Today's Spicy Adventure: Takadanobaba Station, Lao Beijing Yang Xiezi Hot Pot. Small pot (serves 1) - ¥1,500. Black fungus - ¥380. Ramen - ¥380. Spiciness level ★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ (3). Stomachache level ★★★☆☆ (3). Spicy deliciousness level ★★★★★ (5). I went to Lao Beijing Huoguo Yang Xiezi in Takadanobaba for a spicy adventure! It's a genuine Chinese restaurant with mostly Chinese staff and customers. This place offers a rare dish called Yang Xiezi hot pot. Yang Xiezi is the spine of a sheep and has a 300-year history in China. I ordered the spicy Yang Xiezi hot pot, and it was served with a generous amount of bone-in lamb. They provide plastic gloves at the table, so the best way to eat it is probably to dig in with your hands! Despite looking very filling, it was surprisingly easy to eat. However, since the ingredients were mostly lamb, it can get a bit monotonous, so I recommend adding toppings! I added black fungus and ramen for an extra kick. Even though I asked for it to be very spicy, I didn't feel much heat, haha. I consider myself a hot pot enthusiast, but I've never had anything quite like this! If you like lamb, you should definitely try it out. It's said to be rich in collagen, so it's also recommended for women for its beauty benefits. Save this if you found it helpful! ✅

A few minutes' walk from the intersection of Waseda Street and Meiji Street at the Babaguchi intersection, closer to Nishi-Waseda, there is a ramen restaurant called Yamaguchi. It specializes in Beijing-style lamb hot pot and Sichuan cuisine. It is located on the second floor of a building, accessible by steep outdoor stairs. The atmosphere inside is reminiscent of mainland Chinese restaurants, with tables lining the space. During lunchtime on weekdays, I visited for the first time. The lunch menu includes options like mapo tofu set meal and various noodle dishes, all priced in the 700 yen range. I opted for the safe choice of "Shrimp Chili Stir-Fry for 780 yen" this time. There is a self-service drink bar offering mango, orange juice, and coffee. You can have extra rice and refills. The stir-fry was served quickly with a side of salad, pickled vegetables, and almond jelly. The shrimp chili had a good amount of shrimp but lacked a firm texture. It was quite spicy and paired well with rice. My companion ordered Dan Dan noodles and half-fried rice, and they enjoyed the flavorful fried rice. PayPay is accepted for payment. Although the photos may suggest a spicy Sichuan cuisine, I am curious about trying the lamb hot pot next time during the evening.

I had Sichuan cuisine for the first time. I tried a hot pot dish. The spiciness of the hot pot can be adjusted in 4 levels (no spiciness, mild, medium, hot). The soup in the hot pot had a rich flavor, making it even more delicious. The hot pot for 2 people cost 2600 yen, and a large draft beer was 380 yen, making the drinks also affordable. The cost performance was excellent. The taste, cost, and service were all perfect.

On a Sunday afternoon around 2 pm, I was looking for a place to have lunch around the midpoint between JR Takadanobaba Station and Waseda Station on Waseda Street. I found myself in front of the Waseda Tsuku building, just before the entrance to the Totsuka First Elementary School. At this time, my options were limited to ramen or Asian cuisine, so I was hesitating. However, I noticed a flashy sign on the second floor of a building that I had seen before but never tried. I decided to check it out since the lunch menu displayed outside seemed reasonably priced. The building used to house the old Ramen Yamaguchi, and there is also a Lawson convenience store nearby, making it easy to spot. The closest stations would be Nishi-Waseda Station on the Fukutoshin Line or Meijojingumae Station on the Toden Arakawa Line. I often pass by this area on my way to Nishi-Waseda Station through the side of Lawson, so it felt familiar to me. I climbed the stairs next to the building and went up to the second floor. What I ordered: - Draft beer @411 yen (380 yen without tax) - Spicy Stir-Fried Shrimp and Peanuts @780 yen When I entered the restaurant, there was only one group of customers, who appeared to be Chinese. I took a seat at a vacant table, ordered a draft beer, and looked through the lunch menu. While they had typical Chinese dishes like Mapo Tofu, some items were not commonly found on lunch menus. I was intrigued by the "stir-fried" dishes, especially those with peanuts, so I decided to try the Stir-Fried Shrimp and Peanuts. The service was provided by an elderly Chinese lady who seemed to understand Japanese but was not very fluent. There was a slight communication barrier, which might affect your dining experience. The food arrived very quickly, as is typical in Chinese-run restaurants. I tried a spoonful of the stir-fry, and it had a good texture and a decent amount of spiciness from the chili. The portion was generous, and the price was reasonable, making it a good choice for everyday dining. They also offered complimentary drinks like coffee (hot & iced) and oolong tea. The service had a bit of a rough edge, but the speedy delivery of food and the variety of dishes gave a distinct Chinese touch to this place. I am not familiar with dishes like "Yang Xie Zi," but I am interested in trying more items in the future without worrying too much about the finer details.

