Location: Located on Usono Street, on the 1st floor of Takamatsu Building. Order: Hormone Bowl ¥880 (tax included) I felt like having some delicious hormone meat, so I visited this place. I bought a meal ticket and handed it over at the counter, where I was informed that I would receive a "free beer" as a service. Of course, I gratefully accepted it. After a short wait of about 5 minutes, the dish arrived. The bowl was filled with delicious-looking hormone meat. The sauce was superbly tasty, with a perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors. The juicy and chewy fatty meat was irresistible. The meal also came with beer, soup, kimchi, and namul, all for ¥880, which was a great deal. It was my first visit, but the hormone bowl was so delicious that it was sure to become addictive.

After finishing work, I was in the mood for meat again, especially since I skipped meat for lunch today. I decided to try a new place that serves beef bowl with grilled meat. I ordered a "Harami bowl" from the ticket machine and waited for my order. The bowl arrived with a decent amount of tender Harami meat, which had a good flavor. While the portion of meat may not be huge, it was satisfying and the meat was cooked just right. For those who prefer to have a balance of meat and rice, this beef bowl is a good choice. The meat was tasty enough to make the rice enjoyable, so overall, it was a satisfying meal.

On a public holiday, while wandering around Shinbashi, I discovered a new rice bowl restaurant! I decided on the "Andes Highland Pork Belly Bowl" for 780 yen, attracted by the Andes highlands. The Andes is a region in South America, spanning from Peru to Bolivia, known for its high-altitude mountains. The pork is said to be from Chile, raised stress-free on a spacious highland diet of corn, known for its delicious fat content. I purchased a paper meal ticket from the ticket machine outside the shop and entered the shop. The seating was unconventional, but I managed to find a seat as a solo diner. The bowl arrived in about 5 minutes, with a decent amount of rice, around 7 slices of nicely grilled pork belly (with lots of fat), and a side of sunny lettuce. The side dishes included bean sprout namul, kimchi, and soup, which seemed reasonable for the price. The menu boasted of a "proudly aged sauce," but I personally didn't find it impressive - it lacked sweetness, umami, and spiciness. I couldn't quite taste the richness of the Andes pork fat either (laughs). This is just my personal opinion, so I'll try a different menu next time.

After 2:00 PM, many lunch options in Shinbashi disappear, making it a tough time for consumers between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM. On this particular day, I found myself without lunch options. I decided to try the "Zetsumeshi Shokudo" from Gunma Prefecture located next to the Karasumori Shrine, which had a last order at 2:30 PM. However, the restaurant was not closed for business hours but rather for maintenance. I was considering settling for Yoshinoya's beef bowl, but I was drawn to the photogenic rice bowls at this restaurant and ended up going in. If you pay with your smartphone, you can order inside without using the ticket machine outside. I ordered the recommended beef mix bowl for 880 yen. It came with namul and kimchi on a plate, along with onion soup on the side. The water is self-service. It seems you cannot choose the side dishes. I asked if they could double the namul instead of giving me kimchi, but my request was denied. At first glance, it seemed like there was a small amount of meat in the bowl, but perhaps due to the large amount of rice, the overall portion seemed substantial. I could only identify galbi and harami as the types of meat, but the sauce was quite tasty.

I have passed by this restaurant many times, but for some reason, I was drawn to it on this day. It is a place that serves yakiniku bowls, priced around 1,000 yen. I decided to try the Hormone Bowl that caught my interest. I ordered at the counter, received a number, and waited for my order to be called. Soon, my dish arrived with a side of kimchi and bean sprouts. The Hormone Bowl looked cute and plump, with a nice chewy texture and a sweet and savory flavor that went well with the rice. However, the regular size portion was a bit small for the price. The kimchi was not only spicy but also had a hint of sweetness, making it a good accompaniment. Overall, the food was not bad, but a larger portion or some kind of service would make it more appealing. Despite the slightly high price, I enjoyed the taste and would like to try their other dishes like kalbi and harami in the future.

