On Tuesday, just past 11:30, I decided to go to Gomaichi for some tantan udon for lunch. But to my surprise, the shutter was down today! Disappointed, I started to walk back towards Toranomon when I noticed a sign for "Hiyashi Tantan Men" on a blackboard. Thinking it was similar enough, I changed plans and went to Aisen instead. The two Chinese restaurants in this area are so similar in both their interior and menu that it's easy to get confused. But leaving that aside, the cold tantan I ordered had unexpectedly thick noodles and a satisfying chewiness due to being cold. The first bite seemed sour, but as I ate more, the sesame richness and sweet-salty meat flavor balanced it out perfectly. As you can see, the dish was beautifully presented and I finished it in no time. The restaurant was almost full by the time I left. But as I walked out, I noticed that Gomaichi's shutter was actually open! Oh well, what can you do!

I found a restaurant by chance during a break from work. I ordered the stone pot mapo tofu set meal. The staff told me to wear a paper apron because it's hot. When the staff opened the lid of the stone pot mapo tofu, it was intense. Hot mapo tofu was spattering everywhere. The paper apron quickly got covered in soup. It couldn't cover everything, so my clothes and the chair got messy too. The hot and perfectly spicy mapo tofu was delicious, but I wish there was a better way to prevent the mess. It was so tasty that I hope they can come up with a solution!

Visited the budget-friendly Chinese restaurant "Aisen Tiger Gate" in Toranomon. Although the restaurant offers course meals featuring abalone and Peking duck, along with over 50 all-you-can-eat dishes and free-flowing drinks for less than 4,000 yen (not listed on the menu, as indicated on Tabelog), we opted for a la carte this time due to time constraints. The complimentary dish was a hot spring egg, which was a pleasant surprise. The handmade dumplings had a thick and chewy texture, making them delicious. While we ordered several other dishes, the overall portion size was on the smaller side and the flavors were average. However, the mapo noodles we ordered as a finale were quite tasty and generous in portion. The spiciness was just right, not too overwhelming or lingering in the mouth. The tofu was soft, the noodles were smooth, and they paired well with the soup. This place is worth a visit just for these noodles.

Located on the first floor of a building behind Toranomon Hills, this Chinese restaurant is a good option for those struggling to find a lunch spot. I ordered the "Nira Liver Set Meal" (800 yen) from the lunch menu. Interestingly, the bottle of tea on the table had a Chamisul label, which is usually found in Korean restaurants. The set meal included soup, pickles, almond jelly, and rice. The liver was small but tasty. By the way, is it called "Liver and Chives" or "Chives and Liver"?

On Friday, after finishing work, I went out with my colleagues. We made a reservation over the phone for 8:00 PM. When we arrived, all the seats were full except for ours! We toasted with bottled beer and ordered mapo eggplant, potato salad, french fries, bang bang chicken, crab omelet, kung pao chicken, mapo tofu, grilled dumplings, and fried rice with shark fin sauce. The food was decent, the prices were reasonable, and everything was included, so we could eat and drink without worry. We will definitely come back again! Thank you for the meal!

Lunch in Toranomon. I wandered around the city without a plan and was drawn to the daily special sign at this Chinese restaurant. The daily specials included a set of soupless tantanmen and mapo donburi. This combination, also known as the Sichuan set, seemed like the ultimate choice! Although the restaurant is named Hong Kong Cuisine... I arrived around 12:30 pm and there were about 6-7 customers already seated and a few more came in later. The interior of the restaurant had a typical Chinese restaurant vibe with a long layout. I placed my order and the food was served in less than 10 minutes. The lunch menu consisted of about 20 set meals and noodle sets, mostly priced in the 800 yen range, while the daily special was a bit cheaper at around 700 yen. The soupless tantanmen had a slightly sour miso-like sauce with a strong flavor of Sichuan pepper. The mapo tofu, on the other hand, lacked the spiciness and Sichuan pepper, tasting more like a Japanese-style mapo tofu. The flavors were good, but the dishes were not served piping hot, which was a bit disappointing. The side of pickled vegetables was tossed in mustard for an added kick. (April 2022)

Visited with two work colleagues on Friday. We arrived at 5:45 pm with two other customers already there. The staff kindly added a two-person table to our four-person table, making it a comfortable six-person table! The restaurant had two chefs and one server. We enjoyed all-you-can-drink and all-you-can-eat for 3,580 yen! We started with a toast with bottled beer and ordered from a selection of 100 dishes, including homemade char siu, grilled offal, seafood salad, mapo tofu, grilled dumplings, spring rolls, stir-fried beef and bell peppers, oil-drizzled chicken, shark fin fried rice in sauce, and garlic cucumber. We paired our meal with beer, highballs, and makgeolli. By the time we noticed, the restaurant was almost full, and even when we left at 8:25 pm, it was still almost full. It's definitely a restaurant that caters to salarymen! Thank you for the meal!