There aren't many Chinese restaurants around Waseda Station, surprisingly. There are plenty of oil soba and ramen shops, though (laughs). So, I searched on Tabelog and decided to try this restaurant. When I entered the second floor of the restaurant, it was almost full! There was only one seat that hadn't been cleaned up, so I asked them to clean it up before sitting down. I already knew what I wanted to order. In other Chinese restaurants around Waseda Station, you probably wouldn't find lamb soup noodles (750 yen). Before placing my order, I observed the customers and noticed that about half of them were Chinese customers. The other half seemed to be people working at Waseda University... maybe? I didn't see any students. However, despite observing the customers, the staff didn't come to take my order (*_*). After waiting for about 10 minutes, I got impatient and went to the kitchen to place my order myself. By the way, you can adjust the spiciness of the lamb soup noodles, making it spicier or milder. I had to wait to place my order, but the service was quick. First, I tried a piece of the lamb floating in the soup. It had a slight smell, but it wasn't too bothersome. And it was tender. The noodles were just regular Chinese noodles. The highlight was definitely the soup. The balance of spices was great. Although it wasn't very spicy, given the emphasis on the spice flavors, the level of spiciness was just right. It would have been great if the noodles had some distinctive feature. The half-fried rice that came with the set was just egg fried rice. I would have preferred plain rice instead of fried rice. With plain rice, I could have added it to the soup of the lamb noodles. The almond jelly dessert was store-bought. I was very disappointed with the set menu, but the soup in the lamb soup noodles was delicious. I'm interested in trying the cumin lamb next time, so I'll revisit with my dad. Thank you for the meal.

There are several Chinese restaurants along the so-called "Baba Walk" from Waseda University to Takadanobaba Station, and I visited one that I had not been to before. It is a second-floor restaurant with a visible sign, so it is hard to miss. I arrived around 11:30 am and was the first customer. There were 5 or 6 more customers who came later. Many of the later customers were young women who spoke Chinese, perhaps due to the location. There was no counter, only tables for 2 to 6 people. The lunch menu had around 10 options, with no dishes over 800 yen. I was drawn to the Shan Lao Beef, a dish I had never tried before, instead of the Cumin Lamb Stir-fry. It was served in about 15 minutes, during which I could help myself to free drinks from the pitchers available. The main dish had a flavor similar to mapo tofu, with fermented black beans and Sichuan peppercorns. It was a decent taste for the price. The rice, though typical, was not bad, and the fact that it was refillable was a plus. Overall, I was satisfied with the restaurant. (July 5, 2019)

Located about a 10-minute walk from Takadanobaba Station along Waseda Street. Go up the outside stairs of the building to the 2nd floor. Around 2 pm for lunch and with the location being a bit far from the station, there were no other customers. The place is quite spacious, so it might be a good spot for group drinking at night. I ordered the mapo tofu set from the lunch menu. The price was cheap, and it came with a drink, like a drink bar where you can have coffee, etc. as much as you want! In this student-populated area, it's a place where you can stay for a while. After a while, the mapo tofu set arrived. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much, but it was delicious. It's Sichuan-style with a hint of sansho pepper, but it's not overpowering and numbing, it has a refreshing finish after the umami and spiciness. It feels like the proper way to use sansho pepper. Ordering mapo tofu is a good way to gauge the taste of a Chinese restaurant, and if it's at this level, other dishes should be delicious too. I'd like to come with friends at night and try various dishes while drinking.

