This is a Japanese restaurant run by local elderly ladies, serving home-style cooking. During lunchtime, they offer a variety of set meals ranging from traditional Japanese dishes to more creative ethnic-inspired options. The restaurant is very conscious of infection prevention, with vinyl sheets hanging between each table. The dishes are simple and homely, reminiscent of a meal cooked by a friend's mother. This time, I tried a dish called Vietnamese mixed rice, which had a refreshing taste similar to Gapaos. It came with miso soup and side dishes, creating a charming blend of Japanese and Western influences.

It's a 7-minute walk from the office. I stumbled upon this place while looking for a good lunch spot and decided to visit at 11:30 on a weekday. It's tucked away down a narrow street off the main road in front of Odakyu Minami-Shinjuku Station. The entrance is a bit inconspicuous, but once you go down the stairs and open the door, you're greeted with a warm "welcome" from the friendly lady inside. There was only one other customer, a young woman, when I arrived. Despite the initial impression from the outside, the interior was tidy and inviting. I ordered the mackerel miso-grilled set meal with extra rice. For dessert, I could choose between banana or castella (they seemed to be out of pineapple that day). The set meal that arrived had a nostalgic feel of traditional Japanese eateries, but the mackerel was delicious! The rice was also tasty, and I appreciated the three side dishes. The dessert, a small plate of sliced banana, was simple but the fact that they asked for my preference was thoughtful. At 850 yen, it was a great value, and I plan to visit frequently until I've tried all the lunch options.

We visited the restaurant with 6 colleagues for a company drinking party. The atmosphere was great, and we ordered drinks and food. The sashimi and Japanese dishes were delicious and satisfying. The staff were friendly and we would like to visit again because it was so tasty.

I attended a New Year's party at the workplace. The drink all-you-can was good and cost around 5000 yen for 2 and a half hours. I didn't take many photos because I was busy talking, but the food in general was delicious. Especially the sashimi, they served it individually which was a nice touch. They had something called "Hagatsuo" which had a texture similar to swordfish sashimi. The sea bream tea-soaked rice served at the end was incredibly delicious! And you could have seconds! I think it's worth going just to eat this. I'm sorry there are no photos, but it was really delicious. Thank you for the meal!

I visited around 19:30☺︎ The nearest station is Minami-Shinjuku Station, but Yoyogi Station is also close. At this time on a weekday, the restaurant was about 70% full. It's a small shop and there were many people who seemed to be working nearby. The menu selection is not huge. We mainly focused on drinks that day, so we only ordered snacks to go with our drinks. I thought it was really nice that they served each dish individually. We ordered: - Stingray fin - Satsuma-age (deep-fried fish cake) - Assorted sashimi (we could choose 4 types ourselves) The spoonful of salmon roe was a service item and it was delicious. The pace of the drinks coming out was quick, even though the rice was not that great. Personally, I thought it was a good service that they served each dish separately.

I didn't know there were such narrow streets around Yoyogi Station. Surprisingly, there are many shops concentrated there, and this is one of them. We ordered sashimi and some side dishes casually. There were four of us, and they served us in individual small plates, which was a thoughtful consideration in this day and age.

◆ Ramen tour in Tokyo ⚫︎ Monkichi (Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku) Snow Men: 800 yen ◾︎ Food Beast Maro http://instagram.com/menterromaro/ https://ameblo.jp/korinai-menmen/

This is an izakaya located 1-2 minutes' walk from Minami-Shinjuku Station on the Odakyu Line. I visited for lunch on December 22, 2021, for the first time in 6 years. I arrived around 12:40 pm and the place was almost full. The table layout had changed a lot since my last visit. I ordered the "Vietnamese-style mixed rice" from the lunch menu for 850 yen. It contained tomatoes, nuts, ground meat, coriander, and was quite satisfying. It came with miso soup, side dishes, tamagoyaki, and dessert (pineapple that day), offering good value for money. I will visit again. Thank you for the meal.