There is a restaurant located in a corner where dining establishments gather on the first floor of Urban Toranomon Building. Toranomon area has many Chinese restaurants. I entered the restaurant before it got crowded during lunchtime. I chose the Char Siu Fried Rice Set (780 yen including tax) from the lunch menu. Besides the main fried rice, the set included egg soup, pickled vegetables, and for dessert, almond jelly. The fried rice had plenty of char siu and was finished with a strong soy sauce flavor, stimulating the appetite with its taste and aroma. The crispy lettuce was a nice touch. It was delicious. The egg soup was also seasoned with soy sauce and tasted great. The dessert was a rich almond jelly that tasted like milk pudding. It was perfect. This almond jelly might be the best in the Urban Toranomon Building. Thank you for the meal!

This area has a lot of Chinese-style restaurants, but even though I've been coming to Toranomon for 13 years, this might be the first time I've been to this particular restaurant. I was in the mood for Chinese food today, so I decided to come here. This building seems to have a lot of Chinese restaurants in it. I ordered the Chinese rice bowl set with less rice. The rice portion was small, but there was plenty of sauce and ingredients. There were shrimp, scallops, and about 4 pieces of squid. Since it was served on a flat plate, it felt like I was eating curry halfway through. The set came with soup and almond jelly, and all of this for 780 yen is super affordable.

During lunchtime, I had a set meal at this zone with many Chinese restaurants lined up. The miso soup was lukewarm, but the fried chicken was decent. The set meal menu is quite extensive, so having many options is nice. I went with a safe choice of Chinese lunch.

It is a safe and cost-effective option that you might want to order again. Miso ramen gives off a typical Japanese ramen shop vibe, but it feels like a slightly different variation when it comes to Chinese restaurants. As expected, this miso ramen falls into the very ordinary category, not the kind you would find at a specialized ramen shop, but rather something you would appreciate at a regular diner.

Located on the first floor of a building behind Toranomon Hills, this Chinese restaurant was a bit difficult to get into for lunch. I ordered the "Stir-fried Beef and Green Pepper Set Meal" for 850 yen. The rice portion was generous, but the stir-fried vegetables were lacking, with the onions almost raw. I probably won't be visiting again.

On one of the few days I had to go into the office amidst my telework-centered work situation, I decided to head to Toranomon for a spicy Chinese lunch. I originally planned to have the spicy Hui Guo Rou at "Tennenkyo" restaurant, but there was a line of customers waiting outside! So, I opted for the neighboring Chinese restaurant, "Hong Kong Cuisine Izakaya Amisen." This place has also started serving spicy dishes, so I thought it would be a good choice. The restaurant was diligent about disinfecting the premises, but there were no partitions between tables, and it was quite crowded. Without hesitation, I ordered the Hui Guo Rou set meal with extra spiciness. First, I had a miso soup with wakame. The main dish, the Hui Guo Rou, had a lot of red chili peppers in it, probably because I asked for it to be spicy. It had a sweet and savory taste, but not as spicy as Sichuan cuisine. I felt like it needed more heat, so I requested some sansho pepper. It was actually Sichuan pepper, and adding it along with chili oil increased the spiciness and numbing sensation. The side dish was the classic pickled mustard greens with chili oil. For dessert, I had almond jelly with wolfberries. This restaurant prides itself on serving "Hong Kong cuisine," so coming here for spicy dishes was not the best choice. It's always better to try the specialties of the restaurant. Lesson learned. Thank you for the meal.

The restaurant is located on the 1st floor of a building near Toranomon Hills. I decided to drop by during lunchtime and ordered the lunch set menu with sweet and sour pork. There are various set menus to choose from, so it can be a bit difficult to decide. The set includes sweet and sour pork, rice, soup, pickles, and almond jelly. The sweet and sour pork has a nice balance of sweet and savory flavors with cabbage, bell peppers, and pork, offering a satisfying portion. The restaurant does not seem to have any particular COVID-19 measures in place, such as dividers between tables.

A few days after the state of emergency was lifted, the streets are starting to get busier but not overly crowded. While walking around town, I stumbled upon a Chinese restaurant with a tempting lunch menu. The staff welcomed me with a smile, so I happily entered the restaurant. I decided to try the daily special set menu, which included Hoikoro set for 850 yen. The set came with unlimited rice refills, but the Hoikoro portion was so generous that I couldn't even get to the rice refills (laughs). The Hoikoro had a rich flavor that complemented the rice well, and it was packed with plenty of vegetables, which helped fulfill my daily vegetable intake. The restaurant was not crowded when I visited, but I assume it gets busy, so I plan to go at a different time next time. Good points: Unlimited rice refills, good value for money, and generous portions.

