The peak of the Obon holiday closure for restaurants is probably around today, and I happened to visit "Torikaku" near the International Building for lunch. Although I didn't originally plan to revisit this place, I couldn't resist trying their summer limited edition "Cold Chicken Soba" that I saw on the menu yesterday. I ordered and paid at the entrance before being seated inside. The "Cold Chicken Soba (950 yen)" looked different from what I expected, with simple toppings of steamed chicken, komatsuna greens, and green onions. It was a cold noodle dish with a tangy sauce, more like cold Chinese noodles than cold ramen, which was disappointing for me. The "Stamina Donburi" included sweet and savory simmered chicken, half a boiled egg, and a little kimchi, but I couldn't understand where the "stamina" element was. Overall, this visit was a bit of a letdown, with most restaurants in the area resuming regular business from today. Finally, I look forward to returning to my food adventures from tomorrow onwards. (6/10)

It had been a long time since I had seen my middle school classmate, who was featured on NHK news. I expressed my thoughts on social media, and it turns out he had been following me as well. We decided to meet up after many years, along with two other middle school classmates who enjoy drinking. We went to my favorite restaurant, Torikaku Marunouchi Kokusaidori. Everyone except me turned out to be business owners. The manager took good care of us and gave us a private room. The food was meticulously prepared this time. We enjoyed our usual selection of Japanese sake brands - Ichinokura, Ade, Bon, two types of Dassai, and Ade again. One of the members, who is a doctor, only had one glass of sake, thinking about his work the next day, but eventually he joined us for shochu as well. Delicious sake, delicious food, and enjoyable conversation. The 2 and a half hours flew by. Even in our 60s, we are still energetic and working hard, enjoying drinking and eating. We even ordered extra pickles at the end.

I visited this restaurant for lunch. It tends to get really crowded around lunchtime in this area, but for some reason, it was quite empty on this day. Maybe because there were a lot of people working remotely. As the name suggests, the chicken here is delicious! The photo is of oyakodon, but I had the chicken karaage set. The skin was crispy, the meat was juicy, and the seasoning was just right, making it very tasty! My colleague had the oyakodon, and they mentioned that it had more chicken than usual. I'll try it next time! The karaage set cost 900 yen. I will definitely come back!

Today, it was rainy from the morning. By lunchtime, the rain wasn't too heavy, but carrying an umbrella seemed like a hassle. I decided to take the underground route to the Kuni-Giwa, which is the International Building area. I had been curious about a restaurant called "Torikaku," specializing in chicken dishes. It seemed like a typical restaurant under a food and beverage capital, but upon further research, it was not under a large capital, and it was related to another izakaya called "Daiana" in Ningyocho. However, "Daiana" had stopped its lunch service early on during the pandemic, so I missed the chance to try it. I ordered the "Chicken Tempura with Grated Radish and Ponzu Sauce Set Meal (900 yen)" with a 100 yen upgrade to miso soup. After ordering and paying at the entrance, I was guided to a semi-private booth. The set meal arrived, looking like a "Sanshu Yaki" from Shinshu, with ponzu sauce on the side. I decided to use soy sauce instead. The miso soup was hearty and delicious. Overall, the chicken dish was tasty, and it's hard to go wrong with chicken dishes in my experience. I may need to try their seafood menu to judge the quality of the food and the restaurant's integrity further. (6/10)

Returning from a business trip, I arrived in Hibiya at 1:00 PM. I decided to have lunch at the International Building, just a short walk from the subway station. The subway is on the underground 2nd floor, while the restaurant area in the International Building is on the underground 1st floor. As I climbed the stairs, I saw a sign for "Torikaku" right in front of me. Perfect, I'll eat here. I decided on the oyakodon from the menu board at the entrance. Lunchtime is apparently "pay first." There were no staff at the counter, but I called out, "Excuse me," and a voice responded from the back of the restaurant, "Yes, I'll be right there." The staff member came quickly, and I placed my order, "I'll have the oyakodon. I'll pay with PayPay." "Sure, that will be 900 yen. Please scan the code here." Payment completed, I was shown to a table. The cozy interior of the restaurant was very inviting. There was a tablet device on the table, which I assumed was used for ordering in the evening. Eight minutes later, a tray with oyakodon and miso soup was brought to me. The dishes were covered, so I couldn't see the contents yet. I uncovered the bowl. Oh, there was a raw egg yolk in the center of the oyakodon. How wonderful! For egg lovers, this was a delight. I remembered that eggs are in short supply these days, and many restaurants have temporarily removed dishes like omurice and oyakodon from their menus. I was grateful. I mixed the egg yolk with the rice and took a bite. Delicious! The sweet dashi flavor blended perfectly with the sweetness of the rice. A classic Japanese bowl dish. I broke the egg yolk halfway through, and the golden liquid flowed over the rice. I couldn't help but salivate. I tasted the rice and chicken with the egg yolk coating. This was the wonderful harmony of oyakodon. Delicious. I also used the shichimi pepper provided on the table for an extra kick. The flavor became even more satisfying. I finished the meal in no time. Satisfied! Thank you for the feast!

