I went to the restaurant near closing time on a regular night, and most of the shops were offering big discounts. I bought a bento box with fried rice, sweet and sour pork, shumai, fried chicken, and a side dish called "harsame." At first glance, I didn't have high expectations for the taste, but it turned out to be really delicious! The flavors were well-balanced overall. The fried rice was moist yet fluffy, and very tasty! The sweet and sour pork was incredibly tender, with no unpleasant smell. The thick sauce was also delicious! This bento box exceeded my expectations and I was very satisfied! I would like to visit the actual store next time.

You can buy this bento at Kogetsu in Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi. I remember the first time I ate it was during a company training lunch. It was a treat to have this bento when there was training at the head office. It's been over 30 years now. It's rare for a bento to exist for such a long time, but it's popular for a reason. Kogetsu is known for its delicious shumai, and personally, I think it's the best shumai available in Japan, along with Seifuro in Yokohama Chinatown. The balance of price and the deliciousness of the shumai is excellent. It comes with two shumai. There are also various side dishes such as shrimp chili, stir-fried pork, miso stir-fried eggplant, broccoli, stir-fried squid, meatballs, small fish with sweet and sour sauce, and pickled vegetables. They all have a strong presence. It also comes with Shanghai fried noodles and shrimp tempura, so the volume is great. All of this for 1,080 yen. While Sakai Hanten's shumai bento is popular, I believe this Heifan bento surpasses it by far. I highly recommend this bento.

At the department store basement in Nihonbashi, I was looking for items on sale. A Chinese restaurant in Nihonbashi that also has a store in Yurakucho was having a time sale for some items. Among the crowd of elderly women, I got yakisoba for 463 yen (excluding tax) → 263 yen, sliced char siu for 510 yen → 310 yen, and 6 pieces of shumai for 1000 yen (not on sale). The receipt listed "shumai" but the explanation said they had to use a microwave, yet I still enjoyed the taste with the ginger flavor. It also came with 3 packets of mustard and had a shelf life of 6 days. The char siu, which can be stored at room temperature, had a sweet sauce. The yakisoba had a surprisingly large portion, making me smile, but the noodles were thin and not to my liking.

This is a review of a food stall located on the basement floor of Mitsukoshi Main Store in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. I have tried their deli and bento before, but this time I bought a Kyoto-style bento called "Kyoto Kobako" from Minoyoshi Mitsukoshi store on the same floor. I wanted some additional deli to go with it, so I ended up at Koendo. I was torn between the shrimp chili and the stir-fried pork and green pepper, but I chose the shrimp chili in the end. The shrimp chili was satisfying and reasonably priced. The elderly female staff at the counter wasn't very friendly, but they offer a variety of deli options, so I will likely visit again in the future. Overall rating: 3.3 stars for food (up from 3.2), 3.3 stars for taste (up from 3.2), 3 stars for service (down from 3.2).

This is a review of a restaurant located on the basement floor of Mitsukoshi Department Store in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, which I visited for the first time. I usually buy bento boxes from Asakusa Imahan, Oomasu, and Shiretoko Sushi at Mitsukoshi, but since Oomasu is no longer there, I decided to try a new place. I found a Heifan bento for 1080 yen, which had a variety of side dishes including pork shumai, mapo eggplant, boiled broccoli, shrimp chili, sweet and sour meatballs, salted small fish, spicy squid stir-fry, pork yakiniku, pickles, yakisoba, stir-fried vegetables, and shrimp tempura. The pork shumai, shrimp chili, mapo eggplant, and meatballs were good, but the yakisoba was dry and I ended up leaving half of it. The shrimp tempura had more batter than shrimp. Considering the price, the variety of dishes in the bento was commendable. Overall rating: 3.2 (taste: 3.2, service: 3.2, cost performance: 3.4) - slightly lower than before.

【Reason for visit】I went to Mitsukoshi in Nihonbashi tonight for some drinks and checked out several stores before deciding on a Chinese restaurant.【Time of visit】December 16th (Sunday) around 13:15【Number of customers】3 people【Ordered items】"Mapo Tofu" and "Sweet and Sour Meatballs"【Reason for ordering】Originally, I only wanted the Mapo Tofu, but it looked like a small portion so I decided to add the meatballs as well. Let's dig in!【Food review】The tofu in the Mapo Tofu was silk tofu with a slight sweetness from the soybeans. The spiciness came from doubanjiang and ichimi, not too spicy. The numbing spiciness of sansho was subtle and not overpowering, making it easy to eat. It was more of a Japanese-style Mapo Tofu without ingredients like doubanjiang or tianmianjiang. The minced meat lacked depth and punch, with a subtle hint of ginger and garlic. The meatballs were slightly coarse but smooth, with a lot of texture from the chicken. The outer layer wasn't crispy as it had already been fried. The sauce was a balanced mix of sweet, salty, and sour flavors, with a hint of soy sauce. The vegetables on top still had a good crunch. Overall, a satisfying meal at "Shoudouten". Thank you for the meal!

