Located on the second floor of Tokyu Plaza Akasaka, right next to Akasaka-Mitsuke Station, is a branch of Chen Mapo Tofu. Today, I decided to make use of my summer vacation for a second "solo trip for dads" and visit Nogi Shrine and Toyokawa Inari Tokyo Betsuin (a temple, not a shrine) near Akasaka-Mitsuke Station. I arrived at Nogi Shrine around 11:30 am, received a stamp after paying my respects, and planned to have lunch at a specific restaurant. However, to my surprise, the restaurant was closed for the Obon holiday. Since the weather was getting worse, I decided to visit Toyokawa Inari Tokyo Betsuin first. After purchasing an omikuji (fortune slip) and an amulet, I completed my schedule and headed to the draft 2nd place, the restaurant. I arrived at the restaurant around 2:30 pm and was seated at a table in the back room after informing the staff that I was dining alone. I quickly looked at the menu, which included lunch sets with rice, soup, pickles, and almond jelly, as well as dishes like Chen Mapo Tofu, Sichuan-style pork and eggplant stir-fry, Shrimp Chili from Sichuan Province, daily lunch special, mini Mapo Tofu, Dan Dan noodles lunch set, and Chen Mapo Tofu Fire Noodles. Although the authentic Chen Mapo Tofu was tempting, I opted for the regular Chen Mapo Tofu as it was described to be five times less spicy and numbing. I also ordered a ginger ale for lunch. The Chen Mapo Tofu arrived in just 3 minutes, and it tasted delicious with the perfect level of spiciness and numbing sensation. I enjoyed it with egg drop soup and ginger ale to balance the flavors. I requested a second serving of rice without hesitation and finished with a leisurely dessert of almond jelly. If you're interested in trying authentic Mapo Tofu in a stylish setting, I recommend visiting this restaurant.

I visited the restaurant on Thursday at 11:40 AM, walked in without waiting, and found the restaurant to be about 30-40% full. I ordered the authentic Chen Mapo Tofu, and there was Sichuan pepper on the table. The payment process was smooth and the famous Mapo Tofu with a strong numbing sensation was incredibly delicious.

As the title suggests, this restaurant is claimed to be the birthplace of Mapo Tofu in Sichuan Province. Initially called "红烧豆腐 (Hongshao Doufu)", Mapo Tofu is said to be derived from "a woman (婆) with acne scars (麻子) = Mapo". The restaurant has a high-class Sichuan cuisine atmosphere with round tables and high-backed sofa tables. There are also private rooms available. I came tonight because I heard there is a limited edition item for the 160th anniversary of the establishment. And the dish I most want to eat is the one available in the mid-September. I decided not to eat the "Sichuan-style Twice-Cooked Pork" that is also on the menu, and stuck to my original plan. I asked the staff if they could reduce the amount of Sichuan peppercorns, and they pointed to the pepper mill on the table. Ah, I see. You sprinkle the Sichuan peppercorns yourself. Okay! That's helpful. Self-control, thank you. I ordered a Premium Malt draft beer for ¥590. It's delicious. I ordered the Squid Ink Mapo Tofu for ¥1,600 with a side of small rice. It's just as black as I expected. Unexpectedly, there's a topping of ankimo. I ordered a small portion of rice separately. It's delicious! The spiciness has depth to it. You can really taste it better with fewer Sichuan peppercorns. The tofu is also dyed black. It's made with Kinugoshi tofu from the established in 1865 (Keio 1st year) Fukuzuka Tofu Shop in Kanagawa Prefecture, which was selected as one of the "God's Tofu 5 Selections". Occasionally, there are green leaves like chives, which are actually green garlic leaves. They are sautéed in pork oil extracted from pork. And the sweet ankimo that comes with this deep spiciness. What a combination. And the slight bitterness of squid ink. Can someone explain this chemical reaction? It's like a not-so-naughty 3P. Amazingly delicious! Rice and beer are both great companions to Mapo Tofu. This scrum can't be won without either. What a wonderful world. Thank you for the meal. It was good that I came in despite the sudden heavy rain. I would have regretted it otherwise. But I will come back again. I'm not sure if it's the Akasaka branch, but I must eat the Twice-Cooked Pork. And I must also try the plain Mapo Tofu. Mmm.

I visited a shop I regularly go to again. It's going to close soon. I used to stop by for lunch, but it's a shame. I'll explore other shops around here. The food was delicious as always. I'll visit other branches too.

