I went to Takadanobaba for dinner with a friend. It had been a while since I last visited Takadanobaba! It's a student town, so it's bustling with university students. The restaurant we visited today was newly opened in May 2022, based on my friend's recommendation that it's "amazing!" What makes it so amazing? The restaurant is located less than a 5-minute walk from JR Takadanobaba Station. There is no big sign on the building, so be careful not to miss it. There is a clear sign at the entrance on the 1st floor, so use that as a landmark. The restaurant is on the 2nd floor, so you have to walk up the stairs. There were lots of congratulatory flowers at the entrance, indicating that the restaurant is well-received. Neon lights were used for decoration, creating a bright and exciting atmosphere when entering. Wow! It's glamorous. It feels like I'm in Hong Kong. First, we had to choose from the menu. It was difficult to decide what to order. The restaurant is known for its Hong Kong-style hotpot, where you can choose the ingredients to put in the pot, making it even more challenging. Sensing our dilemma, the staff quickly approached us and kindly explained the options. In the end, we decided to leave it up to the staff, except for the drinks. First, we were served dipping sauce and condiments for the hotpot. There were various condiments like garlic and green onions. We had no idea what to do. The staff kindly introduced the condiments and even made the dipping sauce for us. How thoughtful! The hotpot that arrived had a rich chicken broth, giving it a delicious look. The hotpot included: - Japanese chicken - Premium Japanese black beef - Fish maw - Beef balls - Shrimp paste - Assorted vegetables The seafood ingredients included: - Oysters - Abalone - Freshwater prawns - Mirugai (geoduck) - Red grouper All the ingredients were delicious and fresh, and we enjoyed every bite.

"Hong Kong hot pot specialty restaurant "Kouun (Lucky)" opened in Takadanobaba in 2022. Owned by the same owners of "Shouguu TOKYO" and "Ryochu," this is a genuine Hong Kong cuisine restaurant. Located just a 2-minute walk east from Waseda Exit on Waseda Street, on the 1st floor of a building where "Yoshi Soba" and "Hidakaya" are located, it is hidden away on the 2nd floor at the back, giving it a cozy feel. The lunch menu offers 10 types of Hong Kong-style rice dishes and shrimp wonton noodles. Prices are listed before tax. The interior is adorned with numerous neon signs, giving it a clean and modern feel typical of recent genuine Chinese restaurants. The round tables evoke a Hong Kong vibe. The "Roast Duck and Special Char Siu Rice (Yakimeshi Soubaihan)" priced at 1518 yen (tax included) is a visually appealing dish with roast duck, char siu, and a fried egg on a large plate of rice. It also comes with soup, pickles, and almond tofu. The roast duck, cut into easy-to-eat pieces, consists of about 8 pieces with bones, so you'll have to pick them up and bite into them. It's slightly firm but rich in meaty flavor. The crispy skin and tender parts beneath the skin are delicious. The char siu, with a good balance of lean and fatty meat, is not dry and has a slightly sweet sauce that adds a unique flavor. The perfectly cooked fried egg and mild soup are also delicious. The smooth and rich almond tofu, reminiscent of custard pudding, is particularly good. The crunchy and spicy pickles add an interesting touch, reminiscent of Hunan cuisine from "Shouguu TOKYO." I came here because the affiliated restaurant "Shouguu TOKYO" was delicious, and I was not disappointed with this special Hong Kong lunch that exceeded its price. The dinner menu focuses on seafood hot pot and is quite pricey, but there are also many a la carte dishes available. Genuine Hong Kong cuisine is rare, as most genuine Chinese restaurants tend to be Sichuan-style, making this a valuable find."

In Japan, it's hard to find authentic Hong Kong cuisine, but I found a restaurant with my friends. They serve a dish called "flower glue" which is good for health and skin, where you put it in a pot and drink the soup. The flower glue at this restaurant was high quality and sticky. The vegetables and shrimp had a taste close to the original, but the char siu was slightly salty and average. I wish the seasoning prices were more reasonable.

Overall, it was good. A bit pricey, but the flower jelly chicken hot pot was very rich, and even just the soup itself was satisfying. The windproof prawns and roasted duck were also delicious. The roasted pork was average. One downside was that the hot pot's power source often went out.

