"I knew it, but pork kabayaki is completely different from eel bowl." That's what I realized when I tried the pork kabayaki bowl with spicy sauce at this place. When you hear kabayaki, most people imagine eel opened, deboned, skewered, and grilled with a rich soy-based sauce. I'm one of those people, but there are also kabayaki dishes made with ingredients other than fish, like pork or chicken, that have a similar flavor and appearance. On this mid-October day, I tried the limited-time "Pork Kabayaki Bowl" at Sukiya, specifically the intriguing "Negi Umakara Dare Pork Kabayaki Bowl." The Pork Kabayaki Bowl features tender charcoal-grilled pork belly marinated in a special sweet sauce on rice, topped with green onions and a spicy sauce. Although not shown in the photo, the dish also includes sansho pepper, commonly found in eel dishes. When drizzled over the bowl, it gives a unique flavor reminiscent of Sichuan-style mapo tofu with braised pork. This unconventional pork bowl with a kabayaki twist is a rare find, not typically seen in eel or Chinese restaurants. If you're intrigued, visit your nearest Sukiya to try it out."

"I thought of this as a powered-up version of that salad-like gyudon, which is what I had this time at 'Sukiya' - the 'Caesar Lettuce Gyudon Superfood MIX'. Personally, I had tried the limited-time menu 'Kale Lettuce Gyudon' at 'Sukiya' two years ago in May 2020, and the 'Caesar Lettuce Gyudon Superfood MIX' that I ordered this time felt like an upgraded version of that gyudon. The 'Caesar Lettuce Gyudon' itself seems to have appeared last year in 2021 as well, but this year in 2022, they added Parmesan cheese and Edam cheese to the special Caesar sauce made with Gorgonzola and Red Cheddar cheese, creating a sauce that further enhances the rich flavor and depth, perfect for gyudon. Additionally, they topped it with three superfoods - kale, walnuts, and almonds, and drizzled extra virgin olive oil over it. The 'Kale Lettuce Gyudon' I had in 2020 already made me think it's great to get a lot of vegetables, but this time, with the use of superfoods, it may be even more suitable for health-conscious individuals, especially young women. In terms of taste, I also felt that the savory seasoning of the 'Caesar Lettuce Gyudon Superfood MIX' was different from the salt-based sauce of the 'Kale Lettuce Gyudon', and it was quite good. Some people may feel that the 'Caesar Lettuce Gyudon Superfood MIX' is not what they expect from a gyudon, but I personally think it's a good option for those who like something new or have a high health-consciousness. If you're interested, I recommend giving it a try."

"I think it's like the 'Breath of the Charcoal, Donburi Style' and the 'Breath of Water, Jelly Style'. I visited 'Sukiya' this time and tried their collaboration menu with 'Demon Slayer'. I originally went to try their 'Iwashi Tsukune Soup' that I had seen at another store before, but on this day, they had new menu items in collaboration with the popular anime 'Demon Slayer'. I ordered the 'Tanjiro Charcoal Grilled Chicken Mayo Donburi' and the 'Kamado Tanjiro's Total Concentration! Water Jelly White Grape Flavor' along with the 'Iwashi Tsukune Soup'. The donburi was inspired by the protagonist of the anime, Tanjiro Kamado, and consisted of charcoal-grilled chicken skewers (thigh meat, tsukune, chicken skin) topped with mayonnaise and green onions. Customers could arrange the diced seaweed provided on top to create a checkered pattern resembling the character's costume. I had tried a Tanjiro-inspired okonomiyaki at a different restaurant before, and this donburi had a similar flavor profile. The charcoal-grilled chicken was well-balanced with the green onions, and I enjoyed the three different types of chicken. As for the other collaboration menu item, the 'Kamado Tanjiro's Total Concentration! Water Jelly White Grape Flavor', it was like those pet bottle drinks where you shake and enjoy the juice with jelly. It looked transparent as it was called 'Water Jelly', but it had a definite grape flavor. If you are a fan of 'Demon Slayer' or interested in trying a donburi with three types of charcoal-grilled chicken, I recommend giving it a try."

"I never expected to find this kind of curry here." That was my reaction when I tried the bone-in chicken curry at Sukiya recently. Curry, often referred to as a national dish, is commonly found at gyudon chains, usually with the same beef sukiyaki topping. However, on this particular day in December, Sukiya was offering a unique curry with a different ingredient - bone-in chicken. The menu included options like "Cheese Chicken Curry" with cheese on top and "Fire Chicken Curry" with spicy flakes. I decided to try the "Fire Chicken" which had meat similar to Mao Zedong Spare Ribs. When I tasted it, the chicken was so tender that it easily fell apart with a spoon, and it had a strong presence that matched the spicy curry well. The special garlic and chili flakes added a nice kick, perfect for those who enjoy spicy curry. Personally, I usually prefer the "Gorogoro Chicken Curry" at Matsuya, but I really enjoyed the creativity and flavor of Sukiya's "Bone-in Chicken Curry" this time. I hope they make it a regular menu item. If you're a fan of chicken or tender meat, I recommend giving it a try.