This summer is hot, so it's time for some spicy food! I visited a restaurant in Akasaka Tokyu Plaza, which is closing temporarily. I ordered the authentic mapo tofu, which was pretty spicy but maybe not as flavorful as I had hoped. Since I won't be able to go to Akasaka for a while, I might go to Shinjuku instead. (Reference) Rating: ★3.20 Normal. There is a slight possibility of going for social reasons ★3.30 Normal. There is a slight possibility of going in the future ★3.40 Normal. There is a slight possibility of going if invited ★3.50 Can eat normally, will go if invited ★3.60 If I have the opportunity to go to that area, I will probably go ★3.70 If I have the opportunity to go to that area, I will probably go again ★3.80 If I have the opportunity to go to that area, I definitely want to go again ★3.90 Definitely want to go again. Want to share with people close to me ★4.00 Definitely want to go. Want to make people close to me eat it ★4.10 If ignoring financial burden, would become a regular customer

On a regular weekday, I arrived at the restaurant at 1:30 pm and it was about 80% full. I ordered the mapo tofu for 1,100 yen with free rice refills. It had been a while since I had mapo tofu and I was looking forward to the numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns. However, the Sichuan peppercorns in the mapo tofu were quite mild, with the spiciness dominated by doubanjiang (broad bean paste), making it a different dish altogether. I was disappointed as I was expecting the authentic mapo tofu with five times the numbing sensation. Unfortunately, the lunch left me with indigestion.

I decided to come back since the last time. Today, I was looking forward to trying the Fire Ramen! It was as delicious as it looked. The classic mapo tofu was like a super sub-menu. The best partner for mapo tofu was rice, haha. [Today's Order] Fire Ramen - Burn Noodles Festival / Limited Time -

I had a sudden craving for mapo tofu, so I decided to go to the restaurant after a long time. I found out that they will be closing soon... It was crowded, probably because it's close to closing. Even though it was before 12 o'clock, it was surprising! I ordered the mapo tofu set meal. It seemed less spicy than before. It wasn't that spicy. But it was delicious. It's sad that it won't be easy to eat there anymore.

Chen's popular Mapo Tofu gets crowded quickly if you don't go early. A recommended restaurant for a leisurely lunch while organizing afternoon tasks when you feel like eating Mapo Tofu in the Akasaka area. [Today's Order] - Chen's Mapo Tofu *Reminder not to forget. The Fire Noodles posted outside the shop look delicious! I have to come back this month to try them. Thank you for the meal ☻

Visited for lunch today, cheat day. Ordered the authentic mapo tofu with extra rice. This dish is spicier than usual, but personally, I feel like it lacks enough heat and numbing sensation. With the trend of spicier and more numbing dishes in the area, such as Red Whale and Red Osaka's tantanmen, I suggest they prepare something even spicier to keep up with the competition while maintaining their traditional flavors.

I felt like eating Mapo Tofu, so I took a train to visit this restaurant. It seems like the building is going to be rebuilt as many tenants have already moved out. I ordered Mapo Tofu and rice at Chen Mapo Tofu. It arrived in about 5 minutes. The portion was a bit small, but it was very delicious. I ordered a spicy dish, but it wasn't too spicy.

I ordered the Sichuan stir-fried eggplant for 1,100 yen. I had only been to the Keio Mall branch before, but here the lunch menu seems to be a bit different on weekdays and weekends. It's a shame that the spicy pork dish is only available on weekends. I wish there were more types of chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns on the table.

This is a review of a Sichuan Chinese restaurant located on the 2nd floor of Tokyu Plaza Akasaka in front of Akasaka Mitsuke Station, established in 1862. I arrived around 12:10 pm and had to wait for about 5 minutes before being seated. I was undecided on what to order but ended up choosing the Chen Mapo Tofu lunch set (1100 yen), which is also the restaurant's namesake. When I asked if the spiciness level could be adjusted, I was told that it could be made spicier but not milder, so I ordered it as normal. Soon after ordering, the hot lunch set arrived on a tray. It consisted of piping hot Mapo Tofu in a bowl, unlimited rice, Chinese soup, pickled vegetables, and almond jelly for dessert. The main Mapo Tofu dish uses Pixian Douban and Sichuan peppercorns, providing an authentic spicy and numbing sensation. I couldn't stop myself from having seconds of rice, and even went for a third serving. The creamy and sweet almond jelly helped balance out the spiciness in my mouth, making it very delicious. Most people around me were ordering the Mapo Tofu, while a few others opted for the shrimp chili. I didn't hear any other orders being placed. I recommend going with a few friends and sharing dishes like Mapo Tofu, shrimp chili, shredded pork with green peppers, and twice-cooked pork.

If you're looking for mapo tofu in Akasaka, I recommend this restaurant located in Tokyu Plaza! They serve the original mapo tofu made with the creator's recipe. The taste is great and it's a quiet place with many solo diners, making it convenient for lunchtime with quick service from ordering to serving. Today's order: Chen Mapo Tofu Set. Thank you for the meal! Have a wonderful day!

