Girls' night out at Kurenai Tiger Dumpling House♪ 2012.03.15 Thursday 23:22 Today we decided to have Chinese food for our girls' night out, so we chose Kurenai Tiger Dumpling House in the Marunouchi Center Building basement, which is close to our office. I've been here for lunch a few times before, but it's my first time dining here at night. Since we started early, the place wasn't too crowded yet when we arrived. Chinese food is great for a big group because you can try a variety of dishes. They had a great deal on beer and appetizers - 780 yen for two items with a beer. We decided to go with that beer set, and each of us chose two dishes, so we ended up with a total of 10 dishes for five people. Everything looked delicious, and we made sure to order different dishes to share. The small plates were filling enough, and we enjoyed the variety of flavors. The atmosphere was lively, and we had a great time chatting and laughing. We ended up having a bit too much to drink, but it was a fun and memorable girls' night out. The total bill for all the food and drinks was only 3050 yen per person, which was a great deal considering how much we ate. We all agreed that the food was delicious, but we definitely overindulged this time. It's okay to indulge once in a while, right? Let's plan another girls' night out soon! Thank you for the meal♪

Marunouchi Center Building has changed drastically after the pandemic. Many of the eateries that used to be there did not survive, and now only "Shoya," "Ko-Tora Gyoza-Bo," and "Haletsu Bame" remain. I had a craving for the unique menu item "Sesame Soup Pork Noodles," which is only available at this place, so I decided to visit. Despite the challenges faced during the pandemic, the restaurant seems to be doing well with its original menu intact. I used to frequent this place and have tried almost everything on the menu, but my favorites are the "Sesame Soup Pork Noodles" and the "Addictive Fried Chicken Set" (with extra Sichuan pepper sauce). The generous portions and service were always impressive. The "Sesame Soup Pork Noodles" is a mysterious dish with a creamy sesame soup, standard Chinese noodles, plenty of pork slices, bean sprouts, fried onions, and lots of sesame seeds on top. It's not a gourmet dish, being from a chain restaurant, but it has a unique taste that I occasionally crave. I've tried to recreate it at home, but it never turns out quite the same. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the photos I took of the food, so I can only show you the menu as proof of this mysterious dish. Please forgive the lack of visuals and enjoy the story.

Red Tiger Dumpling House is a Chinese restaurant chain under the SAI Corporation umbrella. (After May 2022) There is hand sanitizer at the entrance. The staff are wearing masks. (9/12/2023) I ordered a set of five dumplings (tax included 1,000 yen). It comes with egg drop soup. I was impressed that the price has remained the same for the past year, but I wouldn't mind if they raised it. (8/29/2023) I visited on a weekday just after 11 am after going to the post office. I ordered a stir-fry set with chicken, cashews, scallions, etc. (around 950 yen including tax). Despite ordering a regular size, it was enough for me. I'm raising my rating from 3.2 to 3.3. (9/9/2022) I visited again after going to the post office. Given the restaurant's name, I thought I should order dumplings, so I ordered a set of five dumplings (tax included 1,000 yen). It comes with egg drop soup. This was enough for me. Today's music was rock. (5/25/2022) I visited for the first time in about three years on my way back from the post office just after 11 am. I ordered the lunch set with Kung Pao chicken and shrimp chili (1,400 yen including tax). The chicken portion was generous. It also had water chestnuts. The texture of the water chestnuts was good. Overall, it was moderately delicious. The music was probably Chinese pop. It felt a bit sluggish, but not unpleasant. In terms of service, they provide wet wipes. There is a water-filled pot on the table. Satisfaction that matches the price.

After finishing work, I jumped in just before closing time. It was my first visit in a while. The gyoza here has a unique flavor. I wonder if the flavor comes from the iron pot it's cooked in. Since I arrived right before closing, I didn't have much time to think and just ordered without much consideration. I had gyoza, leek tamago, karaage, mapo tofu, and fried rice. They were all delicious, but I think the gyoza was the best. Thank you for the meal.

I went there with a friend for lunch, but the food took forever to arrive. And when it finally did, the ramen noodles were soggy and lukewarm. My colleague ordered the fried chicken set, but it only came out after we finished eating. If it's a chain restaurant, they should definitely maintain better quality. It seems like they also missed other people's orders. They need to be more organized.

I went to Otemachi for work, so I decided to visit Benitora for the first time in a while. There were only a few restaurants left open, like Shoya and this one. The pandemic has changed many things. It's a bit disappointing, but the lunch stick dumplings were the same as before. I think dumplings are an essential part of Japanese cuisine. I hope they continue to do their best. Thank you for the meal.

The thick brown tantan soup, so dark that you can't see the noodles, gives off a terrifyingly spicy impression. The only toppings are minced meat and green onions. The surface of the soup is covered with fragrant black sesame seeds. It looks really spicy, but also delicious.

I had lunch at Benitora. I ordered the Combo Nantoka set, which includes oil-splashed chicken and a choice of three side dishes. The food was freshly fried and the mapo tofu had a strong, flavorful taste, so I enjoyed it. The Marunouchi Center Building basement used to have a row of shops where you could browse the lunch samples displayed outside and choose a place to eat, but now it's become a shuttered street, which is sad. In this situation, I'm grateful that they are still open for business. With COVID-19 moving to Level 5, I hope the area will start to become more lively again.

This is a delicious Chinese restaurant located in the Marunouchi Building basement. It gets quite crowded during weekday lunch hours. Honestly, I haven't found any fried chicken that tastes better than the one here. It's juicy, flavorful, and very delicious!

