かつを@道産子
It's been a while since my last visit. After sauna, I made a little detour to Benten-san on the 5th floor of MEGA Don Quijote on Tanuki Koji. It is the sister store of Hotei-san on the main street. The interior of the store has a stylish feel with a color scheme of red, black, and white. There are 4 counter seats and tables for 2-4 people. It's completely different from the atmosphere of the main store, Hotei-san. Maybe because it's Christmas, there were many groups and couples, and as a lone middle-aged man, I couldn't help but feel a bit lonely... I was seated at a table for two. The service from the staff was elegant and polite. Today's order: Dragon Highball (Shaoxing liquor with spicy ginger ale) ¥520 x 2, Benten-style Mapo noodles ¥990, Small rice ¥160, Xiao Long Bao ¥160, Shark fin Xiao Long Bao ¥360, Otoshi (1 piece of Zangi) ¥300, Total ¥3,000. The Xiao Long Bao is listed on the menu as a dish of 3 pieces, but the staff informed me that I could order them individually, so I ordered one of each. Starting with the eagerly awaited Dragon Highball. Dragon Highball is not easy to find in other places. The sweetness of the Shaoxing liquor and the spiciness of the ginger ale blend perfectly, and I couldn't help but drink it all at once. I forgot to take a photo, so I ordered another one. Next came the Otoshi Zangi, Mapo noodles, and small rice. The spiciness is not too strong, but the scent of Sichuan pepper is nice. The Mapo tofu on top of the rice is eaten like a Mapo rice bowl. I wish I had some chili oil to add! There are no condiments on the table, but it's fun to try different combinations with the Mapo noodles and rice. The Zangi is as big as the main store's, with tender meat. It's refreshing with the sauce and pickled mustard greens. The Xiao Long Bao, although a bit cold because it took some time to arrive at the table, has a chewy skin and the soup spreads in your mouth when you bite into it. I should have eaten it while it was still warm... The Shark fin Xiao Long Bao has shark fin on top of the Xiao Long Bao. Personally, I couldn't tell the difference in texture when eating the shark fin, so I couldn't really feel the difference from the regular Xiao Long Bao. Maybe I have an unsophisticated palate... I wanted to drink a bit more or eat a bit more, but I had to catch the bus, so I had to give up. Thank you for the meal! I'll come back next time in a more relaxed atmosphere.