◆ Ramen registration number 4285th • 515th bowl in 2021 ◆ Monkichi (Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) ◆ Yuki Men ¥750 ● Instagram Tsukasa's Ramen @tsukasan777 ● Twitter @tsukasan2010

It was rare to have a fish lunch with friends!! We walked for less than 15 minutes from Yoyogi Station to reach this cozy little restaurant. The restaurant had partitions set up, showing their efforts. I had the mackerel with Saikyo miso, and it was incredibly delicious. Mackerel is my favorite fish, and I also love Saikyo miso, so it was a perfect combination. I felt happy. The side dishes like nametake mushrooms and pickles were also delicious, and I finished the set meal in no time!! The menu seems to change depending on the availability of ingredients. All dishes (especially fish) are limited in quantity, so it's recommended to go for lunch early!! When I went around 12:30, nothing was sold out yet! By around 1:30, I think the mackerel with Saikyo miso was sold out!!

If you want really delicious Japanese cuisine, you should try "Monkichi". The food here is truly delicious and the chefs are skilled. It's a simple Japanese cuisine-focused restaurant or izakaya, I think, and these days they seem to mainly focus on lunch and takeout. The taste is well-known in the neighborhood. I know it might seem crowded, but I went for lunch. I tried the "Gindara no Sakyou Yaki" dish. I've been here a few times before, and they mentioned that they make their own miso for the Nishikyo Yaki. The balance of sweetness and saltiness is just perfect, and it's so fluffy. I could eat it every day. Even if you're not a fan of fish, you might love the fish dishes here. It seems like the perfect balance of nutrients to recover from a few days of unhealthy eating (but remember to eat properly every day!). It's about a 5-6 minute walk from Yoyogi Station, in a residential area (and underground!). It's a seriously great restaurant.

You can feel at ease as they are taking proper measures against infectious diseases. The dishes are not overly salty like typical izakaya food, but are seasoned just right, such as simmered dishes and grilled dishes, which are very delicious. They also accept telephone orders for bento boxes. (Daily menu is announced on their official Twitter account) During the summer, the air conditioning works well, so women may want to bring a light jacket.

Recently, I went back to this restaurant again. Not sure if it's because of the impact of COVID or something else, but the dessert option used to be a choice between chiffon cake or banana, and now it's between chiffon cake or pineapple. Also, the tabletop furikake that used to be placed at every table has been completely removed, but they will bring it out if you ask for it. - Hamburger 850 yen A healthy hamburger with cabbage. It's not very meaty, but still delicious. The size is a bit on the smaller side. - Sashimi set meal 950 yen (price may vary depending on the day) It came with 5 types of fresh sashimi. All of them were fresh and tasty. - Grilled salmon with Saikyo miso 900 yen The grilled mackerel with Saikyo miso was also delicious, but the salmon is good too. If I had to choose, I would go with the mackerel. - Grilled Gindara with Saikyo miso 1100 yen This is the most expensive set meal at this restaurant, excluding eel. But it's worth every penny! The thick grilled Gindara with Saikyo miso is so delicious. For those who think 1100 yen is expensive, I recommend getting the bento instead. The Gindara has such a strong presence that it's hard not to smile. Just be careful of the bones when eating. Every side dish is delicious, and it comes with 3 small side dishes, dessert, generous portions of tasty rice, and miso soup, so I always leave fully satisfied. This is how a set meal should be. I've tried almost all the lunch options, but from now on, I'll be going back to repeat the ones that were delicious. ♡

I came to Monk

After 1 pm, the restaurant was still crowded and I was seated at a shared table. It seems to be a very popular place. I ordered the "Grilled Salmon with Saikyo Miso" dish. The fatty salmon and the miso seasoning were incredibly delicious. The miso soup and side dishes were also very tasty. The grilled mackerel at the neighboring table also looked very appetizing with its fatty texture.

