Tsuyoshi and Yana couldn't get a reservation at another restaurant because it was fully booked, so we quickly decided on "Toho Gyoza-kan." This is our second visit this week. I wanted them to try the shrimp Chinese-style fried bread and Zha Jian Mian, which were delicious last time. We also tried two new dishes this time: a wide rice noodle salad with a Chinese twist and vegetable sticks with a Chinese dip. The wide rice noodles have a strong flavor from Sichuan pepper oil. We had edamame as an appetizer, followed by the wide rice noodle salad, vegetable sticks with dip, shrimp Chinese-style fried bread, celery dumplings, century egg with tofu, stir-fried vermicelli with minced pork, sweet and sour pork with tenderloin, and Zha Jian Mian.

Every time I visit recently, they prepare new dishes for me. The owner mentioned wanting to avoid typical Japanese-style Chinese food to differentiate themselves, but it seems like they are toning down the spices lately. The shrimp Chinese-style fried bread features shrimp with a flavorful filling that is deep-fried and served with chili sauce. It's lightly and crisply fried, making it a perfect match for the chili sauce. Although I can't eat too many fried foods anymore due to my age, I could enjoy several of these. As for the jajangmyeon, I used to think it was a Korean dish, but according to the owner's claim, it has Chinese origins. It’s important to mix it well; the dish has eggplant and minced meat, providing a sweet flavor, and there’s a final kick from Sichuan pepper that adds a nice spiciness. This dish is truly delicious. The meal included a stir-fried pea sprouts appetizer, jajangmyeon, shrimp Chinese-style fried bread, and guobao pork (sweet and sour pork with tenderloin).

Instead of the usual fried chicken, we tried the fried chicken liver (a special menu item). It's not an original dish; it actually exists on menus in China. Unsurprisingly, it was delicious. The daikon cake also had a nice sweetness to it. The appetizers included kimchi, pickled napa cabbage, and half a serving of grilled gyoza. We also had fried chicken liver (chicken liver), boiled pork with garlic sauce, daikon cake, Chinese sausage, and black fried rice.

Lately, I've been coming here once a week. My husband usually chooses the restaurant, but when we sat down and saw the pork and cabbage grilled dumplings on the table, I jokingly said, "Oh no, it’s dumplings for lunch!" The owner asked if I wanted the mapo tofu to be a lighter salt flavor, and I said yes. It had a nice savoriness with a bit of spice, which was okay, but I really prefer the numbing spiciness of Sichuan peppercorns. The boiled pork with garlic sauce has come closer to resembling cloud-white pork (unpairo). It was delicious. We had a variety of dishes: pork and cabbage grilled dumplings, boiled squid with burnt ginger soy sauce, mapo tofu, boiled pork with garlic sauce, and shrimp wonton soup.

Today, as usual, I was called by Goshi, along with Yana and the four of us. It’s so nice to see how friendly we all are! As the hot pot course requires a reservation, we’ve never tried it before. However, my husband mentioned it was for four people, so we decided against it as we wouldn't be able to eat anything else. What a pity! By the way, I’ve found that some Chinese instant noodles are quite delicious. We also got a complimentary serving of tea-boiled eggs (half of four) for 330 yen. It seems the instant noodles are only available at night. Lately, there have been many new menu items, which is exciting! We had various dishes: - Appetizer (warm lettuce with sauce) - Golden fried enoki mushrooms - Boiled squid with burnt soy sauce - Lettuce with oyster sauce - Plain dumplings (steamed) - Meat dumplings (fried) - Cilantro dumplings (fried) - Lamb dumplings (steamed) - Pork and cabbage dumplings (fried) - Stir-fried pork mince with vermicelli - Seafood instant noodles - Beef instant noodles

I joined Goshi and two others, but since I arrived an hour late, almost everything had been eaten >_<. The fluffy shrimp spring rolls were made with the filling from shrimp toast and were delicious. I wonder if they will be made available for sale? We had stir-fried minced pork with glass noodles, stir-fried bell peppers with pork, pork and cabbage dumplings, cilantro dumplings, mixed vegetable dumplings, stir-fried wood ear mushrooms and eggs, sweet and sour pork with tenderloin, and black fried rice with Chinese sausage.

