- Melty 3 Cheese Gyudon (Mega) 930 yen - Tonjiru Tamago Set 230 yen Since October 1, 2014, Sukiya Headquarters (based in Minato-ku, Tokyo) has been established as a corporation due to the division of the Zensho Group. At the end of last year, I visited the Kinshicho branch, and this year, I visited the Tokiwadai branch. It seems to have become an annual tradition to visit Sukiya at the end of each year. When it comes to Sukiya, the specialty is the unique Cheese Gyudon. This year, I ordered the popular No. 1 item, the Mega-sized Cheese Gyudon, along with the Tonjiru Tamago Set. The taste was as reliable as ever.

This is what you would call a normal beef bowl, right?

In May 2018, I revisited a self-service restaurant with a colleague who loves Yoshinoya's beef bowl. I mentioned that with my JAF card, we could get a discount of 30 yen for up to three people. So, we decided to have lunch there again after two months. We both ordered the beef bowl set which included beef bowl, egg, pickles, and miso soup for 470 yen after the discount. This set was a good deal as it was 70 yen cheaper than ordering the items separately. We enjoyed the meal by dipping the beef in the beaten egg like sukiyaki at first, and then pouring the remaining egg over the beef bowl. It was a familiar and delicious taste. We left about a third of the rice and finished our meal. It was really tasty.

I revisited a beef bowl chain restaurant in March 2018 for their "Clam Soup Fair." I had the Mochi Noron "Mini Beef Bowl with Clam Soup and Oshinko Set" for 500 yen including tax. It was a good deal, saving me 60 yen compared to ordering each item separately. The mini beef bowl had a bit less beef this time, but the clam soup was filled with delicious clams, providing a satisfying taste of spring. I left a little bit of rice, but overall, it was a delicious meal.

I revisited this beef bowl chain store after 4 months in November 2017 to use the 50 yen discount coupon for beef bowls, pork bowls, and curry that was featured in "JAF PLUS November 2017 issue". I ordered the limited-time menu "Beef Bowl and Miso Soup with Oshinko Set Mini, tax included 430 yen" at the self-service store counter in the back. This set is a great deal as ordering each item separately would cost a total of 560 yen, but with the set, it's only 430 yen, which is a savings of 130 yen! Furthermore, by using the 50 yen discount coupon, the final payment was a mere 380 yen. The familiar taste of the mini beef bowl was just right for my diet, and I was satisfied with the miso soup with plenty of pork and vegetables. I left a little bit of rice from the mini beef bowl. It was delicious. I still have another 50 yen discount coupon valid until the end of November, so I wonder what I will try next time.

In July 2017, I revisited a self-seating restaurant near Tokiwadai Station with a colleague to enjoy an eel bowl set with clam soup and pickles for 880 yen. The eel was thick, juicy, and delicious, with a great sauce. However, the rice in the bowl was a bit messy, and there were some sand particles in the clam soup. Despite these minor issues, I appreciate the effort of Sukiya in offering a tasty and affordable eel dish during this popular season. Overall, it was a satisfying meal.

I occasionally go there. The reception area is set up like a fast food restaurant, which is a unique style for Sukiya. The taste is average, just like any other Sukiya restaurant. It's convenient that they are open 24 hours. Being located in front of the station, it's understandable, but as someone who drives, having a parking lot would be more convenient. Sukiya offers not only beef bowls but also curry and unique variations of beef bowls, which are appealing. However, it's a shame that there are few staff members at these types of beef bowl restaurants these days. Regardless of this particular restaurant, it's a bit awkward to be made to wait at a place that prides itself on being fast. Nevertheless, it's still convenient.

I went to the Sukiya restaurant in the northern central park after seeing it on TV for their popular black beef bento. The Sukiya is located at the north exit rotary of Tokiwadai Station, and unlike other shops, you have to order at the kitchen in the back and wait for your food to be ready. When your order is called, you go pick up your food and return the tray when you finish eating, it's a self-service system. I had to wait for about 5 minutes in front of the kitchen, which was a bit frustrating, especially when in a hurry. When it was my turn, I ordered 2 black beef bentos, but they only had 1 left. It seems to be quite popular if it's sold out already in the middle of the day. So, I ended up getting the limited-time sukiyaki bowl for 590 yen. The black beef bento was indeed delicious, with tender meat and a satisfying sweet and savory flavor. It came with sides like egg, boiled konjac, and burdock pickles. The price of 1080 yen seemed reasonable. I would rate it 3.8 stars. The sukiyaki bowl, although the beef was different from the black beef bento, was still tender and tasty. The seasoning was lighter than the black beef bento but still had a sweet and savory sukiyaki flavor. It included onions, carrots, shirataki noodles, grilled tofu, and wheat gluten. I would rate it 3.4 stars. The black beef bento was as delicious as expected. Since it's a limited-time offer, be sure to give it a try!