In the past, there used to be a branch of Kodotei in Kyobashi, and on payday, our team always treated ourselves to their delicious team lunch of yakisoba with added shumai. I loved the tender Shanghai-style noodles and the meaty shumai from there. After the Kyobashi branch closed, I either go to the main store in Muromachi or buy them from the Mitsukoshi store. Sometimes the yakisoba sells out quickly, so I have to time my visit right or call ahead to reserve. Since retiring, I only get to go 1 or 2 times a year, but the shumai was still delicious! I felt like they had shrunk the size without raising the price for a while, but recently it seems like they've gotten a bit bigger again. Maybe the price went up a bit? It's around 160 yen now. I think it used to be 120 yen when I was a young salaryman. I always debate whether to get the 10-piece or 15-piece pack. Since it was lunchtime, I also bought a pack of yakisoba. It's a great deal at just over 500 yen with shrimp, squid, and pork all included, and the taste is unique to Kodotei's delicious yakisoba.

I was looking around the food basement at Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi Main Store to buy "Ebi Chili", but I couldn't find it at Mitsukoshi, so I was debating between Fukurinmon and Kodoten. Fukurinmon had a bento box with 8 types of small portioned side dishes, including Ebi Chili, so I bought that and separately bought Ebi Chili from Kodoten to compare. Ebi Chili 100g for 486 yen: Fukurinmon's Ebi Chili was very spicy, so I found it to be milder. The price was also cheaper here, and personally, I would recommend Kodoten over Fukurinmon for Ebi Chili. They also had various small packs ranging from 100g for 378 yen of sweet and sour pork to 648 yen of finely sliced pork and green peppers stir-fry, so I would like to try different options next time.

When I go shopping at the Mitsukoshi department store in Nihonbashi, about one out of four times, I end up buying the shumai from Ko-Horiten. Not shumai, but shiumai. The first time I tried the famous shiumai from Ko-Horiten (established in 1944) was a long time ago, back when Tokyu Department Store Nihonbashi (now the location of Coredo Nihonbashi) existed. I used to often go eat at Ko-Horiten, located around the corner near Restaurant Toyo and Usagiya, along with Koka Bekkan. I couldn't wait to eat the Ko-Horiten shiumai, which was like four times the size of Yokohama shumai. Well, that nostalgia also helped, and now it has become a tradition for my family to buy a pack of 6 Ko-Horiten shiumai (tax included 915 yen) at the Mitsukoshi department store in Nihonbashi. But, no matter how you look at it, I feel like the size has changed from what I used to eat in the past. It seems to have become quite smaller... I haven't been to the Ko-Horiten Nihonbashi store at all, so I haven't confirmed if the size is different from the ones sold in the department store. Also, it is not suitable for microwave use. The flavor deteriorates and it becomes tough. It is stated that steaming it carefully in a steamer is the condition for enjoying it deliciously. If using a microwave, you must be careful with adding moisture and heating time. As a convenience food, it's a bit troublesome for me, but if it's for enjoying it deliciously, it can't be helped. *As of 6/16, overall rating on Tabelog: 3.09, dish/taste: 3.09

【Xiaodongtian Ebi Chili Donburi】Since recovering from a cold last week, my appetite has been steadily increasing. Today, I found myself in a bit of a dilemma... For lunch, I tried the Chinese bento box from Xiaodongtian, known for its delicious shumai. It's a limited-time offer available until the 21st. Unable to resist limited-time items, I ended up buying it. The first layer contained Ebi Chili, while the second layer had rice and two pieces of shumai. I quickly placed the Ebi Chili on the rice. The authentic Chinese Ebi Chili with a hint of green onion flavor was delightful. The shrimp was plump and had a great texture. The spiciness had a nice kick without being overwhelming. The rice paired perfectly with it. The shumai was flavorful with plenty of meat, and surprisingly filling. At 630 yen, it was a great deal. 【Xiaodongtian Shanghai Yakisoba】Xiaodongtian is famous for its shumai, and their yakisoba is no exception. They have a main store in Nihonbashi, and a branch in Mitsukoshi. The plastic container gives it a street food vibe, but the taste is authentic. The wood ear mushrooms add a nice touch. However, I wasn't a fan of the greasiness and the dry noodles that easily break. Perhaps it would taste better if microwaved. Still, it's surprising to find yakisoba from a renowned shop priced at only 349 yen. The portion is generous, 250g. With a 5% discount using a Mitsukoshi card, it comes to 349 yen including tax. Bon appétit! ☆2.5

Juicy jumbo shumai is my favorite. In my opinion, the best shumai is the "Ishin-go" in Kanto and the "555 Horaiken" in Kansai. Thanks to Depachika, you can now enjoy shumai at home that was previously only available in restaurants. I also love the set with small shrimp shumai and meat shumai. Whenever I go near Mitsukoshi, I always end up buying them. I think eating yakisoba at a restaurant is great, but for some reason, I never get it for takeout.

This is Small Tohten located in Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi. Although there is a main store nearby, I use this place for takeout. Small Tohten offers delicious Chinese cuisine at a reasonable price, making it a good option for when I don't feel like cooking at home. However, there is a difference between eating in and taking out, as is the case with most shops. Despite that, it's still a tasty option for takeout! The affordability is also a favorite point of mine.

In the afternoon, I went to Nihonbashi to buy my favorite "Kaneko Hanzo's Tempura Rice" with my partner. We parked at Mitsukoshi Main Store and there was hardly any line due to the pandemic, so we were able to enjoy our usual set meal. We had to shop at Mitsukoshi in order to get a discount on the parking fee. We looked at bags and clothes, but didn't feel the desire to buy anything, so we headed to the underground shopping area. We bought grilled fish at "Tsukiji Nagata" and also purchased their bento set called "Keirin Set, excluding tax 1,400 yen." It includes 4 popular Japanese dishes in small portions, which was perfect for us, an elderly couple. The seasoning was just right. Thank you for the meal.