Visited for the first time before 3 pm on a weekend. I had missed lunch and ended up visiting at an awkward time. The location is in front of the north exit of Yoyogi Uehara Station on the Odakyu Line and Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line. I was unsure where to eat, but due to the awkward timing, it seemed like only chain stores were open, so I decided to try this place. There was only one other customer. The layout was typical with only counter seats. I first purchased a ticket from the machine. After some hesitation, I chose the "Thick-cut Pork Yakiniku Set" (650 yen). After sitting down, the tray for the set meal arrived in 5 minutes. It included the usual salad, miso soup, white rice, and the main dish. I dug in right away. As the menu suggests, the pork slices were slightly thick. There were 5 slices. When I tried it, it had a slight charcoal taste, like it was slightly overcooked. It lacked tenderness and juiciness. There were three types of sauce: sweet, barbecue, and ponzu. Personally, I found ponzu to be the best, as the barbecue sauce was too strong and made everything taste the same. Honestly, my satisfaction level wasn't very high. I thought maybe eating beef bowl (gyudon) at a beef bowl restaurant might have been a better choice. That was my weekend afternoon. Thank you for the meal.

This is "Matsuya" in front of Yoyogi-Uehara Station on the Odakyu Electric Railway Line and Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line. Located in a prime location just outside the "North Exit" of Yoyogi-Uehara Station, "Matsuya Yoyogi-Uehara Store" attracts a lot of foot traffic due to its convenient location on the street in front of the station. The restaurant is always bustling with customers coming in one after another. Matsuya is known for its affordable and delicious meals, making it a popular choice for many. The restaurant offers a wide variety of tasty menu options, with one of the highly recommended dishes being the "Gyudon" (beef bowl). Priced at 380 yen for a regular size, the Gyudon is not only delicious but also offers great value for money. Matsuya is a reliable option for dining, especially when in an unfamiliar area, as the quality of food and service is consistently good.

Visited Matsuya around 7 pm on March 30th to try their limited-time offer, Kachatora. I purchased a ticket for the Kachatora dish, salad, and a highball drink, and took a seat. While enjoying the highball, the food was served within a few minutes. The Kachatora is a dish where chicken is simmered in a tomato sauce with a strong garlic flavor, and it is garnished with vegetables such as zucchini and bell peppers. The chicken is tender and goes perfectly with the sauce. If you are a fan of Matsuya, you may be familiar with their delicious tomato hamburger steak set, and this dish is like a variation of that. Thank you for the meal.

On March 8, 2020 (Monday) after work, I visited Matsuya and purchased a ticket for the limited-time "100% Beef Hamburg Steak with Cheese" meal at the high-tech ticket machine. The set meal includes the hamburg steak, salad, rice, and miso soup. The hamburg steak was juicy and full of beef flavor. It was topped with cheese, which paired perfectly with it. The sauce had a demi-glace flavor, and mashed potatoes were also served on the side. Although the menu was a bit pricier than usual at Matsuya, the taste was high-quality. Thank you for the meal.

Before going to work on October 21, 2019 (Monday), I had breakfast at Matsuya in Yoyogi-Uehara. I bought a breakfast set and a single serving of gyudon (beef bowl) from the ticket machine. For the breakfast set, I chose natto as the side dish. I mixed the raw egg with the natto to make a natto tamago, and then added the gyudon I ordered separately. This created a delicious dish called natto tamago gyudon. The beef provided a good stamina boost, while the natto and egg made it easy to eat. This whole meal cost only 560 yen (with a mini-sized rice). It was a highly recommended way to enjoy the meal. Thank you for the meal.

After finishing work, I visited Matsuya for dinner around 7:30 PM. I purchased a ticket for a regular-sized Bibimbap bowl at the high-tech ticket machine and received my meal in about 15 minutes. It was crowded during dinner time. The Bibimbap bowl had pork, kimchi, sautéed burdock, seaweed, green onions, and a soft-boiled egg with a sweet and spicy sauce. The sweet and spicy sauce was delicious. The mildness from the soft-boiled egg was also nice. It came with miso soup for a reasonable price. Thank you for the meal.

On July 24, 2019, around 7 pm, I visited Matsuya to try their new menu. The new dish is a Chinese-style "Beef and Bamboo Shoots Oyster Stir-Fry." I purchased a meal ticket from the high-tech ticket machine and sat down. After waiting for about 8 minutes, the food was served. The seasoning was a Chinese-style oyster sauce with just the right amount of garlic. The sauce was rich, making the rice very enjoyable. It also came with vegetables and miso soup, all for just around 600 yen, so the cost performance is good. Thank you for the meal.

On June 18, 2019 (Tuesday) at 19:50, I had dinner at Matsuya in Yoyogi-Uehara. I tried the limited-time Beef Curry, purchased a meal ticket from the high-tech vending machine, and waited for my order to be served. The curry was made with stewed beef belly, resulting in tender, finely chopped beef in the curry. The curry had a mild spiciness with a hint of beef flavor, making it easy to enjoy with rice. Compared to Matsuya's regular curry, this one had a milder spiciness and less pronounced spices, making it a flavor that would likely appeal to a wider audience. Thank you for the meal.

Recently, Matsuya is running a campaign where they are competing the sales of beef and pork "Bibimbap bowls", and the one that sells more will become a regular menu item. Depending on the store, they are selling either beef or pork, so it is decided when you tell the staff at the store which one you want. The Yoyogi-Uehara store had beef. The "Beef Bibimbap Bowl (Regular size - 550 yen)" has a lot of rice even in the regular size? The beef pieces are difficult to eat with a spoon due to their size. Just like the Japanese-style chicken or ginger pork, lately there are many dishes at Matsuya that feel a bit sloppy and not very Matsuya-like (sweat). The balance between ease of eating and portion size is a bit off. Maybe sticking to the regular menu items is more reassuring.