The owner of Touhou Gyoza Kan is extremely focused on authentic Chinese flavors (with a strong emphasis on Sichuan pepper). However, he is also accommodating to our requests (after all, his husband dislikes coriander and prefers Japanese flavors). We tried the Chinese salad, special three-flavor dumplings (shrimp, chives, and egg), stir-fried pork with glass noodles, and pork with garlic sauce (which is currently a trial or off-menu item). They also served us "cloud white meat" as a complimentary dish.

The highlight of this place is the boiled dumplings. For those trying it for the first time, I recommend starting with the boiled dumplings instead of the fried ones, as they burst with delicious juice, almost like eating soup dumplings. The mapo tofu is also incredibly delicious, with just the right amount of Sichuan peppercorn for a nice kick. The fried rice has a rich flavor that pairs well with alcohol. All the other dishes are tasty too, but if it’s crowded, the service can be slow, so those in a hurry should think carefully before going. I didn’t take photos of the food, so I encourage you to check it out for yourself and taste it (I only have a picture of the boiled dumplings). The owner is very kind and considerate, making it easy to forgive the slow service.

Every time I pass by, I can't help but feel excited about this dumpling shop! After all, it's called Gyoza-kan, so as a dumpling lover, I couldn't resist trying it. However, the lunch menu isn't clear until you actually enter the restaurant. There are four lunch options, each priced at 1000 yen. Despite having only two staff members and no other customers, I had to wait quite a while. I ordered the daily special lunch and a set with black fried rice, but the dumplings in the daily special vary each day, and the server mentioned that the contents of the three dumplings were different each time. When I asked, they said it depended on their stock that day, which left me wondering what kind of dumplings I had... I wasn’t sure at all. The black fried rice and the daily special stir-fried glass noodles had the same flavor from Chinese soy sauce, which was a bit disappointing. Also, both of us chose Chinese tea to drink, but only one cup was served, and it contained just a tiny pinch of tea leaves. Even after waiting, it only produced hot water—not even in the range of a light tea. I think I made a poor choice there. The dipping sauce for the dumplings was something you mix to your liking, but the chili oil bottle was empty, which was another letdown. With no other customers around, I felt like I was eavesdropping on the direct conversations between the owner and the part-time staff, making for a less than comfortable atmosphere.

I recently got off at Kitano Station on the Keio Line and was exploring the area looking for a lunch spot when I discovered a gyoza specialty restaurant called Touhou Gyozakan near the Kitano branch of the city hall. Surprised and excited, I quickly entered and ordered lunch. Today, I had a set meal featuring Kisu meat and three types of steamed gyoza. The gyoza are made with handmade dough and are truly delicious! The owner mentioned that the dishes are based on recipes from the northeastern region of China, where he spent his student days. He also plans to gradually expand the lunch menu. In the evening, there are side dishes available, making it a great place to enjoy drinks while snacking. I definitely want to visit again at night!

I recently visited a newly opened gyoza restaurant located just outside Kitano Station, a stop for the Keio Line express trains. Initially, I thought it was a Chinese-owned place, but it seems to be managed by a Japanese person. When I arrived around 12:30 PM, there was only one female customer present. The restaurant is currently looking for staff, so they only offer one type of lunch. That day, the lunch special included fried chicken and a trio of grilled gyoza. It took about 10 minutes for the meal to be served. The portion size was quite small, definitely suitable for light eaters. Before leaving, I got to see the dinner menu, which included three types of grilled gyoza: mixed seafood gyoza containing pork, shrimp, and scrambled egg, a plump seafood gyoza, and a beef gyoza with a memorable spice mix. The lunch consisted of one of each gyoza, totaling three pieces. The grilled gyoza had authentic flavors enhanced by various spices, including star anise. The fried chicken was also delicious, well-seasoned with Chinese spices. Overall, while the portion sizes were small, the food was tasty. I hope they would consider adding a lunch option for six gyoza pieces since the portions were on the lighter side.

Three-flavor dumplings (fried), pickled cabbage dumplings (boiled), Chinese salad, stir-fried mushrooms and eggs, spicy tofu.