Introducing Little China, a restaurant that opened last year and is located quite far east from Takadanobaba. It is located next to Raamen Yamaguchi. Despite having zero reviews, I decided to check it out for myself, only to find out that there were already two positive reviews posted. Maybe they were mistaken for fake reviews? Too bad. The exterior sign looks a bit flashy, but the interior is not as overwhelming. I visited around 12:15 pm on a weekday. The restaurant has many booth seats and is popular among Japanese groups, especially students and young people. There is a master (possibly Japanese) who speaks fluent Japanese, and a Chinese lady on the floor. They are kind and make you feel at ease. The lunch menu offers 11 items ranging from 700 yen to 780 yen. They also have a great deal with a free drink bar. I ordered the Yangtang noodles (lamb soup noodles). It came with mini fried rice, pickles, and almond jelly. The staff confirmed beforehand, but it was a bit spicy, yet deliciously balanced. It may not have the same rating as the previous reviewers, but it was a satisfying and tasty lunch. They provide plastic gloves on the table, which are for eating dishes like duck or ribs. This suggests that they may offer authentic dinners as well.

I like spicy Chinese food. I often crave it almost every week. While I was walking towards a restaurant in the Takadanobaba area that I was interested in, I happened to come across another intriguing restaurant. The sign said "火鍋" which I think means hot pot. The name of the restaurant is "老北京" but it also serves Sichuan cuisine. I saw a menu item called "ヤンシェズ" which I think is a lamb hot pot. I decided to go in and was seated in a cozy area with partitions separating the tables. I ordered cucumber with garlic flavor to start. The food had a good taste, although it seemed to have some artificial seasoning. I also tried the husband and wife lung slices which were salty but had an authentic taste. I wanted to try the lamb hot pot but my stomach couldn't handle it. The beef in chili oil dish arrived with sliced beef and vegetables in a spicy sauce. It was flavorful and had a nice level of spiciness. The restaurant was not crowded, and the staff was friendly and spoke Japanese fluently. Overall, the food had an exotic taste and the restaurant had a pleasant atmosphere. I recommend trying it out for a unique dining experience.

The warm restaurant that feels like home... or rather, I should say that Lao Beijing is my actual home. The moment I step inside the restaurant, I can't help but want to say "I'm home." The kind staff always welcome us with warm service. While enjoying authentic and delicious Sichuan dishes like saliva chicken and mapo tofu, chatting with my favorite staff about university life and future plans is the happiest time in my daily life. In recent years, many beloved long-standing restaurants around Waseda University have been closing one after another. Perhaps due to the aging of the owners or lack of successors, there are various issues, but it is still sad to see these long-standing establishments disappear. However, it's okay even if the long-standing restaurants disappear. Lao Beijing is now bringing a new wave to the Waseda area. No, it's already happening. Whether it's the taste, speed, price, hospitality, etc., every aspect is top-notch. I've never found such a wonderful restaurant before. I am fortunate. Although my remaining student life is short, I have a feeling that I will continue to experience a lot of happiness at this restaurant. It's the perfect place for Waseda students to talk about grand dreams. Although this may sound like a student's perspective, I believe Lao Beijing is a place where people of all ages and genders can be happy. Let's all become a family. Peace.

The hot pot dish I've been craving was incredibly delicious.

Hot pot!

So delicious! I want to go again.

The warm shop that feels like my hometown... or rather, Old Beijing might be more accurately described as my real home. The moment I walk into the shop, I can't help but want to say "I'm home." The kind staff always welcome us with warm service. While enjoying authentic and delicious Sichuan dishes like saliva chicken and mapo tofu, chatting with my favorite staff about university life and future plans is the happiest time in my daily life. In recent years, many beloved long-established shops around Waseda University have been closing one after another. There are various problems such as aging shop owners and lack of successors, but it is still sad to see these long-established shops disappear. However, it's okay even if the long-established shops are gone. Old Beijing is now trying to bring a new wind to the Waseda area. No, it's already happening. Whether it's taste, speed, price, hospitality, etc., Old Beijing scores full marks in every aspect. I've never found such a wonderful shop before. I am fortunate. Although my student life is coming to an end, I have a feeling that I will continue to feel a lot of happiness in this shop. It's the perfect place for Waseda students to talk about their grand dreams. Although this text may be written from a student's perspective, I believe Old Beijing is a place where people of all ages and genders can be happy. Let's all become a family. Peace.