It is an izakaya located in a small alley about 2 minutes from Minami-Shinjuku Station. I discovered it while having lunch in Yoyogi and taking a walk through the back streets. You can make reservations even before 12:00 during lunchtime. The lunch menu has recently changed and offers a variety of options, such as mackerel prepared in different ways like Saikyo-yaki, overnight dried, miso stew for 800 yen each (tax included), as well as other dishes like boiled whitebait rice bowl, cabbage roll, chicken with black pepper, sashimi set meal, Vietnamese-style mixed rice (sometimes replaced with taco rice), with a wide selection of fish and meat dishes. Most dishes are priced at 1,000 yen or less, with only the codfish at 1,100 yen. - Saikyo-yaki Mackerel 800 yen I decided to try the Saikyo-yaki mackerel first, as I love mackerel. It was my first time trying mackerel prepared this way, and it was delicious! The fatty mackerel paired perfectly with the sweet miso flavor, making it a delightful dish. I wish the portion was a bit bigger as it was so tasty. - Overnight Dried Mackerel 800 yen A larger portion of mackerel than the Saikyo-yaki version, and equally delicious. - Chicken with Black Pepper 800 yen The crispy skin and juicy meat of the chicken, combined with the generous amount of black pepper, made this dish very tasty. It was served with yuzu pepper, which added a nice touch. The only downside was the long wait for this dish. - Boiled Whitebait Rice Bowl 850 yen This dish was loaded with whitebait, so much so that it was hard to see the rice underneath. A must-try for whitebait lovers. - Chicken Nanban-style 850 yen This dish features sautéed chicken with a generous amount of tartar sauce. It was flavorful and satisfying, and the portion size was good. The set meal includes rice, miso soup, two side dishes, pickles, and fruit (banana or pineapple). Overall, the food was delicious, and the portions were satisfying. The restaurant has table seating for 2, 6, and 12 people. It tends to get crowded after 12:00, so be prepared to wait during peak hours. I still have yet to try dishes like cabbage roll and Vietnamese-style mixed rice, so I will definitely be returning to complete my food adventure. Highly recommended!

I visited the store for the second time. I went on the last day of the Shibuya event, where the Yoyogi shopping street collaborated with Kewpie Mayonnaise. On September 30th (Monday), it was the last day of the Shibuya event at the Yoyogi shopping street! I tried the Shibuya from Monkichi, who deals with fresh fish. It had plenty of cheese in the pasta. The combination with the prosciutto was excellent. It's sad that it's only available for a limited time.

I have visited this place about 5 times. I always eat the miso-marinated mackerel, which is delicious with no fishy smell, only rich flavor. They also have meat lunch options, but for first-timers, I highly recommend trying the fish menu. Just writing about it makes me want to go there again. The taste is truly memorable. If you go alone, there is a high chance of sharing a table with others, so if you want to avoid that, it's better to go with a group or right when they open.

■ Pre-Information Occasionally used for lunch, this restaurant offers daily changing menus. Today's options were grilled salmon with white miso or grilled flounder with white miso. I decided to order the popular No.1 dish, the grilled salmon. For dessert, you can choose between banana or pineapple, and I chose pineapple. By the way, while grilled fish like saury and cod are common, this was my first time trying grilled salmon. Order: Grilled salmon with white miso for 800 yen. *Rice and miso soup refills were free in the past, but starting from 2018, they are charged. It is theoretically possible to keep eating rice and miso soup until you are full, as refills for both are allowed. However, the clientele at this restaurant is mostly elderly, so I haven't seen anyone taking advantage of this offer. ■ Taste As the No.1 popular dish, the salmon was fatty and delicious. Marinated in sweet white miso for the grilled preparation, it had a subtly sweet flavor. The flesh was tender and flavorful. With fatty salmon, tender flesh, and a slightly sweet taste, it was undeniably delicious. The burdock root served on the side was also tasty. The miso soup, labeled as "miso soup with fish broth," didn't have a strong seafood taste typical of such soups at seafood restaurants, but it was still homemade and delicious. ■ Cost Performance At 800 yen for a lunch set, the taste and performance of the dish make it worth the price. ■ Atmosphere & Service The restaurant is located half underground, with sunlight streaming in through the windows, creating a bright and open atmosphere. The interior is traditional Japanese style and well-maintained. The standout service feature was the "free refills for rice and miso soup," which is a welcome addition to make up for any perceived lack of portion size common in traditional Japanese restaurants. *Note: Starting from 2018, this service is charged. ■ Overall One of the top fish restaurants in the Yoyogi area. If you're craving fish for lunch, I recommend visiting "Monkichi" for a satisfying meal.

I had a casual gathering with my company's colleagues at a restaurant. It was nice to catch up with some people I hadn't seen in a while. This place is known for its delicious fish dishes. For lunch, the "Grilled Silver Cod with Miso" is particularly outstanding, and it tends to get quite crowded with people coming specifically for that dish. This was my first time visiting for dinner. We enjoyed a sashimi platter, diced steak, chicken cartilage, and beer, making for a happy and satisfying evening.