There are many spicy menu items here, so I was hesitant to come, but today I stopped by for a late-night snack and found a good menu. Half order of gyoza and half order of ramen. Both were not spicy, so I could enjoy a little bit of each, and they were delicious. The prices were also cheap and satisfying. There are other small portion menu items that seem enjoyable to combine as well.

Red Tiger Dumpling House @ Marunouchi ordered a variety of dishes. Mushroom and chicken yakisoba ★ Very generous portion. How many pieces of mushrooms like eringi are in it? The chicken was also substantial. The noodles were flat like tagliatelle. The soy sauce-based seasoning was delicious without getting tired of it. Xiao long bao ★ Full of meat juice! The skin is also delicious. Black sesame tantan noodles ★ Black sesame is plentiful in the black tantan noodles. The spiciness comes later and surprisingly spicy! The noodles were also delicious with flat noodles.

I love the combination of black sesame tantanmen and pork belly vegetable fried rice at Koko Karasu, but the lunch menu doesn't offer the fried rice. I realized that I would have to order two servings if I wanted both dishes, so I decided to just get the black sesame tantanmen on its own. The tantanmen at the Marunouchi location had thin noodles and a refreshing taste. The sesame and ground meat were thick and creamy, and I couldn't help but think how delicious it would be with the fried rice. I feel like the noodles are thicker at the Ginza location, but maybe that's just my imagination. I'll visit again for dinner next time.

I was debating whether to get takeout, but since it looked empty, I decided to have lunch inside the restaurant. The interior is quite spacious! I ordered the addictive fried chicken set for 1000 yen. It was served in about 5 minutes, so fast! The set includes 5 large pieces of fried chicken, salad, and egg soup. The seasoning was well done, and the chicken was delicious, but 5 pieces might be a bit too much for women. As soon as I finished eating and put down my chopsticks, they took away my plate, which felt a bit rushed. Overall, it's a good place for hearty meals, especially for men.

I went to the Benitora Gyoza-Tei Marunouchi Center Building store. I ordered the Yuzu Salt Ramen for 1000 yen. Even though rice comes for free, I decided to skip it today because I felt like I would get sleepy if I ate too much. The ramen had a gentle yuzu fragrance and was light. The chicken breast was tender, and the watercress was crunchy, which was a pleasant surprise. The only downside was that the noodles were a bit soft. It seems like it would be better to order them firm.

The restaurant offers a set meal with 8 dumplings instead of the usual 5, priced at 1,050 yen with a small rice option available for an additional 50 yen. The dumplings are tightly packed in a hot iron pot, and while some may be stuck together, the flavor of the filling is rich with a hint of pickled vegetables. The dumplings are seasoned well enough that soy sauce and chili oil are not necessary. The taste is nostalgic and reminiscent of a dish enjoyed years ago. Overall, it was a satisfying meal.

At around 12 o'clock in the Marunouchi area, it can be risky as it may be difficult to find lunch due to the lunch rush. On this day, I managed to slip in just before 12 o'clock at the Marunouchi Center Building's underground dining area, at a Chinese chain restaurant called "Kokutora Gyoza-Bo." I ordered the "Black Sesame Tantanmen" from the lunch menu. The soup seemed a bit lacking, with a tolerable level of spiciness and a mild numbing sensation from the Sichuan peppercorns. The soup itself lacked depth, but when I mixed in the ground meat that was on the surface, it improved slightly. If you're looking for some spice, it might be worth a try occasionally. Next time, I might go for the gyoza lunch that is in the restaurant's name. Bon appétit~

It's been quite a while since my last visit. Due to the impact of the coronavirus, smoking areas have been closed one after another, so I chose this shop because I wanted to smoke a cigarette around noon. I ordered the black sesame tantanmen, which had just the right amount of sansho pepper and a good level of spiciness. The dessert included a sweet jelly that helped to mellow out the flavors in the end. It's a completely non-smoking shop, but it seems that from April onwards, there will be no more smoking areas due to a change in the city's regulations. Shops where you can smoke are valuable for smokers, so it's a shame...

Located about a 5-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station or Tokyo Metro Otemachi Station. There was a wait of about 3 groups at noon on weekdays, and it took about 15 minutes to be seated. Today, I had the Stamina Fried Rice in a large portion and a side of mini dumplings and shumai. The fried rice was generously portioned and had a strong flavor, making it a challenge to finish. The mini dim sum was completely unnecessary.

Around 12:40, I visited for lunch. It was relatively empty due to the rainy day making the access difficult. There are various lunch options, generally around 1,000 yen. The tantanmen noodles seem to be popular. Today, I had the usual gyoza rice set for 1,100 yen. Although I usually order 5 pieces, this time I went for 8 pieces. It was a bit of a hearty meal. The stick gyoza had the consistent delicious taste. Once again, I enjoyed my meal today.

About 20 years ago when there were still few restaurants in Otemachi, this place was extremely popular. It's still quite popular now. Personally, I prefer the Chinese set meals over the signature dishes like tantanmen and gyoza. The tantanmen is extremely spicy and the gyoza leaves a strong aftertaste. It's all a matter of preference though.

Stamina Fried Rice for 980 yen. Today is Fried Rice Day! So I decided to visit Red Tiger Gyoza House after a long time. I was unsure if the Curry Fried Rice had chicken in it, so I went with the Stamina Fried Rice. It had a thick slice of pork, not chicken, on top of the egg fried rice. The vegetables were chives, and despite its dark color, it was surprisingly sweet, not spicy. The egg fried rice itself was a bit bland, but the flavorful pork made up for it. The portion of pork was quite generous, probably over 200g, so it definitely gives you stamina. Next time, I'll try the Sweet and Sour Pork!