This is my first visit. I wanted to try the original Chen Mapo Tofu, so I came for lunch. It was still before 1:00 pm, so the restaurant was full. I ended up sharing a table with someone at a round table. The table was quite large, surrounded by a U-shaped sofa. It seemed like they were also maintaining social distance, as there was a good amount of space between me and the person next to me. The person sitting across from me was also in a large chair, and due to the size of the round table, there was still a good distance between us, so there was hardly any tension despite sharing a table. I looked at the menu and was briefly tempted by the shrimp chili. But I stuck to my original plan and ordered the Chen Mapo Tofu set meal. There was also an option for authentic Chen Mapo Tofu, which is very spicy, but since I didn't know how spicy the regular one was, I chose that. After a wait of 7-8 minutes, the dish arrived. As soon as the tray was placed in front of me, the aroma of the Mapo Tofu hit my nose! It sent shivers down my spine, the aroma alone made me feel the spiciness and numbness. I attacked the Mapo Tofu with my spoon. Steam rose from the piping hot Mapo Tofu. I blew on it gently and took a small bite. The intense heat, spiciness, and numbness hit me in a wave, and I panted. I resisted the urge to add rice and savored the flavor of the Mapo Tofu. Delicious. It's really tasty. I've had Mapo Tofu at various restaurants, but this one has a sharpness to the spiciness and numbness that stands out. Despite the intensity, I can still taste the richness in the spiciness and numbness, which adds depth to the flavor. Of course, the rice went well with it. The pickled vegetables were not just a side dish but an accompaniment to the rice. It felt like I could eat another bowl of rice just with that. You can get a refill, but I thought about the portion size and finished it in no time. The egg soup was a gentle flavor to cool down the spiciness of the Mapo Tofu. The almond jelly dessert was rich and chewy, and delicious. With the Mapo Tofu and rice, I felt like I could go for another round of deliciousness. There are many Chinese restaurants around Akasaka, and there are quite a few places with delicious Mapo Tofu, so it might be fun to look for your favorite Mapo Tofu. For me, I really liked the original Chen Mapo Tofu! Thank you for the meal. I will definitely come back!

It was Saturday, so surprisingly not crowded and I got a table right away. I was torn but ended up ordering the shrimp chili and mini mapo tofu set meal. The rice was so delicious and I couldn't stop eating. I ate too much again this time! #ChenMapoTofu #MapoTofu #ShrimpChili #AkasakaGourmet #TokyoMapoTofu #Overeating

Hormone Mabo Tofu for ¥1300, with an additional ¥100 for authentic Szechuan style. It was just during lunchtime, but we were able to get in easily. I chose the dish I had my eye on. The visual was slightly different from the photo, and I felt like there was a bit lacking in the amount of hormone. I changed it to authentic Szechuan style, and while the spiciness was okay, it was delicious but didn't leave a lasting impression. Nonetheless, I ended up getting a refill because the rice was so good. There was a mill of Sansho pepper on the table, so I added some halfway through.

Chinese restaurant Hormone Mabo Tofu 1300 yen Everything is served on a small tray, which is efficient and nice. In addition to rice, it comes with soup, pickled vegetables, and almond jelly. The Mabo Tofu has a spicy kick from the chili oil, but it's a delicious type of heat that makes you sweat gently. The numbing sensation from the Sichuan peppercorns is mild (perhaps because many restaurants are emphasizing spiciness lately). It might have been good with authentic Sichuan peppercorns (+100 yen). The hormone meat doesn't stand out much compared to the bold flavors of the Mabo Tofu. It seems that enjoying the Mabo Tofu as it is, is the best way to go. I'm not a big fan of dessert, but the slightly sweet almond jelly after the Mabo Tofu is a nice touch. A few hours later, my intestines were stimulated, and my bowel movements improved (^_-)-☆

Visited around 3 p.m. on a weekend afternoon as a pre-game meal before watching baseball at Jingu Stadium. There were only two other customers, a middle-aged couple. The dishes we ordered were all satisfying with a rich spiciness. The staff seemed a bit grumpy, but it added to the charm of the place.

The entrance is quite daunting. It's so dark that you can't even tell if it's open. It's quite rare to have a hotel tenant. The interior is also dark. It doesn't feel very inviting. Once you've decided on your order, you call for service using a button, which is unusual for a hotel. I ordered the lunch set with mapo tofu. It took a while for it to be served, and the temperature didn't seem freshly made. There were a few other tables that were not being served, which was a bit concerning.

The nights are still cold. I felt like eating something spicy and went to Tokyu Plaza's Chen Mapo. The interior of the restaurant has a luxurious feel, but the prices are cheap. Today, I had the classic Mapo Tofu, Sichuan Shrimp Chili, Sichuan Dumplings, Egg Soup, Zha Cai, Tsingtao Beer, Lemon Sour, and Oolong Tea for about 5000 yen. I enjoyed the reliable Mapo Tofu with a Tsingtao beer. It's nice to be able to relax in the evening.