Little China in Toranomon is a casual Chinese restaurant. I've been here many times but never reviewed it. Today, I had the daily special, a hot stone pot mapo tofu set for 780 yen (usually 830 yen). They quickly gave me a paper apron and served the dish. The dish was boiling hot, but not overwhelmingly spicy. Unlike the Sichuan cuisine at the neighboring "Tennen Kyo," this place serves Hong Kong-style Chinese food, so it's not extremely spicy. The tofu was soft, and the addition of raw egg made it milder in flavor. It was surprisingly good. The dessert, almond jelly, was a nice touch. Overall, for 780 yen, it's worth it. They accept PayPay, but I only got back 11 yen.

Since August this year, I have been visiting Chinese restaurants every month, which is unusual as I usually only go once every three years. Most of the visits are for social gatherings with friends, colleagues, or industry acquaintances. It's strange how suddenly everyone around me has become fixated on Chinese cuisine. I was surprised to find that many of these restaurants offer all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink options for around 3,000 yen. This particular restaurant in Toranomon, located on a narrow street, offers 150 dishes for all-you-can-eat and 50 drinks for all-you-can-drink for 2,980 yen (excluding tax). The decision to dine here was influenced by the fact that they also sell bento boxes, which some of the group members were interested in. The restaurant is closed only on Sunday evenings. The service was a bit slow in terms of drink refills, but overall, it was a decent restaurant. The deep dish mapo tofu and the imitation mango pudding were particularly good.

I found a small dining area that looked like a food street, so I decided to try the Chinese restaurant there. Even though it was past 1 pm, the place was bustling and seemed quite popular. They had a wide variety of lunch menu options, including 9 set meals, 10 noodle dishes, and 4 daily specials. I ordered the daily special lunch set, which was stir-fried pork with mushrooms and eggs (780 yen). The vegetables were fresh and crunchy, the seasoning was just right, and there was a generous amount of pork in the dish. The rice was surprisingly delicious for this type of restaurant. The homemade almond jelly dessert was also tasty. The service was a bit rough, but I guess that's understandable. The prices were reasonable for the Toranomon area, so I will definitely be coming back here in the future. Thank you for the meal.

A Hong Kong restaurant in the building's hallway. I was unsure whether to choose this one or the Sichuan restaurant next door, but this one felt more welcoming and bright. There were four daily specials listed outside, which confused me as they weren't mentioned inside, but the lunch options were plentiful. The spiciness was mild and had a Japanese twist to it. The portions were generous, and I thought it would be nice to go with a few people and share the dishes.

I am originally from the Central Branch, but now I work at the Tokyo Headquarters with my colleagues. We recently had a reunion party called "Ikomya-kai" for the first time in a while. In the Central Branch, not many locals are assigned, so many of us, like me from Osaka or Tokyo, are seniors or juniors. The most challenging thing for newcomers is the Nagoya dialect, which I heard for the first time. On my first day at the branch, a veteran colleague said, "Oi, let's go for lunch" and I was puzzled, wondering if it meant "Should I go? Shouldn't I go??" The correct answer is "Let's go." In Nagoya dialect, "Ikomya" means "Let's go." It was a struggle with so many unfamiliar words, but after a year, I could handle the Nagoya dialect quite well. Thanks to that, I can now speak Osaka dialect, Nagoya dialect, standard Japanese, and English. Today's "Ikomya-kai" was held at "Ajisen" in Toranomon. The organizer, K, made a reservation thinking it was a branch of the famous "Ajisen" in Nagoya, but it turned out to be a completely unrelated Hong Kong restaurant called "Ajisen" pronounced as "Ajisen." I was familiar with this place in Toranomon, where my workplace is located, and I have eaten there before. K proudly announced in the email that he had negotiated with the restaurant to include spicy Taiwanese ramen in the course meal, thinking it would fit the theme of the gathering. I thought, "Oh, what have we done." The gathering started at 7 pm, with half of the attendees arriving on time and the rest joining an hour later, which was quite successful for our company. The senior colleague who is a year ahead of me made a toast. The veterans who joined the company in the Showa era will continue working until the era changes to Reiwa, making jokes that the Heisei generation cannot understand. The dishes that kept coming out were nothing like the ones from Nagoya's Ajisen. Nevertheless, with dessert included and all-you-can-drink for 4,000 yen, it was a good deal. The familiar faces sparked nostalgic conversations. Concerns about the future of this gathering were raised by the 50-year-olds, as there were no young participants this time. Suggestions were made to change the organizer to a younger colleague and hold the event at the company cafeteria to make it more accessible for everyone. As a finale, the ramen resembling Nagoya Ajisen's "spicy Taiwanese ramen" was served, but unfortunately, it tasted nothing like it. At this age, we all have thinning or graying hair, protruding bellies, and more wrinkles, but it's an unspoken rule not to mention these physical changes. We drank beer, highballs, and Shaoxing wine, ate the dishes, and chatted. The three-hour banquet ended lively and amicably, with promises of another reunion in the future.