Hongyun (Lucky) is a Hong Kong hot pot restaurant located on the second floor of a building along Waseda Street near Don Quijote, just a short walk from Waseda Exit of Takadanobaba Station. The interior is flashy with a neon sign, giving off a vibrant Chinese atmosphere. You can order using a QR code on the table, and they offer a variety of dishes including lunch sets and seafood hot pot. I tried the beef belly simmered rice lunch set for 1,080 yen. The beef belly was tender and flavorful, served with rice, egg soup, pickles, and almond jelly. The portion was satisfying and the taste was delicious. They accept cash and credit card payments only. I look forward to trying their hot pot next time I visit in the evening.

I recommend lemon tea, it's delicious. Pigeon is not commonly eaten in Japan, so I tried two pigeons with friends on New Year's. There are some Cantonese restaurants, but the main one is a hot pot restaurant called "Tabenro" from Guangdong. You can boil vegetables, meat, or seafood a little and eat them. (Not spicy)

Li Chu's owner wanted to recreate the flavors he had in Hong Kong in Japan, so he opened this restaurant. Although it has just opened, it is popular among Chinese people and reservations are required to dine there. The menu consists of hot pot and Hong Kong-style dishes. The dishes are generally slightly salty. The quality of the intestines is high, and even though I'm not a big fan of intestines, I found them delicious without any unpleasant smell. The quality of the hot pot ingredients is good for the price. However, I wish they would try to make the hot pot broth without any artificial seasoning, as it is possible to achieve a great taste without it. What was most disappointing was the Hong Kong place name signs in simplified Chinese characters. Traditional Chinese characters and Cantonese are part of the identity of Hong Kong people, and many feel resistance towards simplified characters as they are associated with mainland China. Seeing place names that have always been written in traditional characters now in simplified characters was extremely unsettling, even for someone like me who is not from Hong Kong.

At Hongyun, we prioritize delivering health and beauty to our customers through food... We especially focus on collagen and beauty, offering dishes that help women become beautiful just by eating... Enjoy delicious food while boosting your immunity... Our specialty is "fresh seafood that is guaranteed to be delicious"... We have a large aquarium in the kitchen area where we source fresh ingredients like abalone, clams, oysters, and shrimp, using them while they are still alive... The "flower glue" is one of the four major Chinese seafood delicacies (abalone, fish maw, sea cucumber)... It is made from the dried stomach of a large freshwater fish and is highly valued as a premium ingredient in China! Rich in collagen, it is considered a nourishing food with excellent beauty and health benefits... [Address] 2F Takadanobaba Building, 1-26-12 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo... [Arrival Date] Monday... [Number of people waiting] Reservation... [Wait time] 0 minutes... ■ Flower Glue Chicken Hot Pot 6970 yen (excluding tax) A satisfying hot pot with flower glue, a beauty-enhancing delicacy, in a Hong Kong-style hot pot... The fish maw is a collagen-rich soup made from the dried swim bladder of a fish... ■ 8 Bamboo Shoot Shrimp 198 yen each (excluding tax) ■ 4 Abalones 550 yen each (excluding tax) ■ Steamed Bamboo Shoot Shrimp with Garlic 2280 yen (excluding tax) ■ Japanese Free-range Chicken 880 yen (excluding tax) ■ Wood Ear Mushrooms 380 yen (excluding tax) ■ Dried Bean Curd Skin 390 yen (excluding tax) ■ Chrysanthemum Greens 390 yen (including tax) ■ Bean Curd Stick 390 yen (excluding tax) ■ Winter Melon 390 yen (excluding tax) ■ Chinese Cabbage 390 yen (excluding tax) ■ Oilseed Rape 390 yen (excluding tax) ■ Stir-fried Beef Ho Fun 1080 yen (excluding tax) ■ Preserved Meat Clay Pot Rice 1580 yen (excluding tax) ■ Hong Kong-style Iced Lemon Tea x2 420 yen each (excluding tax)

Finally got to go!!! I've been curious about Hana Koji Chicken for a while, and when a store opened in Japan, I immediately invited my colleagues to go check it out. It was delicious!!! The chicken soup, perfect for cold weather, was so rich and warming! I definitely want to go back! One thing to mention, the restroom faces directly towards the door, so it would be great if they could keep it clean not only from the top view but also from a parallel perspective. It would make me very happy (^ ^)