I went to Torikaku, a chicken specialty restaurant on the B1F of Marunouchi International Building in Yurakucho, for the ultimate Mizutaki experience. I had reserved a course with all-you-can-drink for 4,000 yen. First, I enjoyed a highball. The salad with crunchy Chinese cabbage and spring greens was delicious with a flavorful dressing. Next, I had Makgeolli. The chicken chashu, simmered egg, and homemade liver pate were all tasty. The hand-kneaded tsukune skewers with cartilage were also good. The famous deep-fried chicken wings were just as good as Yama-chan's. I also had the chicken mince with turnips and thick fried tofu in a savory sauce. The ultimate Mizutaki ingredients were served next. I forgot to take a picture of the zosui that followed. The maca and garlic sour drink was really tasty. Overall, it was a fun New Year's party, even though the bill was a bit high. Thanks for the meal!

After work, I went to have a light meal with my colleague. Since it was Monday, we were seated right away. We placed our order using a tablet, which was convenient but a bit tricky if you're not used to it. The tsukune (chicken meatballs) were tender and flavorful, especially recommended with salt. The portions were not very big, which was just right for me. The sour drinks were quite mild, which might be good if you don't want to get too tipsy. The seating was mostly in private rooms, so you can relax and take your time. The staff were efficient and friendly. Overall, it's a nice place to stop by for a quick meal.

I met with people who have taken care of me for almost 3 years. We chose a familiar restaurant with thorough COVID-19 measures, which was the Torikaku in Marunouchi International Building. However, one of the members doesn't like chicken. Even though the course included all-you-can-drink, the manager was able to provide a separate menu. We arrived at the restaurant early, and they welcomed us warmly. The members gathered before the scheduled time, and we toasted! The course included chicken skewers for three people, while the other person had fish or mushrooms. They made sure to try the famous liver paste. We enjoyed Japanese sake such as Ichinokura, Born, and Dassai. The member who couldn't eat chicken ended up drinking a lot, and I couldn't help but join in. Unfortunately, I missed taking pictures, but the food was delicious. Thank you, manager!

On a typical day at 12:30, I decided to have lunch at this restaurant while on my way to the office. The tables were all full, so I was seated in a tatami room. There were plastic dividers set up in the tatami area as well. I ordered the chicken cutlet simmered dish (900 yen). It arrived in about 10 minutes. The portion of rice was a bit small. The main cutlet had a sweet broth, which was a typical Kanto flavor. The rice was tasty, but it felt like it wasn't enough, even for someone like me. I guess in this area, where mainly salarymen frequent, smaller rice portions are the norm. I finished my meal in about 10 minutes. The turnover of customers seemed to be quite good. This restaurant is definitely convenient when you're short on time.

On the day the ban was lifted, I took my subordinates to a yakitori restaurant. Despite their efforts, my subordinates still couldn't improve their skills, and I found myself repeating the same instructions over and over again. We both felt frustrated, so we decided to have a social gathering. Since we all enjoy Japanese sake, we chose a restaurant that cost 5,000 yen per person. It was also a way to support the restaurant manager. There are many other restaurants I want to visit and people I want to drink with. We started with a toast with ice-cold beer, then moved on to Japanese sake. We tried various brands like Koshino Kagemaru, Ichinokura, Saku, Kudoki Jozu, Born, and Dassai. The new menu items were also delicious. Time flew by quickly in the 2-hour gathering.

On the last day of work, I had a reunion dinner with the child of a high school friend who passed away seven years ago, and the friend's younger sister. Since they liked sake, I chose a familiar izakaya with a private room. We started with draft beer, had a course meal, and let the manager choose the sake for us. They served us various sakes like Ichinokura, Bakuren, Born, Dassai 45 and 38, Ade, Kikuhime, etc. Time flew by as we chatted, and before we knew it, four hours had passed. I felt bad for the manager considering the price we paid for all that. It was a delicious meal.

