2022.06.02 (Thursday) Sunny First visit 11:01 Entered the store First customer, one customer arrived later 11:08 Served Tanmen: 600 yen Visited the store in search of the Tanmen that caught my eye. Sat at the counter seat near the entrance as soon as I entered. The owner immediately served me a glass of water. I confirmed the "Tanmen" on the menu at the counter and placed my order verbally from across the counter. The shop is run by an elderly owner alone. Soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, and ground pepper are provided on the table. (There was also ichimi togarashi and shichimi togarashi in the corner of the counter.) TBS's "Hiruobi" was playing on the TV. It was served in about 6 minutes. The noodles were a light brown color with round, curly thick noodles. The texture was good, chewy, and elastic, with a good mouthfeel. Ingredients: Pork, cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, leeks, and wood ear mushrooms The ingredients such as pork and vegetables are stir-fried, then lightly simmered with the soup. The pork was small cuts of thigh meat with little fat and a lean meat texture. It had a firm chewiness. The portion was more than I expected. The vegetables had a crisp texture. The amount of vegetables seemed sufficient, over 250g. The wood ear mushrooms seemed to be dried? They were slightly sweet after soaking in water and had a slight firmness. The soup was slightly cloudy with a salty taste. (Add a small amount of soy sauce?) The base was chicken bones and aromatic vegetables. There was a good amount of seasoning, and the umami flavor was well felt. The saltiness was strong and impactful. The soup had a good amount of oil, giving it a hint of fragrance. I finished the noodles and ingredients but left about half of the soup. The owner kept the store cool with the air conditioning, so I didn't sweat too much and could enjoy a moderate amount of sweating. Placed the bowl and glass of water on the counter, paid, received change, and left the store. Overall, the price was low but the portion was generous. The noodles had a good texture, and the soup had a rough, old-fashioned charm of a Chinese restaurant in the Showa era. I felt that even if it was 100-150 yen more expensive, I wouldn't complain. The owner's service was polite. The interior of the store had some age, but it was reasonably clean. I'm curious about the Special Champon for 800 yen, which is 100 yen more than the regular Champon. Thank you for the meal!

- I had lunch at Tochigiya, a Chinese restaurant located on the opposite side of Arakawa Amusement Park Street Shopping Street from the Tochiguya Nishio Hisa amusement park. The restaurant has a traditional, old-fashioned atmosphere that is typical of downtown areas. They even deliver food using the retro-looking motorcycle parked in front of the shop. It's a bit far from my house, though. - I ordered the liver and leek set meal. The portion of rice was quite generous, and the dish was filled with plenty of liver among the vegetables. The flavor was rich and satisfying. The side dish was cold tofu, and the soup seemed to be ramen broth, also quite flavorful. - I also ordered some shumai, which came in a set of four small pieces. It was a perfect snack to enjoy with beer. Overall, it was a comforting experience at this reliable and timeless Chinese restaurant in the neighborhood.

Utilization date and time: December 16, 2021, from 11:50 to 12:10 Number of people: 1 Amount spent: 750 yen for BBQ set meal Usage situation: 4 customers before, 3 customers after Located in Nishio Ku residential area, this Chinese-style restaurant is a 10-minute walk from Oku Station. The compact interior can accommodate a maximum of 10 people, and it is run by an elderly male owner. The red tabletop counter gives off a nostalgic Chinese-style atmosphere. The BBQ set meal was ready in about 5 minutes. It consisted of a few slices of thick pork BBQ. While the portion may seem a bit small, the flavor was well-seasoned and went well with the rice. Priced at 750 yen, it falls into the affordable range for a set meal. Due to the limited number of dining options in the vicinity, it seemed to be popular among elderly residents and workers in the area.

On February 10th, during the state of emergency, it was advised not to go out unnecessarily. However, one local government suggested that it is good for elderly people to engage in moderate exercise (going out) as staying indoors can make them weaker. With such nice weather, it's a waste to stay cooped up at home. So, I took a leisurely walk after getting off at Oku Station and strolled through a traditional residential area. I stopped by a shop called Tochigiya where the owner, around the same age as me, greeted me warmly. It's a classic Chinese restaurant with a variety of dishes on the menu. I ordered an oolong highball and some meat-filled shumai, which were delicious. The lunch menu included curry rice, which tasted just like the one my mother used to make - not too spicy with a hint of sweetness from the vegetables. It was a nostalgic and satisfying meal. On my way back, I walked to Arakawa Yuenchi-mae Station, passing through narrow alleys with interesting details like glass doors, mortar walls, and unique rain gutters that are still standing. It was a pleasant stroll down memory lane.

I had a yakiniku set meal. It came with grilled meat, salad, pickles, and miso soup. The main dish was thinly sliced meat and sautéed onions. The meat was tender and the onions were sweet. The sauce was relatively mild, not too salty, and just the right amount of sweet and savory. It was delicious.

This is a Chinese restaurant in town! The pork cutlet simmered set meal costs 850 yen! It's delicious and has a good portion size!

The garlic chive and liver set meal is delicious too! 850 yen

This is a restaurant where everything is delicious~