Near my workplace, there is a famous Chinese lunch spot called "Chilirenge" known for its mapo tofu lunch, but there is always a long line before noon, so it's hard to get in without a special reason. However, I crave Chinese food regularly, so this time I decided to visit another restaurant nearby. The interior was compact but had small private booth spaces, making it convenient. On the day I visited, half of the guests were having solo lunches. I ordered the "Cumin Mapo Tofu Lunch for 1200 yen." The meal started with a refreshing jasmine tea and a thick towel-style oshibori, which I personally prefer over non-woven oshibori. The meal included a simple egg and onion soup, a delicious daikon mochi with a perfect balance of chewiness and a subtle sweet-savory flavor, and a mapo tofu with slightly strong saltiness but a common level of spiciness and numbing sensation. The dessert was almond jelly with a caramel topping and sweet simmered tomatoes. Overall, I enjoyed the meal and would love to visit again to try their other menu options like steamed chicken or shrimp ankake yakisoba. Thank you for the delicious meal!

West Ohashi ◇ Chinese Cuisine ◇ [2-chome, Nishimachi, Nishi-ku] Head north from the intersection of Nagahori-dori and Naniwa-suji (West Ohashi), turn west at the second traffic light, go north on the second alley on the left where you will find "Kumazawa" Craft beer and pinchos restaurant has moved to Abeno-ku and opened a new Chinese restaurant. Visited with a friend on a weekday evening, starting with a small glass of draft beer. ◆ Assorted appetizers ◯ - Drooling chicken - Tomato sweet and sour pickles - Black sugar pecans - Kumazawa potato salad - Jellyfish cold dish - and more ◆ Five-flavor shumai ◆ Steamed sea bream with black bean sauce ◯ - Sea bream simmered on tofu with Chinese-style sauce ◆ Spring rolls ◆ Ebi Ankake Yakisoba ◎ - Yakisoba with plenty of vegetables and plump shrimp in a thick sauce ■ Kakuhai Highball ■ Mimuro Sugi (cold sake) ■ DAIYAME (sweet potato shochu) on the rocks Background music playing Mariah Carey and Aretha Franklin songs, creating a relaxing atmosphere. The recommended dishes are mapo tofu and steamed chicken. "Thank you for the meal"

Today, I visited a Chinese restaurant called "Kumano Te" that opened on April 28, 2023. The unique name caught my attention for a while. The tables and chairs are new, giving a fresh feeling. I tried the Steamed Chicken Lunch for 1,500 yen. There were two lunch menu options, and although the "Cumin Mapo Tofu" was tempting, as a fan of chicken, I went for the steamed chicken. The moist and tender chicken was a perfect match with the green onion sauce. The melt-in-your-mouth daikon mochi was also delightful. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal. I wonder if it's just my imagination, but the chef seems to resemble a bear. If I have the chance, I would like to try the mapo tofu as well. Keep striving on the path, and there will be no regrets in the end.

【Lunch】・Cumin Mapo Tofu Lunch Set・・¥1,200 Cumin Mapo Tofu, two appetizers (sweet and sour tomato, steamed chicken), daikon mochi, soup, rice, dessert