バラキ
On January 20, 2023, I had lunch at Torafuku Lumine Shinjuku store. I went to Shinjuku for a health checkup and hadn't eaten anything since last night, so I was really hungry. The last part of the checkup was an endoscopy, which finished just before 11 am. I hurried to the 7th floor of Lumine Shinjuku to enjoy lunch at Torafuku.
I was immediately drawn to the seasonal limited menu displayed outside the restaurant. I have a weakness for seasonal limited menus, as I remember having the Hiroshima oyster fry set meal at Torafuku on my way back from a health checkup last year. The Hiroshima oyster fry in the cold season is exquisite, so I decided to have it again this time.
After taking my temperature and disinfecting, I was seated at a table at the back of the restaurant. I checked the lunch menu as well, but I couldn't resist the Hiroshima oyster fry. I chose the mixed grain rice and got a free drink as a follow on Instagram, so I had a glass of beer. I also decided to add miso soup for an additional 250 yen.
I had a meal voucher worth 1,100 yen from the health checkup, so with an additional 730 yen, I was able to enjoy an exquisite lunch. While waiting for the food to arrive, I enjoyed my glass of beer. The Hiroshima oyster fry took about 10 minutes to be served. It came on a black tray with the oyster fry, miso soup, mixed grain rice, sautéed burdock and vegetables, and pickles.
I first took a sip of the miso soup and then squeezed lemon juice on the oyster fry and dipped it in tartar sauce. The juicy oysters were delicious. I then tried the oyster fry with the medium-thick sauce, and it was also tasty. I had the sautéed burdock and vegetables and pickles as a side dish while enjoying the oyster fry.
As I was contemplating how to eat the last piece of oyster fry, a Latin American staff member recommended getting a rice refill. At first, I wasn't planning on it, but feeling good after drinking beer, I decided to get a refill. I saw a woman at the next table enjoying a large serving of mixed rice, which looked delicious, so I ordered the mixed rice and also added furikake topping.
The mixed rice, cooked in a feather pot, was incredibly delicious. I enjoyed it with the last piece of oyster fry. I finished the pickles and drank the miso soup, feeling satisfied. When I ordered a rice refill, roasted green tea was also served, which was a refreshing way to end the meal. I finished the satisfying lunch and headed to a Halal food store in Shin-Okubo to do some shopping.