"Woah, I can't believe it's actually this color." That was my first reaction upon seeing the purple curry collaboration with Evangelion that I received this time. Zensho Holdings, which operates restaurants such as Sukiya, Nakau, and Hamazushi, has been running a collaboration project with the popular anime Evangelion, which has been a hot topic since the release of the movie. Personally, I'm not a big fan of this anime, and my awareness of the collaboration was more like, "Oh, they're doing something like this." However, on this day, I was intrigued by a banner at this Sukiya store that featured a slightly eerie menu. The menu I decided to try was the "Unit-01 Awakening Beef Curry Onion Soup Set." In this collaboration project, Sukiya has been offering menu items inspired by the anime's protagonist, Shinji Ikari. The first round included the "Unit-01 Omurice Beef Curry Onion Soup Set" and the "Onion Soup Unit-01 Mayo Potato Salad Set." The second round introduced new menu items, including this purple curry set, which is the same color as the Evangelion Unit-01 piloted by Shinji in the series. The color of this curry is achieved using gardenia and beets. Although I hadn't seen the movie at that point, it seemed like the purple curry with tomato sauce and cheese toppings was meant to represent the awakened state of Unit-01. Some may imagine a taste similar to Brazil's popular dish, Feijoada, due to the color and the inclusion of beans in the curry. However, the actual taste was more like... well, just curry. When you order these curry and soup dishes, they come on collaboration-exclusive plates and cups. Additionally, you receive a collaboration-exclusive clear file with your order. To be honest, I ordered this curry out of curiosity, but if you're not a fan of the anime, you may not be eager to try it. However, I can assure you that the taste is not as strange as you might expect.

"I don't know if they have it in New York, but this pork curry isn't bad." That's what I thought when I tried the "Manhattan Deluxe Curry" at Sukiya recently. The day before, I went to another Matsuya store to try their limited-time beef hot pot, and I noticed some other interesting menu items. One of them was the "NY Pork Curry" and the "Manhattan Deluxe Curry." The "NY Pork Curry" is made with pastrami seasoned with spices like pepper and coriander, combined with Sukiya's Yokohama curry. The "Manhattan Deluxe Curry" adds three types of cheese and spinach to the "NY Pork Curry." You might wonder why these menu items have names like "NY" and "Manhattan." Pastrami was brought to America by Jewish immigrants from Romania and has been popular in New York and beyond, hence the name. This time, I tried the "Manhattan Deluxe Curry," and I found that the pork was different from the usual diced or thinly sliced pork found in many curry dishes. It had a salty, fragrant, and spicy taste that complemented the sweet curry sauce with plenty of vegetables. Personally, I also enjoyed the "Massaman Curry" that was recently introduced at Matsuya, and I think this limited-time curry at Sukiya would be suitable for those who don't like spicy food. If you're curious, give it a try.

"This time, I felt that this was the most Chinese-like among the donburi dishes I have tried recently. The braised pork belly donburi I had at 'Sukiya' stood out as particularly Chinese, compared to the ones I had at 'Matsuya' in August and 'Nakau' in September. This braised pork belly donburi at 'Sukiya' was cooked with one of the three famous Chinese vinegars, Zhenjiang vinegar, and Shaoxing wine, and also used star anise, a common Chinese spice, for flavoring. Among the major donburi chains I have tried, this one had a distinctly Chinese taste. Some ramen shops also offer braised pork belly donburi, but not many use star anise like this. If you don't mind the scent of star anise, I recommend giving it a try."

"Oh, there seems to be an interesting new menu besides the omelette." On this day, I tried the Omelette-style Beef Bowl and the Garlic-packed Curry at "Sukiya". When passing by this store, I noticed a flag advertising a new menu called "Yokohama Omu-gyudon", so I decided to stop by. On the menu at the table, I also found a product called "Stamina Festival" with lots of garlic. Intrigued by both, I ended up ordering the "Yokohama Omu-gyudon" and the "Curry Triple Garlic MIX" in mini sizes. The Omu-gyudon is a dish that combines warm egg with beef bowl for the first time in "Sukiya" history, with a fluffy omelette on top of the beef bowl wrapped with cheese and spinach. By adding the accompanying ketchup, I was able to enjoy a Western-style taste different from raw eggs or onsen eggs. On the other hand, regarding the Garlic Curry, it is a dish that features garlic and its sprouts mixed with a spicy sauce based on chili peppers and fried garlic. While using garlic in curry is not uncommon, I didn't expect a curry that boldly emphasizes garlic like this. The menu with lots of garlic, including gyudon and unadon, is perfect for garlic lovers or those looking for stamina dishes. By the way, for those concerned about the post-meal garlic breath that comes with dishes using a lot of garlic, the Garlic Menu this time comes with "Breath Care" from "Kobayashi Pharmaceutical". If you're interested, give it a try this summer.

I went to "Sukiya" for the first time because you can eat eel at a cheap price. The "Unagi Gyudon" is 890 yen and the "Unadon" is 780 yen. The eel was delicious and reasonably priced. I will definitely go back to eat there again. Thank you for the meal.

A few years ago, the popular "Taberamman Menma Gyudon" has made a comeback, this time in a spicy Sichuan style. Along with it, the "Sichuan-style Beef Sukiyaki Set Meal" was introduced, which is essentially a warm version of the former. When I visited another store a while back, I was torn between the two spicy menu items, but I was drawn to the fact that the Sichuan-style Beef Sukiyaki contains half of the recommended daily intake of vegetables. So this time, I ordered the Sichuan-style Beef Sukiyaki. Trying the accompanying eatable chili oil, I noticed that it had a stronger spiciness and flavor compared to the one used in the previous Gyudon. The soup in the pot itself wasn't overwhelmingly spicy, but adding the chili oil and Sichuan peppercorns allowed me to feel a pleasant level of spiciness and numbness along with the umami taste. The beef in the pot was seasoned with a sweet and savory flavor, and I found it to be not only spicy but also surprisingly flavorful. While there is also a sweet and savory beef sukiyaki set meal available, I personally find the Sichuan-style one more enjoyable due to the variety of flavors, so I recommend it if you don't mind spicy or spicy seasonings.