PayPay Samurai Series Part 28: The Tale of Lunch Wandering in Koto Ward, Episode 150 After a less than satisfactory experience with Yoshinoya curry, our Samurai seeks redemption by trying out the popular Sukiya curry. Taking advantage of the ongoing SUPER PayPay COUPON campaign for SoftBank users until December 31st, where users can receive up to half of their payment in PayPay bonus at selected chain stores. Ordering the Fire Chicken Curry in regular size for 730 yen and adding a side of fried garlic for 60 yen. Also, utilizing a special coupon for free miso soup for mobile members, originally priced at 80 yen but discounted to 0 yen. The Samurai aims to maximize the PayPay money received, nearing the maximum limit of 800 yen per transaction. Out of a total bill of 790 yen, 398 yen (395 yen from the campaign + 3 yen from the usual 0.5% reward) in PayPay money will be credited at a later date. Feeling spontaneous, the Samurai quickly registers as a mobile member at Sukiya and uses a 24-hour limited free miso soup coupon. Unexpectedly, the Samurai ends up with a Matsuya curry situation. Despite this, the high-quality miso soup with ingredients like fried tofu added depth to the flavor. Now, onto the Fire Chicken Curry. The dish has gained popularity to the point of being temporarily sold out in some stores. The "Fire" in the name refers to the garlic and chili, with additional fried garlic on top. The curry itself was dominated by the flavors of onions and tomatoes, with a slightly firmer texture. The chicken leg portion was tender and substantial, with a satisfying bite. The standout element was the fiery components, with chili powder-coated garlic chips adding a crunchy and spicy kick. While the curry itself was not very spicy, mixing in the fiery elements provided a satisfying level of heat. The fried garlic had a soft texture and a mild flavor, making it a pleasant addition. Additionally, the inclusion of pickled onions and mixed vegetables added a nice touch to the meal. Overall, the Samurai found the Fire Chicken Curry to be a worthy revisit, even without the cashback campaign. He hopes that other chain stores, like the collaboration curry at Yoshinoya, will follow suit. A return visit for the Fire Chicken Curry is highly likely, as it left a lasting impression on the Samurai.

Visited in December 2021. Ordered the 3.03 Cheese Chicken Curry for 800 yen using PayPay, with a discount of 408 yen using the Super PayPay coupon. Also ordered the Menma Gyudon (beef bowl with bamboo shoots) in a large serving for 680 yen and miso soup for 190 yen, with another discount of 408 yen using the Super PayPay coupon. Once again, took advantage of a great coupon deal with PayPay! This restaurant is not available in my local area, so I decided to use the coupon when going to work. The previous location at Higashi-Yacho Station West Exit is no longer there, so I tried this new location for the first time. This time, the coupon offered a half-price discount, up to 400 yen. Surprisingly, the 800 yen dish was also included in the deal! I ordered the Cheese Chicken Curry that I saw in a commercial, which had cheese on top of the curry. I placed my order using the touch panel and waited a bit for it to be served. The curry had chicken, cheese, pickled onions, and Fukujinzuke (pickles) on a mound of rice, creating a lively presentation. When I dug into the curry with my spoon, I was surprised to find a deep plate underneath. I had imagined a flat plate like at Matsuya, so this was a bit unexpected. The portion size was quite generous! The flavor was surprisingly spicy yet not too heavy, and it was quite delicious! This must be the new curry dish. I like the curry at Matsuya, but Sukiya is also doing a good job. The chicken in the curry was indeed tender and easy to pick up with a spoon. It's not dry or crumbly. Perhaps it's due to sufficient steaming. The combination of cheese and curry was perfect, as expected. I could do without the pickled onions, but I wish they had given more Fukujinzuke! When it came time to pay, I went to the central cash register. The customers waiting for takeout and the lack of staff made the line a bit inconvenient. By the way, Matsuya seems to be the only one among the three major gyudon chains that has introduced ticket vending machines. I should be able to use the coupon one more time. While looking at the menu, I became interested in the "Menma Gyudon" and decided to try it next time, maybe in a special size for 780 yen. About a week later, despite being short on time, I went to try the Menma Gyudon. I didn't have time, but I didn't want to forget to go. Do I need chili oil with this? The texture of the bamboo shoots was as expected, crunchy, and I think it's a good addition! The miso soup was supposed to have extra meat according to the website, but I could only recognize about two pieces, which was a bit disappointing. More importantly, the staff seemed even less attentive than last time. One customer even canceled and left. Isn't this supposed to be fast food?

My family went out and I ended up having dinner alone. I smelled the delicious aroma of gyudon from Sukiya nearby, so I decided to get a takeout of gyudon. When I got home and opened the bento, the gyudon and tonjiru were still warm even though I had been driving for about 15 minutes. I realized that even at the same Sukiya, the quality or taste of the gyudon can vary. It's natural since it's made by different people. The gyudon I had from this store seemed to have less beef and more rice. The tonjiru had a lot of ingredients. Maybe it just felt that way because it had been a while since I last had it.

The nearest station is Higashiyoncho Station. It is located along Yotsu-me Street. The interior of the restaurant has counter seats and table seats. The air conditioning seems to be broken as the inside of the restaurant is hot and the door is wide open. I ordered the limited-time special beef and egg rice bowl (520 yen). It was topped with egg, bonito flakes, and seaweed. The crunchy texture of the cabbage was nice. When you add sauce and mayonnaise, it almost tastes like okonomiyaki. It was delicious. There was a self-checkout system available, but the staff helped me with the payment.

