The day after visiting Re:s cafebar & sweets, I searched on Tabelog for "Waseda x Chinese" for my solo lunch plans. That's when I came across this restaurant. Goen? I've never heard of that name before, but where is it located? Looking at the map, I realized it was right next to the Re:s cafebar & sweets I visited the previous day! 'Huh? It's in the same area, but it's listed as Waseda?' Re:s cafebar & sweets was in Takadanobaba, right? I checked and confirmed that Re:s cafebar & sweets was indeed in Takadanobaba. But this restaurant is in Waseda... I really don't understand how Tabelog categorizes areas at all (>_<) But if it's listed as Waseda, let's visit. The restaurant was almost full before 1 pm. I ended up sharing a table in the back of the restaurant. The tables were set up for shared seating with measures taken for splatter prevention. There were lunch menu options placed outside, but I wasn't particularly interested, so I ordered the Five-Ingredient Yakisoba (700 yen) from the menu on the table. It said that extra noodles or rice were free, but it had been a while since my dental appointment, and my mouth couldn't open wide, so I passed on the extra portion. While waiting, I looked around the restaurant. It was quite surprising that even though it's not in a convenient location, it was packed at this time. It was a smoking-permitted restaurant, which is rare in this day and age, even during lunchtime. I wondered where all these people were coming from, as it's not exactly in an office district. After a while, the Five-Ingredient Yakisoba arrived. I had assumed it would come with soup, but it was served as a standalone dish! It felt a bit lonely without soup (;^_^A). I learned that if you want more volume, you should choose the lunch menu options placed outside rather than the regular menu on the table. Well, since I couldn't open my mouth wide, I wasn't looking for a lot of volume, but at least some soup... (I know, I'm persistent). When I lifted the noodles, I saw that curly noodles were used. The five ingredients included pork, squid, cabbage, komatsuna, carrots, wood ear mushrooms, and quail eggs. The dark color of the sauce stood out among the ingredients, and I thought it would be very strong, but when I tasted it, it wasn't as strong as I expected, and it was delicious. The firmness of the noodles was just right, and even though it was a single dish, it had plenty of ingredients and was quite filling. It was tastier than I had expected. But I still wanted that soup. With this level of deliciousness, I could understand why it was popular, despite being a smoking-permitted restaurant. After finishing the meal, I looked at the table but there was no bill. I remembered that the lunch prices were not uniform, so I thought I would have to tell them at the register what I had eaten... which seemed like a hassle. When I went to the register, the staff looked at me and said, "700 yen." Wow! Despite the large number of seats and the fast turnover, they remembered! I was surprised. Now, to solve the question of where all these people were coming from in such a full situation, I watched for a while outside and realized that almost all the customers who had finished eating were heading back to Shinjuku Garden. Ah, I see, that makes sense. There are office buildings in Shinjuku Garden. And as I was about to leave, I couldn't help but be curious about the Taiwanese restaurant next to Goen. Let's make that another restaurant to visit. Keep up the good work. Thank you for the meal.

The fried chicken and dumpling set meal costs 700 yen, which seems like a good deal at first glance. However, the rice is dry, the fried chicken has a crispy coating made with too much flour, lacking juiciness. The dumplings have good skin but the filling is not tasty, and they are greasy and mushy. The cabbage side dish is discolored. Overall, the food is not appetizing. During lunchtime, the restaurant gets crowded and they sometimes seat 3 people at a table for 2, or make a single person share a table meant for 4. Some customers even leave angrily because their orders are forgotten. The service industry seems to lack awareness as always.

On April 17, 2019, I revisited this place for lunch. It was late, so I decided to eat nearby. Luckily, the restaurant was still open when I passed by around 2:30 pm. I hurried in as it seemed like they were close to closing. There were only a few customers, about three groups, and the staff were taking turns having their lunch. I didn't notice this before, but they offer free refills for rice and coffee, which was a nice surprise. They even had Softbank Wi-Fi available. This time, I ordered the safe option of Stir-Fried Pork and Leek. It was served piping hot, with a thick sauce. It was a bit difficult to eat because it stayed hot for a long time. The flavor was on the soy sauce side, but not too intense. The portion was quite generous, so I didn't even get to the rice refill.