Due to the long period of self-restraint during the pandemic, outdoor drinking has finally been allowed in November. I met up with friends I hadn't seen in a while and we went to our favorite spot, the main branch of Sakuradori in Nihonbashi. Unfortunately, the Sakuradori branch had closed due to the pandemic, but the former manager had moved to the Kokusai Building branch, so we decided to go there instead. The former manager from the closed branch is now working at a different new restaurant, so I plan to visit with another friend next week. This time, we had a course menu with all-you-can-drink sake for 5000 yen. It felt a bit extravagant for just the two of us. We started with Junmai sake from Ichinokura, Kikuhime, and Bishamon, then moved on to more luxurious options like Ade and Dassai Junmai Daiginjo. Junmai Daiginjo is definitely better than Junmai sake. Since I'm not used to drinking out, I asked the manager to serve us small portions each time. I felt bad for ordering the next one so quickly. The course dishes were even more delicious than the sake. They were quite luxurious, especially the lotus root tempura. I was so full. Both the food and drinks were satisfying for my wallet. I am grateful. I hope to have a safe winter ahead! Marunouchi Nakadori was beautifully lit up, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Meeting with study buddies from the past 10 years. We gathered at the Marunouchi International Building store, as the manager had moved there. One member went to the original store, causing a delay. Out of the 7 members, only 3 were able to meet at the store. The other 4 joined via ZOOM, with one in Tochigi, one in Kochi, and the other two refraining from in-person meetings due to company policies. The 3 at the store enjoyed their usual sake, while the 4 online participants had fun with a surprise appearance by one member's daughter. The speaker worked well, allowing everyone to hear clearly and feel like they were all together. It was a fun and delicious gathering, with even job change announcements. We look forward to meeting again. Thanks to the manager for accommodating us! Unfortunately, we forgot to take a photo of the essential 3-piece yakitori set, including the chicken wings. We refrained from showing the ZOOM screen (laughs).

A regular gathering of four friends centered around their graduation year was postponed in the spring due to the pandemic. Although the situation is still uncertain, they decided to meet up anyway at a restaurant with solid COVID-19 measures in place. They chose their usual spot, Torikaku, but at a different location - Marunouchi Kokusai Building. The menu was different from what they were used to, with a fancy touch. The appetizers were delicious, and the chicken dishes that followed were familiar but well-prepared. The highlight was the hot pot at the end, paired with plenty of sake. Thank you to the new manager for a great experience. They will definitely be back.

It was a year-end party at the izakaya "Torikaku" located along the moat in Yurakucho, under the Imperial Theatre on Hibiya Street. It was my first visit to this restaurant, and I was impressed with the 4,000 yen all-you-can-drink course, which was upgraded to premium on weekdays, including unlimited Japanese sake. The private rooms were in traditional Japanese style, perfect for a small group like ours (with some executives). The service was good, and the staff seemed well-trained. The food was also well-prepared, and considering the price of 4,000 yen, it was really worth it. We had a great time, drinking without any hesitation. It was a great place to enjoy a meal. Thank you for the wonderful experience!

I ordered the Chicken Katsu simmered set meal for ¥900 and changed the miso soup to pork miso soup for an additional ¥100. The seat was spacious and nice.

It's good because it's calm and has semi-private rooms. The taste is average.

It was Hina Matsuri, but for us single guys who are on business trips, it's not an event we usually participate in. We decided to get together and have a drink, so we ordered the "Nabe with 10 dishes ☆ 2-hour premium all-you-can-drink course" at a chicken cuisine specialty restaurant in Marunouchi International Building. We tried some unique dishes like "Liver Paste" with wine, "Assorted Sashimi" with cold sake, and "Tsukune Yakitori" with highball. The meal and drinks went well together and as we got more into it, we started ordering famous local sake like Yama no Kami Ichinokura. It was a great value and the taste was satisfying.

Lunch at an izakaya. I ordered the chicken and egg rice bowl. The chicken was not marinated but was grilled to a nice crisp. The sweet and savory sauce coated the rice well, but it was a bit too strong. The egg was cooked just right with a slightly runny yolk. Overall, the taste was average. The miso soup was light in flavor, which didn't complement the strong taste of the rice bowl. The price of 800 yen was reasonable for Marunouchi area. However, I was surprised by the rude service. Upon entering, I was told to pay in advance without any politeness. It seemed like a case of "you get what you pay for" (in terms of service).

The quality of the food is average and the staff's attitude is ordinary. The main focus is on chicken dishes, which are not heavy but rather healthy. The rooms are clean and stylish, providing a relaxed atmosphere. Overall, it's a restaurant worth visiting again if you are satisfied with the meal.