マウさん
I was surprised to see so many shops in a building in Hiroo, but it turned out to be a small building with no partitions, just a few small spaces for stores. I wandered around, unsure of where to find Juju Ten, and eventually discovered it tucked away in the back. As I approached, I noticed my friend was sitting in an incredibly cramped seat. I thought to myself, “Wow, this is really small,” which didn't help build excitement for the meal.
Although I hadn't been there before, it reminded me of a kind of alley-style dining setup. When I looked at the drink menu, I was shocked to see that the soft drinks were mostly over 1,000 yen. However, since it was an all-you-can-eat place, I decided to go for oolong tea, which I think was around 900 yen. When it arrived, I was taken aback by the small glass and the little amount of tea inside. It felt a bit stingy, especially since it was filled with ice. Just before the meal, my expectations for the restaurant took a hit.
Initially, it seemed they had a system where they would cook for you, but we had to wait while other tables were served first. There was only one person cooking, and since we were at the end of the line, I couldn't help but wonder when the all-you-can-eat clock would start for us. In the end, it didn't feel like the waiting time was counted toward our eating time.
Finally, cooking began, and the first meat they served was marbled with fat but not greasy, and it had a nice texture that was quite delicious. However, when they added the sauce to make it into sukiyaki, they only put in a little bit, leaving the meat half-immersed, meaning I could only cook one piece at a time. It took a while for the vegetables to boil, and I felt the stinginess creeping in again. I asked multiple times for more sauce and water.
I impatiently tried to prepare for the next meat, but when I finished the first plate, it was time for last orders! They had originally said that the first meat was supposed to be marbled on one side and lean on the other, which surprised me. I ordered one piece of marbled and three pieces of lean for my last call, but as you can see in the photos, I received completely different meat.
While the service was friendly and attentive, I found it a bit confusing when they interrupted a serious conversation I was having. I wondered why they chose that moment to jump in. It might work well for tables where the conversation is not flowing, but for us, it was puzzling.
In the end, the taste was good, and I would say the cost performance would be better if I could eat more. However, the visible stinginess throughout the experience makes me reluctant to go back again.