On the first floor of the Toei Nishi-Ookubo Apartment, there is a Chinese restaurant next to the continental cuisine, either called Taiwan Gyoza or Juukou Toko, the official name is not clear. In Shinjuku Central Library, where restaurants from the same hometown are lined up, I returned books around 2 pm and had a normal lunch operation. The conversation between the owner and the female staff about Japanese customs or preferences is beyond my limited ability to understand. Daily specials and regular set meals range from 600 to 700 yen. I ordered the Szechuan-style stir-fried pork for 600 yen. Although there is no draft beer on the menu, there is a tap in the restaurant. Like Jotaro Kujo, I bet my soul without checking the price, and the size of the beer mug is not bad, with good foam and chilliness. Soon after, the stir-fried pork arrived with a tremendous amount. Among the Chinese restaurants in the area, it is rare to see such generosity. The quality of the pork is not great, but the perfect blend of miso and spiciness makes it lively on the plate. The bell peppers, carrots, and wood ear mushrooms are brought to life by the heat. Unfortunately, like many Chinese restaurants in the area, the rice is not good, lacking moisture and fluffiness, possibly due to long heat retention or using old rice. The lack of odor is a small consolation. I wish they would improve the quality of the rice for an extra 100 yen. The almond jelly dessert is quite rich and not bad, and there is also a complimentary coffee service. Now, how much will the bill be? It turns out to be exactly 1000 yen. The draft beer on the bill was 400 yen, not a bad bet on the pork.

I used it for lunch on 3/6. I have used it several times, but this is my first review. It gets very crowded after 12:00 on weekdays, so I recommend using it at a different time. (There is a large office building and vocational school right next to it...) The first time I used it, I was surprised by the volume! This time, I ordered the lunch set "oyakodon" (700 yen). Rice refill is free, but I have never seen anyone refill it haha It was served in a few minutes, and I was surprised by the large volume! The crispy coating was hot and juicy inside! It's addictive. The lunch set menu is very extensive, and I want to conquer all the menus while I'm here haha I hope this is helpful.

Fried rice with pickled vegetables, large portion, strong tobacco smell inside, salty.

Extremely convenient and extremely delicious.

Fried chicken set meal with bird meat.

I got an amazing amount of food at Misono, it was truly impressive.

I always rely on you for your help.

On the first floor of a residential complex, there are two Chinese restaurants next to each other. Last week, I went to the neighboring one, so this week I came to this one. I arrived around 11:30 am and there were about 5-6 customers already there, with 7-8 more coming in after me. The lunch menu has around 20 fixed items, as well as about 5 items that change daily or weekly. Since I tried the top weekly special at the neighboring restaurant, I decided to do the same here. Today's special is Black Pepper Pork with Egg. The dish was served promptly within a few minutes, and as expected, the portion was huge. The main dish was piled high on the plate. The egg was not fluffy but soft and tender, showcasing the chef's skill in cooking. The seasoning was just right, not too salty or lacking in flavor. The rice had a rustic feel, and they offer free refills, so no complaints there. It's not fair to judge a restaurant based on just one dish, but I personally preferred this place. However, the restaurant was not very crowded, yet they kept seating customers together at the entrance, making it feel cramped. Also, there were many smokers, which was a downside.

On this day, I was in Takadanobaba. I was planning to have lunch but it started drizzling. So, I decided to jump into this place that looked like a cafeteria-like eatery at the front. I could barely tell that it was a Chinese restaurant with set meals available. It was a bit early, so there were plenty of empty seats. However, after 12 o'clock, it suddenly got crowded and I ended up sharing a table with someone. They had a decent selection of set meals on the menu. I couldn't check the a la carte menu as it was getting busy. There was also an all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink option for 3,000 yen, which had an incredible amount of dishes. The interior had tables lined up like a typical family dining table. The bottles of soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil were oily and sticky, showing the age of the place. Despite having only a few staff members - 2 in the hall and 2 in the kitchen, they managed to handle such a large menu selection and the weekday lunch rush, which was impressive. Recommended set meal: F. Dan Dan noodles + grilled dumplings for 700 yen (tax included). The set included Dan Dan noodles, grilled dumplings, salad, and dessert. The salad was mainly shredded cabbage with a light dressing. The dessert was almond jelly with mango sauce. - Dan Dan noodles had a slightly artificial taste with a refreshing spiciness that made me sweat. I got hooked on it towards the end and ended up finishing almost all of the soup. However, I felt the soup lacked depth. - Grilled dumplings were surprisingly large and quite meaty, which made them delicious. Overall, it's an interesting place with reasonable prices. Visit date: March 16, 2018

Yes. I visited a restaurant located in an area where food and beverage shops line up on the 1st floor of an apartment complex. Next to it, there is a cheap and well-stocked Japanese restaurant called Taiko. It was around 13:15 and there were a few empty seats available. It may be relatively easy to get a table if you avoid peak hours. On this day, I was very hungry, so I ordered a soy sauce ramen for 550 yen and a ginger pork set meal for 580 yen. When the dishes arrived, I was surprised by the large portion size. The ramen bowl was huge and the ginger pork serving was also generous. The rice bowl may look small in the photo, but it was actually the size of a regular bowl. The portions were impressive for the price. As for the taste, the ginger pork was thick and flavorful, with a generous amount of meat and onions. The ramen had a mild and comforting chicken broth with a hint of Chinese cuisine flavor. Overall, it was a hidden gem for a satisfying lunch. I didn't know about this place before, but it turned out to be a great find in Takadanobaba.

