gives it a kick, the saltiness is just right. Definitely worth trying.

Around February - This is a well-known bento that doesn't even require reviews, but since I had the chance to eat it. As usual, I dab a bit of mustard on each shumai head and drizzle soy sauce on top, then I'm ready to go. I bring the shumai to my mouth, enduring the sting of the mustard in my nose, and eat by lifting up the rice stuck to the wooden container with force. Not only the taste, but even the way of eating has become stable with this classic bento. The shumai remains delicious even when cold, and I wonder if there were always this many. The sweet and savory bamboo shoots that make me tilt my head, and the apricot that has a delicate timing to eat. It's so stable that I can't help but be impressed. By the way, sometimes the rice gets a bit hard, maybe because the expiration date is set generously. In March - I bought 12 shumai for 500 yen. They can last for a week in the refrigerator. When I opened the lid, there were two packs of 6 shumai each. Two mustards, no soy sauce (disappointing). It's nice that I can eat them in two separate meals. The taste was the same.

This is a review of the store of Sakurakyo in the basement of the Grande Duo at Kamata Station. Although it is a local taste for Kanagawa residents, it has expanded to Tokyo rapidly, and it is sold in Kamata as a matter of course. From August 1, 2014, the price of a 15-piece pack of shumai increased from 560 yen to 590 yen, a small increase of 30 yen. Personally, I feel that shumai is worth about 100 yen, so the price increase doesn't bother me too much. I still plan to buy it as before. The one I tried was the "Traditional Shumai 15-piece pack (590 yen)." This time, the shumai gave me a sense of déjà vu. Upon closer inspection, I found a shumai with the same pattern as the one we had at home. The gourd-shaped and shoulder-mouthed pouring spout types finally matched in pattern. The double umami of pork and scallop is excellent. Although it has a strong smell, I never get tired of eating it. The concept of the Sakurakyo review was started with the idea of how to get the gourd-shaped shumai, but it has been revealed that shumai costing over 1,000 yen per box is gourd-shaped, while those under 1,000 yen have a shoulder-mouthed pouring spout type. Therefore, I have started to feel a sense of discomfort with the title "Chasing the Gourd-shaped Shumai! Verification Part ○" and will continue with the above title from this time onwards.

Working near Kamata Station. After work, I went shopping at Grandeuo Kamata. I stopped by this shop in the food section of the basement floor of the West Wing. Sakai-ya-ken, known for its shumai dumplings. I purchased "Nagamochi Old Shumai 12 pieces". The shumai, which comes in a vacuum pack, contains 6 pieces in each of the 2 packs. As the name suggests, it has a long shelf life and is convenient to eat with 6 pieces in each pack.

On this day, due to various circumstances, I had to buy a bento box for dinner. I was considering getting the shumai bento from Sakai-Tei, but when I checked out HANAGATAYA near the central ticket gate of JR Kamata Station, I was surprised to find that the shumai bento was almost sold out. The reason was the temporary closure of the Sakai-Tei store in the Granduo Kamata Nishi Building due to renovations. I was relying on that so this was disappointing. I decided to check out the food section in the Granduo Kamata Higashi Building, which is still open. As I headed to the east exit, I found out that Sakai-Tei had a pop-up store there. According to the sign, they will be setting up a stall for about two weeks every month from January to April during the closure of the west building store. It seems that Sakai-Tei wants to avoid a long halt in sales at the west building store. I bought two shumai bentos and headed home. Luckily, it was in the evening, so the bento made at the Yokohama factory had a shelf life until 2 p.m. the next day. The shumai bento I had at home tasted even better, maybe because it was freshly made. I enjoyed the shumai, fried chicken, and bamboo shoot stew with a highball, and finished off with rice and pickled ginger. The closure of the west building store in Granduo Kamata has various impacts. I hope they come back soon with even more improvements.

A few days ago, I had grilled tuna with salt-grilled salmon, but today it was back to grilled tuna. Personally, I didn't really like the salmon, so I'm glad it's back to tuna. Today, I was unsure of what to eat, but ended up starting with the shumai in the bento box. As expected, the shumai bento from Sakai Koken has a sense of stability.

It's been a while since I had a shumai bento. Shumai bentos are available everywhere, but the ones in Kamata are delivered from a factory in Yokohama, so they are unique. When it comes to bentos available in Kamata, in terms of price, taste, and balance of side dishes, it seems like the best options are Torikyu's karaage bento or Sakaiyoken's shumai bento. Anyway, shumai bentos have a variety of side dishes, a good balance, and are delicious.

I bought a Shumai bento for the first time in a while. It includes Shumai, fried chicken, rolled omelette, simmered bamboo shoots, simmered fish, kamaboko, and pickled plums, offering a wide variety. The price is relatively cheap at 860 yen. However, when I tried it after a long time, I didn't feel the same excitement as before, and I felt that the overall taste had slightly declined. I will try it again later to confirm.