関西将棋会館道場の常連客
Date and time of visit: 2020/04/07 11:40
In these difficult times, I have been refraining from going out as much as possible. However, I had to go to Juso to purchase essential items. It was announced that an emergency declaration would be issued in the evening (I actually left around 5 pm). Opportunities to get proper nutrition through dining out will be limited for a while. So, I decided to visit "Daiko-en" while considering the "three Cs" as much as possible. The restaurant is located on the first floor of Hotel Plaza Osaka, at the west end. I ordered the weekday lunch special, the "Aged Doubanjiang Mabo Tofu" served in a clay pot. I had about 2.5 bowls of rice.
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◆Food/Taste: 3.1
The weekday lunch special includes a main dish, two side dishes, salad, soup, rice, and dessert. You can also add fried rice or xiaolongbao for an additional charge. The "Aged Doubanjiang Mabo Tofu" was unfortunately not Sichuan-style. It lacked spiciness almost entirely. Even when I added a considerable amount of numbing flavor using the electric mill provided, I didn't break a sweat. The umami flavor was decent. It is made with domestic beef, but the amount of ground meat used was quite small. The oil was of the smooth type, which I liked, but it lacked a punch. On the other hand, the spring roll, one of the side dishes, had a perfect balance of crispy skin and tender filling, and was delicious. The dessert was almond jelly with strawberry sauce, slightly firm in texture. It was average.
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◆Service: 3.5
All the staff members were kind and provided attentive service befitting a hotel. An electric mill was provided for adding more numbing flavor. When the button on the mill was not working properly, a staff member promptly replaced it with another one, which was greatly appreciated.
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◆Atmosphere: 3.3
The restaurant has a wooden interior typical of a Chinese restaurant. In addition to regular table seating, there are semi-private rooms and a spacious area with large windows. (According to Tabelog, there are 90 seats, and the official website states 114 seats). The background music is lounge music. I could see about 5 customers in the front and more than 10 customers at the back. Many of the customers seemed to be ladies who might be staying at the hotel.
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◆Cost Performance: 3.0
The weekday lunch special is priced at 1200 yen. Considering that this is the price including tax and service charge for a Chinese restaurant in a hotel, I think it's reasonable.
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◆Drinks: - Data not available.
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The restaurant met the conditions of the "three Cs" quite well. I believe it is suitable for dining out while being cautious of the Wuhan virus.