The shop along this apartment complex was always on my list to visit because it's close to the university, but I never got around to it. I decided to stop by for a quick meal since I had plans in the afternoon. The restaurant was moderately busy with empty seats around 12 pm. I sat at a table for four, but ended up sharing it with a group of students who arrived after me, as the place seemed to be relatively small and could only accommodate around 40 people. I ordered the Sweet and Sour Pork set meal (¥600) from a variety of lunch options. The staff, who seemed to be from China, didn't speak much Japanese, so I had to order by menu number rather than name. They had a case with tea for ¥100 on each table along with seasonings. After waiting for about 10 minutes, my meal arrived. The light-colored soup came with pickled vegetables and what seemed to be almond jelly, while the main dish had a generous portion of rice and sweet and sour pork. The taste was different from what I expected, with a spicy flavor from doubanjiang and chili peppers, rather than a sweet miso sauce. The egg soup was light, the pickled vegetables had a tangy flavor, and the almond jelly had a unique chewy texture. Although the service was a bit lacking, the restaurant offered a different, lighter taste compared to chain restaurants, making it a good option for a daily lunch.

Located about a 5-minute walk from Takadanobaba Toyamaguchi, this restaurant is situated in a corner of a shopping street lined with cafes. Initially, I had a bad first impression of this place. About 4 months ago, I ordered fried rice (around 550 yen) and was disappointed with the cheap ingredients like roast ham, green onions, and eggs, along with the lackluster taste. I left the restaurant feeling annoyed, thinking that Hidakaya would have been a better choice. However, one day I was craving Chinese food and looking for a quick option near my workplace. That's when I noticed the weekly set menu item "Stir-fried beef and garlic shoots" (600 yen) at this restaurant and decided to give it another try. The restaurant is run by what seems to be a Chinese couple and can be a bit slow during lunch rush. Despite the wait, the food arrived after about 15 minutes. The meal included rice, soup, salad, and almond jelly. The soup was typical egg drop soup, but with a flavorful twist. The salad was simple cabbage with dressing. The main dish of stir-fry had tough meat but crunchy garlic shoots and a reliable B-grade Chinese flavor. Overall, the meal was satisfying for its price. The restaurant offers a variety of dishes, serves oolong tea instead of regular water, provides free coffee, allows rice refills, and has a loyalty card with perks like free lunches. I would definitely consider coming back for lunch. Additionally, a new Taiwanese dumpling restaurant called "Taiwan Gyoza-Bo" has opened next door, providing fresh Chinese bento boxes for takeout at a reasonable price. The competition between these two restaurants has caught my interest recently.

Surprisingly, it wasn't that great. I had high expectations because it was close to closing time, there were only four of us as customers, and the party course was expensive. But looking at it objectively, it was just average for the price. I ordered the tantan-men set meal. It came in a typical bowl and I was a bit disappointed because I was expecting a stronger Sichuan pepper flavor. It wasn't sesame-based either, just like regular ramen with a hint of tantan-men style. The fried rice was tasty though. My colleagues who came with me also felt the same way. The restaurant is located on the first floor of an apartment complex, with a supermarket called Maruetsu nearby. It's a bit hard to find, but it seems like they've been around for a while. I should ask around next time. Oh, but the party course seems appealing. I definitely want to try it out. I'd like to have our year-end party there this year. Thank you for the meal.

This is a highly recommended restaurant that I have visited multiple times. I usually opt for the course menu, and the 3-hour all-you-can-drink + 10 dish course for 3380 yen is highly recommended. The course includes Peking duck, which is really delicious at this restaurant. The only downside is that the alcohol is not very tasty, except for beer and Shaoxing wine. I personally enjoy highballs, but the taste can vary from order to order, although it seems to have improved recently. Another downside is the location of the restaurant, which can be difficult to find. Despite these two points, the charm of this restaurant remains unchanged. If you're looking for cheap and delicious Chinese cuisine, be sure to visit Goen!