"Sukiya" is holding a meat festival where all beef bowls are discounted by 60 yen, and a regular-sized bowl costs only 290 yen. I decided to take this opportunity to visit nearby "Sukiya" locations. I had always thought that "Sukiya" beef bowls had a stronger sauce compared to "Yoshinoya" or "Matsuya," and the meat was quite tough, but I realized that each store had its own slight variations. First, I visited the Tokiwadai Station North Exit store. Even though it says North Exit, there is no store at the South Exit. I liked the strong-flavored beef bowls, but I thought "Yoshinoya" had a better balance, so I had been avoiding "Sukiya" recently. However, with the price dropping below 200 yen, it was a different story. When I actually ordered, the flavor was indeed strong, but I also noticed that the bowl automatically became very saucy. There was so much sauce that there were no white parts left on the rice. It seemed unhealthy. The amount of meat was significantly more than "Matsuya" or "Yoshinoya." I realized this later, but this store had the best portion size. Normally, when you order a regular-sized bowl, you have to eat while considering the pace of meat and rice to avoid ending up with only rice and pickled ginger at the end. But with the portion size here, you don't need to worry about that because there was so much meat (I actually went to the Ekoda store later, and it was clear that the meat portion was much smaller there. In fact, Ekoda store had significantly less meat than others, so I won't go there again). Moreover, the meat at this store was surprisingly tender and delicious. It was as tender as "Yoshinoya." The texture was also great. The onions were well-cooked and tender. I realized that when the meat is tender, the onions are generally tender too. They must be cooked together. "Sukiya" seems to target families as customers, as they provide spoons and make the saucy beef bowls easy to eat. Their perspective is sharp. They even aired a commercial featuring the comedian Kato as a father figure, but I don't like the idea of a father dining with the crazy Kato, which seems like a recipe for domestic violence. Also, having a family meal at "Sukiya" doesn't seem very appealing. Fast food places like "Sukiya" with bowl dishes are better suited for tired men grabbing a late-night meal after work or busy middle-aged men who don't have much time for meals. That's where fast food truly shines. It's definitely not suitable for family gatherings. One great thing about this store is that you can bring your own water. Although the serving itself is self-service. They have a water server and a hot water pot at the hot water corner, and they even provide powdered tea like at conveyor belt sushi restaurants, so you can choose to have hot tea. Lately, there have been some cold nights, so I often feel like having hot tea. In most regular stores, you only have the option of cold barley tea, but when you want hot tea, you have to verbally request it. Since "Sukiya" is known for being short-staffed, preparing free tea might be put on the back burner. Sometimes they pretend not to hear you. It's quite a hassle to keep calling out "Excuse me!" multiple times. Well, no matter how much they write "Feel free to call," it's not really that easy. That's why it's much appreciated when they allow you to serve your own tea. On my second visit during the fair, the store excelled in all aspects. If I had to nitpick, the bowls were a bit too saucy. You can ask for less sauce when ordering, but I always forget to do so. I decided to visit again on the last day of the fair to savor the experience, but I was surprised to see a sign saying "Due to popular demand, the promotion has been extended." Also, on my second visit, the staff spoke very quickly. Not just the first person, but the other person preparing the food in the back was also speaking rapidly. Are they playing some kind of game? Text by Daio

I visited a beef bowl chain restaurant to try their newly renovated tuna bowl menu. I ordered at the counter in the back of the store, paid, and then waited at an available counter or table seat for the food to be ready. When it was ready, they notified me, and I picked up the dish on a tray and returned the dishes to the return shelf. This self-seating system was new to me, even though there are two other Sukiya locations near my home that I have visited before. I ordered the "Tuna Bowl for 590 yen" and "Pickled Vegetables for 80 yen" (both including tax). The tuna bowl had rice topped with a generous amount of tuna sashimi and diced tuna, with seaweed sprinkled on top and a special sauce made from a blend of two types of soy sauce and rice vinegar. In the past, the tuna sashimi in their menu was sometimes served frozen and received negative reviews, but this time both the sashimi and diced tuna were properly thawed, giving a fresh and delicious taste. It is impressive how they have managed to achieve this quality with thawed tuna, especially considering that they are a beef bowl chain and not a seafood-focused restaurant. It was a truly enjoyable meal.

This time, I visited during breakfast time. It's a newly opened restaurant. I wanted to order the grated radish ponzu beef bowl, but it was sold out, so I ended up ordering the regular beef bowl. It's a self-service restaurant. My order was a mini beef bowl for 230 yen. The beef bowl had a slightly salty flavor. The interior of the restaurant is clean since it's a new establishment, but it can be a bit confusing with the self-service system, including how to make tea. It would be nice if they could ensure that popular menu items like the grated radish ponzu are not sold out. This beef bowl restaurant is located near Tokiwadai Station.