On May 22, 2019 (Wednesday) around 8:00 PM, I purchased tickets for the limited-time menu "Japanese-style Tartar Chicken" including a single dish, cold tofu, and a small highball from the ticket vending machine and took a seat. The highball was served promptly, followed by the food a few minutes later. The Japanese-style Tartar Chicken consisted of tender chicken cooked on a hot plate with Japanese-style sauce and tartar sauce. The combination of tartar and chicken was undoubtedly perfect as an appetizer. The tartar sauce had a strong sour taste with plenty of onions and eggs. The cold tofu was a simple dish with tofu, green onions, bonito flakes, and ginger, making it a healthy alternative to rice for dinner. Thank you for the meal.

On May 10, 2019 (Friday) at 7:30 pm, I visited the Matsuya restaurant in Yoyogi-Uehara and tried their limited-time Bibin-don. This time, they had a pork version and a beef version, with each store offering either one. The Yoyogi-Uehara store had the new beef version. The Bibin-don bowl consisted of beef, kimchi, kinpira, namul, and a spicy sauce, with the same seasoning as the pork version. However, the atmosphere changes a bit with beef. The seasoning is the same, so it's a matter of whether you want pork or beef when choosing a store. Thank you for the meal.

Visited Matsuya on April 19, 2019 at 7:45 PM to try their limited-time offer Chicken Curry. Ordered the "Chunky Chicken Curry" vegetable set at the ticket machine. The curry, similar to Matsuya's original curry, has a strong spice flavor, giving it an authentic taste. It may be a bit too spicy for those who are not fond of heat. The curry is filled with plenty of tender chicken thigh meat and onions. The set also includes Fukujinzuke and miso soup, making it a good value for money. Thank you for the meal.

Visited Matsuya in Yoyogi-Uehara at 6:50pm on April 15th, 2019 for dinner. Used the high-tech ticket machine to purchase the limited-time "Chunky Chicken in Chili Sauce", side of fresh vegetables, and a highball drink ticket. Sat down and enjoyed a highball while waiting, and within a few minutes, the meal arrived. The "Chunky Chicken in Chili Sauce" was hot and spicy with plenty of chicken pieces. The chicken was tender and paired well with the spicy sauce. The garlic flavor was also nice. It was spicier than expected, but eating it with the fresh vegetables balanced it out nicely. Thank you for the meal.

Near Yoyogi-Uehara Station, there is a Matsuya restaurant that offers a morning menu regardless of weekends. I decided to check out the 30 yen discount on the "less rice" option with a choice of side dishes. I ordered the "less rice" option with beef bowl. It cost 260 yen including tax. Even with less rice, there was still about a bowl's worth, and the beef portion was surprisingly generous. The flavor was good and went well with the rice, especially with a raw egg. However, the quality of the meat was just okay, and the hygiene level was also lacking.

Visited Matsuya for dinner on January 25, 2019 (Friday) at 8:00 PM. Purchased a ticket for a regular serving of Kimukaru Donburi at the high-tech ticket machine and sat down. Food was served in just a few minutes. The dish had plenty of kimchi on top of the beef, which was slightly firm but flavorful. The rice went well with the meat. The generous amount of kimchi was also appreciated. The combination of the spiciness of the kimchi and the beef was perfect. And all of this for only 500 yen, so it's quite reasonable. Thank you for the meal.

On December 6, 2018 (Thursday) at 8:00 PM, I visited Matsuya in Yoyogi Uehara and tried their new Cheese Taccarbi hot pot. I purchased the food tickets for the Cheese Taccarbi hot pot (580 yen), cold tofu (100 yen), and a small highball (150 yen) from the ticket machine and took a seat. The cold tofu came with ginger and green onions, seasoned simply with soy sauce. The hot pot arrived bubbling hot with chicken, onions, carrots, and other vegetables, all perfectly complemented by the spicy sauce. Of course, the combination with cheese was spot on, and for cheese lovers, extra cheese was also available. It was a satisfyingly hot and spicy dish perfect for this season. Thank you for the meal.

Visited the gym and did a little exercise before having dinner at Matsuya. Purchased a highball, tofu kimchi hot pot with half-cooked egg (540 yen), and raw vegetables (110 yen) from the ticket machine and sat down. The highball was served promptly, followed by the dishes a few minutes later. The hot pot remained piping hot until the end. It was spicy due to the kimchi, making me sweat a bit. However, it was not just spicy but also flavorful, making it a perfect appetizer and a great match with rice. The ingredients included tofu, beef, kimchi, and more. The half-cooked egg was served separately. Having individual menu items and drinks available is convenient and helpful for after work. Thank you for the meal.

The original curry at Matsuya for 380 yen looks unappetizing with its dark color, and while the spicy flavor is decent, it's not particularly delicious. Other places like Kitchen Nankai and Kyoeido also serve black curry, and there used to be a chain in Osaka that served sweet black curry. Personally, I don't find Matsuya's gyudon tasty either. In situations where options are limited, I might use Matsuya like a cafeteria (since it comes with miso soup), but I am a reluctant customer overall. Despite this, Matsuya somehow manages to retain customers, which is quite impressive.

I visited a bit before 6:00 PM and there were quite a few people, but I was able to sit down right away. I ordered the premium beef bowl with extra meat for 650 yen using the ticket system. It was a reliable beef bowl.