haruoya
From Fukuchiyama Station, head west (turn right) at the first intersection right by the south exit, then turn south (left) at the next intersection (where there is a Gyomu Super and a Yamada Denki store) to enter Route 9. The restaurant is located on the right side just before the intersection. There is a parking lot in front of the restaurant that can fit 5-6 cars. Usually, the restaurant is packed during lunchtime, but it was quite empty this time, possibly due to the impact of COVID-19. As soon as you enter the restaurant, the staff will guide you to your seat. Although I didn't check all the seating options, it seems like there are semi-private booths separated by walls and private rooms that can be closed off with sliding doors. On this day, I was in the mood for sukiyaki, so I ordered the sukiyaki set meal (with extra meat). The food arrived after a short wait. It is served in an iron pot, but it is not bubbling. At first glance, you can see a lot of onions and leeks. When you separate the meat and vegetables, about half of it seems to be meat, which is quite a generous portion. The vegetables are predominantly onions (laughs). The quality of the meat is decent for the price. If you want to enjoy sukiyaki or shabu-shabu with better quality meat, I recommend choosing a different course where you can select the meat grade ranging from 3,000 to 14,000 yen. The taste of the sukiyaki is just right. It may taste a bit thin when using the egg. It's nice to have plenty of vegetables. While you might feel dissatisfied if there is too little meat, since about half of it is meat, I didn't feel dissatisfied. Overall, the portion size is quite large. I left about half of it and took the rest home in my own container. In general, I enjoyed the sukiyaki set meal. The regular size costs 1,265 yen, and the extra meat option costs 1,650 yen (tax included). I can't compare it to beef bowl chain restaurants since I haven't tried them, but if you're willing to pay a little extra for a better experience, this place might be a good choice. Thank you for the meal.