りょんこ
One summer Saturday in Takadanobaba. After taking care of some errands with my companion, we decided to have a leisurely lunch. Normally, the request would be for ramen, tonkatsu, or unagi don, but on this day, surprisingly, it was "yakiniku with rice!" We didn't know many yakiniku restaurants in the area, so we decided to try this one, thinking that we couldn't go wrong here.①Exterior, atmosphere, and interior of the restaurant: Located about a 6-minute walk from Takadanobaba Station, along Waseda Street, the restaurant is easy to find. However, the entrance is small and set back, so it doesn't stand out much. The inside is bigger than expected, with mainly 4-person tables and a spacious layout typical of Jojoen. It is clean and free of oil stains, giving a sense of cleanliness, so families are often seen here on holidays.②About the food: There were several lunch menu options, but we opted for the most cost-effective "sliced beef yakiniku lunch" and ordered a beer since it was a holiday. Served with a properly chilled beer, we enjoyed a variety of dishes brought to us one after another. Starting with salad, namul, and kimchi as appetizers, we grilled the "tansaku gyutan." The refreshing gyutan was full of flavor. Squeezing a little lemon over it made it even more refreshing. Next, we grilled the "sliced beef," which had just the right amount of fat due to being sliced. And the unique sauce from Jojoen, slightly sweet but strangely complementing the white rice perfectly. The seaweed soup, a familiar taste, was also comforting. We quietly enjoyed the cycle of meat-rice-meat-rice and finished it in no time! For dessert, we had the almond jelly included in the set and took a breather. The portion was generous, and we were completely satisfied.③About the staff's service: There were about 3 male staff members managing the hall. Greetings, seating guidance, and other basics were handled well, and the service was polite and pleasant. They quickly provided the cut lemons, and there were no particular concerns.④About the cost-performance ratio: We were able to enjoy a yakiniku lunch in a relaxed atmosphere. The quality of the sliced beef was decent, and most importantly, the desire for "meat and rice!" was fully satisfied. Therefore, I think the cost-performance ratio is average.⑤Other things noticed: Next time, I would like to try the "kalbi lunch."