On the way from Toranomon to Shinbashi Station, not far from crossing Hibiya Street, there is a shop on the first floor of a building. The main seating is at the counter, and you purchase a meal ticket from the ticket machine beforehand. It was late on a weekday night, but there were a few salarymen finishing work. I had the pork belly bowl (680 yen including tax). A woman was running the shop by herself. The pre-cut pork belly meat is cooked in a frying pan with a sweet and savory sauce. It is served in a bowl with sunny lettuce. Enjoy the deliciously cooked pork belly meat with the sweet and savory sauce. Please have it with the kimchi provided on the table. The rice is light, so it's recommended for those who want a light meal. The pork belly bowl is simply delicious and other menu items may have a similar quality. A while ago, another branch opened near Shinbashi Station. Thank you for the meal!

Located a 3-minute walk from JR Shinbashi Station (Ueno Exit), this restaurant opened in June 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The small interior has counter and table seating. They operate on a food ticket system and self-service water. Their Pork Mix Bowl (780 yen) is highly recommended, featuring pork with a slightly fatty texture in a sweet and savory sauce that goes perfectly with rice. The meal comes with soup, bean sprouts, and kimchi, which is a nice addition. Unlike its sister store "Buta Daigaku" in Shinbashi, the staff here are friendly and welcoming, making it an easy place to visit.

I was drawn in by the catchy slogan "Like a bowl of rice with a '〆' on top," even though it was my first stop of the day. I ordered the Harami bowl for 780 yen and a wakame soup for 80 yen. The wakame soup wasn't pre-made and tasted good. When the Harami bowl arrived, I was disappointed by the small amount of meat. However, when I tasted it, the flavor was actually quite good. The seasoning sauce was delicious. It seems like a dish that young people would enjoy eating heartily. It might be better to improve the appearance, but reducing the quality of the meat and increasing the quantity might not be the best solution. It's a difficult balance to achieve.

There was a new unfamiliar restaurant that had opened on the first floor of Shirogane Fish. A big signboard saying "Kalbi Bowl" caught my attention, so I couldn't resist going in. The menu mainly consisted of beef and pork bowls, with a choice of different cuts. Although I was tempted by the beef kalbi, I ended up ordering the pork mix bowl. It was a small counter-only shop with just one lady managing everything. She cooked the meat in a pan and served it beautifully with lettuce on the side. She even offered me some kimchi as a service. The sweet and savory flavor of the sauce was delicious. However, even though I ordered the pork mix bowl, all the meat seemed to be from the same cut. It was a bit disappointing as it felt like something anyone could do if they were prepared.

I had always been curious about a certain restaurant on the way to Shinbashi Station. Even though I could see from outside that it wasn't crowded at night, I decided to try it out because I wanted to have a beer (I think it was 390 yen) and I wanted to try a new place. The result was a bit disappointing. It was hard to see what the specialty of the restaurant was, and when I asked the owner, it seemed like there was no particular feature in terms of the meat, brand, sourcing, or preparation. With "Nikumeshi Okamura-ya" and "Yakiniku Like" nearby, I don't think I'll be coming back to this place next time.

Beef mixed rice bowl

Beef mixed rice bowl (large serving)

Near Shinbashi Station, this street used to be lined with major chain restaurants like Jonathan, Hidakaya, Fuji Soba, and Tenya, but one by one they have closed down. Amidst this, a new rice bowl restaurant opened up and caught my interest, so I decided to try their takeout. I ordered the Harami Bowl for 880 yen and the Beef Hormone Plate for 530 yen, enjoying the beef hormone as a snack without rice. I was satisfied with the generous amount of meat. Due to the difficulty of dining out during the pandemic, I rarely have the chance to eat yakiniku, so it was nice to experience that yakiniku feeling. It's affordable and I plan to visit again.

There was a meat bowl restaurant that opened near Hibiya Street in Shinbashi, on the Uchisaiwaicho Street. While looking for takeout options and trying to meet my step goal, I passed by and saw samples of the bowls, which made me go back. I chose the Kalbi bowl for 680 yen, and after waiting for about 10 minutes, I received a hot, freshly cooked bowl in a free plastic bag to take home. The Kalbi bowl I had at home had a small amount of meat, making it feel a bit lacking, but the meat itself was tender and sweet. There were no condiments like shichimi or pickled ginger.