This is the "Sukiya" near Higashi-Yocho Station. "Sukiya" is known for its wide variety of topping options for beef and pork bowls. This time, instead of the beef bowl, I tried the pork bowl with Kochujang sauce (¥20) and mentaiko mayo (¥40) that I had tried a few months ago. With the spicy kick of the Kochujang and mentaiko mayo, the pork bowl really stood out. This combination works better with the pork bowl than the beef bowl. I wonder if I should try adding an egg to the next affordable topping combination...

In Toyocho, there are two branches of "Sukiya" restaurant. This one is located near the ward office. I happened to pass by the front of the restaurant and my attention was caught by a photo with a striking name, "Cheese Doria Gyudon". It's a unique item on the menu for a beef bowl restaurant, but I was intrigued and decided to go in. I was actually thinking of going to "Hanamaru" to have some warm udon since the weather was getting a bit cooler, but I didn't mind. That's just how my eating habits are. The Cheese Doria Gyudon costs 500 yen. The first few bites were delicious, but then I realized I haven't really eaten Doria much, so I wasn't sure if this was Doria-like at all (laughs). Eventually, I started to get a bit tired of it. If I were to give my subjective opinion, the cheese flavor was a bit too overwhelming to finish it without getting bored. Maybe if there was more white sauce, it would have suited my taste better. By the way, I haven't been able to feel the value in the pricing of beef bowls lately, so I rarely visit beef bowl restaurants. I only go when the discount pass (in the case of "Sukiya", the sukipass) is released, as I feel the discounted price range of 70-80 yen off is fair. I had the Doria Gyudon at this restaurant about half a month after the release of sukipass third edition. However, I was told that Doria Gyudon is not considered a beef bowl, so the pass cannot be used. Recently, I saw a notice at another restaurant. It stated that due to many customer requests, sukipass can now be used for Doria Gyudon as well. It's just 80 yen, but it left me with a feeling of having been shortchanged. This is one of the aspects of the Zencho Group, which operates the restaurant, that I dislike.

Even though I went for lunch, I was just kept waiting... and to top it off, they ran out of menus... I left without eating.

The 646th reviewer on Tabelog in Tokyo visited a Sukiya branch for breakfast. They ordered a medium-sized Gyudon (beef bowl) for 470 yen including tax. The taste was typical of Sukiya, with its rich flavor. The reviewer found it comforting to taste the familiar flavor. They noted that the restaurant had a hidden register in addition to the visible one at the counter. It seems that they have separate registers for transportation IC cards and Edy.

There is another Yoshinoya in Higashisunamachi undergoing renovation. I decided to stop by the shop one night and found that it was operating with just one staff member. Despite my initial concerns, I decided to get the Seafood Chuka Don (486 yen) to go. The Chuka Don was prepared by microwaving a retort packet and placing it on top of rice. Although I knew this was the standard procedure, I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. However, when I got home and tried it, I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was. The dish contained scallops, squid, shrimp, and the quail egg was a nice touch. I wonder if the ingredients for the Seafood Chuka Don are available for purchase online. I remember seeing the ingredients for the Gyudon being sold at supermarkets, but they tasted quite different from the ones served in the restaurant. **2013.11.10** Yoshinoya located along Yotsugome Street in front of Higashisunamachi Station. It's strange to have two Yoshinoya and two Yoshinoya in front of Higashisunamachi Station, while there is only one Matsuya. I always find it curious why they need to have two shops so close to each other. I tried the Charcoal-Grilled Chicken Bowl and miso soup. The Charcoal-Grilled Chicken Bowl had more of a stewed rather than grilled taste. It had some burnt spots, but I couldn't really taste the charcoal flavor. The miso soup was packed with ingredients, and I could clearly see the pork in it. Looking at the menu, I noticed they had pudding. It's unusual to have desserts at a beef bowl restaurant. The pudding tasted ordinary, similar to what you can find at a convenience store. Since Yoshinoya is more common in suburban areas rather than busy districts, they seem to focus on family-friendly menu options.

I stayed overnight at a training facility in Toyocho for a 2-day training and conference event. The facility had been renovated, and there was no meal service provided, so I had to pay for all three meals myself. I decided to go out for breakfast since I didn't like the food at the facility. The only options nearby were a noodle shop and a beef bowl chain. I ended up at "Sukiya" and ordered their "Yakisoba Gyudon" which I regretted later. The combination of noodles and beef bowl didn't sit well with me, and I found the quality of the food to be lacking compared to other beef bowl chains. It made me wonder if this was a cultural preference from the Kansai region, but as someone not accustomed to it, I didn't enjoy the meal.

I listened to a concert at the nearby Koto Ward Community Center before stopping by for lunch. A new menu item caught my eye, which was a bowl that included grilled eel and beef bowl. I couldn't resist and decided to enter the restaurant. Inside, there were several young female students sitting cross-legged on chairs and enjoying their meals. The place was not too crowded, with about four groups of customers. I looked at the menu posted on a pillar while waiting in line at the register, and I suddenly felt like having curry with beef on top. So, I ordered the Beef Curry Bowl (large size: 730 yen) with green tea (110 yen). The food arrived surprisingly quickly. The curry was rich and slightly spicy, and the beef surprisingly complemented it well. The large portion size was more than I expected, making the meal very enjoyable. If you plan to take the leftovers home, remember that you need to bring back items like pickled ginger, spoons, and chopsticks from the register. Otherwise, you won't be allowed to eat outside! It seems like the staff won't let you in without those items.