The restaurant I used to work near has now become a chain, specializing in fish dishes. The layout remains similar, with tables near the entrance, a counter, and a raised seating area at the back. The atmosphere feels different, possibly due to the expanded space. Ordering is done through touch-screen tablets at each table, although the staff still relay the orders to the kitchen in a unique accent. The prices are a bit high, with set meals exceeding 1,000 yen. I tried the seasonal "Deep-Fried Karasu Flounder with Tartar Sauce Set," which was delicious. The portion of rice was a bit small, but the flounder was tender and flavorful. The miso soup was also well-seasoned. Overall, the restaurant offers a variety of fish and meat dishes, making it a convenient option for dinner. It would be nice if they added some unique touches to distinguish themselves from other chain restaurants.

The area around Yotsuya is filled with universities and office buildings, so there are many food and drink establishments open during lunchtime. As the pandemic eases, more people are attending classes and going to work at universities and offices, leading to a bustling atmosphere at eateries. Recently, lunch outings with colleagues have resumed, and the opportunity for dining out has increased. I visited "Himono Sumibi Yaki Hajime Shokudo Yotsuya Honten" and would like to share my experience. This restaurant replaced a popular fish restaurant called "Uo Uoya Taiichi Kazu" along Shinjuku Street that my fish-loving wife used to frequent. When I saw the interior renovation work starting during the pandemic, I thought they were just remodeling. However, the new restaurant, "Himono Sumibi Yaki Hajime Shokudo Yotsuya Honten," opened in its place. The main offerings are set meals and light drinking sets, available from lunch to dinner. They also offer bento boxes to cater to the office lunch crowd. Upon entering the restaurant, I noticed that the layout remained largely the same as the previous establishment. The only change was the ordering system using tablets, a trend I've been seeing more often. I ordered the Striped Atka Mackerel set meal for 880 yen. It came with grilled Atka mackerel, rice, miso soup, and pickles. The mackerel was grilled to perfection, with a delightful aroma and crispy bones that could be eaten as well. The fish had a light fatty texture and a slightly salty taste. The meal was simple, with just miso soup and pickles, and although I wished for an additional side dish, considering the price, it was understandable. The freshly grilled fish and tasty rice at an affordable price made up for the lack of side dishes. They also offer five-grain fermented brown rice for an additional 30 yen, but I opted for white rice as the flavored rice didn't seem suitable for the meal. On another day, I tried the Miso-stewed Mackerel set meal for 950 yen. It came with pickles and miso soup, and the side dish was cucumber pickles, which seemed to vary daily. The mackerel was stewed in a sweet miso sauce, served with tofu and green onions. The slightly dry texture of the mackerel was compensated by the flavorful miso sauce, making it a satisfying meal. The menu offers a variety of fish and meat dishes, including fried chicken, ginger pork, stir-fried meat and vegetables, and fried dishes, catering to a wide range of customers. With a focus on the main dish and rice, the set meals are reasonably priced and offer a hearty meal. It's a good option for those looking for a delicious university or office cafeteria experience.

The highball set and half-size dried fish are perfect for a casual drink. Orders are placed through a touch panel. They recommend another dish after you order, which is typical of chain restaurants, but the dried fish is grilled over charcoal and very authentic. The fried chicken was just okay, but the fried horse mackerel was good. It was crispy. A large portion of two pieces of fried horse mackerel costs around 500 yen. The side dishes are pre-made, ranging from 100 yen to 300 yen, similar to prices at standing bars. It's a convenient place that can be used for lunch sets or casual drinks after work.

Payment can be made using credit cards, electronic money, and QR code payments (coin+). I paid with a JCB card. Orders are taken using a tablet. The "Choi Nomiset" costs 500 yen (tax included) and includes Premium Malt beer, green bean sesame salad, and seaweed cucumber vinegar dish. Premium Malt beer costs 400 yen. Lemon sour at a specialty izakaya costs 380 yen. Tamagoyaki costs 200 yen. Potato salad costs 200 yen. Edamame costs 300 yen. Spicy chorizo costs 600 yen. It's a great cost-performance restaurant. It's a place that's irresistible for drinkers. Although I didn't order it this time, they also offer a 1-hour all-you-can-drink option.

This is a restaurant that serves dried fish grilled over charcoal, but they also offer stir-fried vegetables and fried foods, so the menu is extensive. The must-try dish is, of course, the grilled dried fish. Therefore, you select the fish set meal option from the tableside touch panel, but I accidentally chose the salmon marinated in miso set meal, probably not dried fish, and changed the rice from white rice to mixed fermented brown rice. The correct choice would have been the mackerel dried fish set meal under the mackerel item in the fish set meal section. I only eat dishes where the ingredients, such as grilled chicken, eel, and grilled meat, are cooked over direct fire, not just grilled. Of course, searing with a gas burner is also acceptable. I do not go to restaurants that use gas grills. Among charcoal grills, white charcoal, also known as ubame oak charcoal, is the best. The far-infrared effect of charcoal, the return smoke of meat juice and sauce dripping onto the charcoal, enhances the aroma and allows you to enjoy the original flavor. This place is indeed a charcoal grill restaurant, as the name suggests. It takes a little time to cook, which means they are grilling each order. The grilled salmon marinated in miso is thick and delicious. The taste is typical of miso-marinated grilled dishes, but I still think it would be better with silver cod. The subtle smoky aroma from the charcoal is also delightful. Payment can be made with electronic money, and the tableside touch panel system suggests it may be part of a larger corporate group.

A new restaurant specializing in dried fish dishes opened in the location where Fish Fish and Taiichi used to be, so I visited on the first day. There were a few groups of customers waiting in line in front of the restaurant, but I didn't hesitate and joined the end of the line. After waiting for about 15 minutes, I was able to enter the restaurant. I ordered the mackerel mirin-dried fish set meal, along with chicken thigh karaage and green beans with sesame dressing as side dishes, which totaled to just over 1,000 yen. The taste of the food was average, neither exceptionally delicious nor bad. The service was a bit chaotic, understandable for the first day, but most of the staff seemed flustered and rushed. The most disappointing part was when I was seated at the counter, there were two empty seats starting from the left, and since it wasn't specified, I sat in the second seat from the left. However, I was suddenly told to move to the far left seat. The logic seemed to be to accommodate two-person groups efficiently, but there were no two-person groups waiting. It felt a bit premature to ask me to move. Although I understand if there were actually two-person groups waiting during lunchtime, the seat remained empty until I left. I finished dining at 12:40, and by then, there were no more waiting customers, and there were empty seats inside the restaurant. It felt a bit lonely to see only congratulatory flowers outside the restaurant on the first day of opening. I look forward to their efforts in the future.

I visited a charcoal-grilled dried fish restaurant that opened today. The interior of the restaurant is small, but with tablet ordering, there is minimal staff movement and it is comfortable. The food was delicious, with a wide variety of main fish and meat dishes as well as a rich selection of side dishes. I ended up eating too much. You can change the rice to a sixteen-grain rice-like dish, with large grains of beans, so I was full. It was a satisfying restaurant. I ate too much and was greedy. The rice portion is quite generous, so be careful not to order too many side dishes. But it was delicious!

The fish is delicious.

It's precious to find a restaurant where you can eat grilled fish at a reasonable price.