From Takadanobaba Station, enter Sakae Street and pass by Seven and a kebab shop on the left hand side to find a Korean restaurant. I visited for the first time around 12 pm on a weekday. Previously, there was a chicken shop or another Korean restaurant called "Buta Ki", so it has always been a Korean-themed place. On the first floor, there is a barber shop, and if you enter through the side entrance and go up the stairs at the back, you will find the restaurant on the second floor. The Korean street food-style decorations seemed familiar, as they are related to a shop along Waseda Street. Lunch time: 11:00-15:00 (last order at 14:30). The menu includes set meals with chicken, sundubu, etc. starting from 780 yen, which is quite reasonable. Additionally, there is a 100 yen discount on Mondays for sundubu and daily specials. There are also limited menu items only available at the Takadanobaba Station front store, such as jjajangmyeon, bibimbap, or half-size dolsot bibimbap + samgyeopsal + jjigae, with a choice of 5 items. This time, I decided to try the jjajangmyeon and fried dumplings set. Orders can be made via a QR code on the table using a smartphone, and you can choose from 3 types of fried dumplings. I chose bibim from the options. - Jjajangmyeon + Fried Dumplings 1,180 yen Comes with salad, 3 side dishes, and Korean seaweed. The place got crowded later with nearby office workers. It took about 15 minutes for the food to be served. The tray was filled with various items and looked quite generous. I tried the food right away. The jjajangmyeon had thick noodles with coarse ground meat, onions, and a sweet sauce that coated the noodles well. The noodles were soft and very sweet. The 3 side dishes were kimchi, potato salad, and sweet potato fritters. The fried dumplings turned out to be chapchae instead of bibim. They were crispy and large in size, with 3 pieces providing a good amount of food, along with a sauce similar to that of a pancake. Overall, it was a satisfying meal with a great portion size. They accept payment through PayPay. I would like to come back again to experience the evening atmosphere.

MaShoMaSho, a Korean budget bar located on the Meiji Street side from Takadanobaba Station, has opened in the Sakaedori Shotengai. I visited during lunch on a weekday. There are spacious seats on the second floor. The staff are Korean and very friendly, which is reassuring. The menu includes lunch options such as stew, bibimbap, and stir-fried squid, among others. There is a daily special where you can get a discount of 100 yen on a selected dish. They also offer teppanyaki for lunch. I ordered the Sundubu jjigae set meal. The side dishes included rolled omelette, simmered fish cake, napa cabbage kimchi, mini salad, and Korean seaweed. The kimchi is a bold type with a slightly spicy chili flavor. The Korean seaweed alone goes well with rice. The stew was piping hot and contained a generous amount of clams and squid for its price. It wasn't too spicy, but had a mild umami flavor that was delicious. During the grand opening sale, they had Highball and other drinks for only 98 yen, which is a great deal.

It was both a great deal and delicious, I really enjoyed it! When you want to eat Korean food and drink cost-effectively, this is the place. I was surprised by the large size of the dessert ice cream, it was so big!笑