It's been a while since my last review, and now it's already the new year... On December 28th, I visited Muranaga-san. Every time I go to Tonkichi-san, I always park my car in the coin parking lot across from Muranaga-san and I've been curious about it for a while. There was a flyer at the entrance of the shop with a photo of Katsudon for ¥650, it looked cheap and delicious, so I was very interested in it. Finally, I was able to go and I was so happy. When you enter the shop, a lady who seemed to be the owner warmly greets you with "Welcome". There are various menus posted on the wall, and it's really enjoyable to spend time deciding what to order. From the many options, we decided to order: - Assorted 5-piece Kushi Katsu - Soboro and Onsen Tamago Donburi for ¥380 - Katsudon Set for ¥650 - Sweet Shrimp Karaage for ¥500 - Pumpkin Kushiage for ¥120 - Satsumaimo Kushiage for ¥80 I forgot the exact price of the Kushi Katsu. It was around ¥500, I think. I'm sorry for the uncertainty. But everything was delicious. The Kushi Katsu included onion, eggplant, shrimp, pork, and mackerel, I believe. Freshly fried Kushi Katsu is unbeatable. It has a crispy, bubbly texture rather than crunchy. Each ingredient retains its natural aroma, the batter is not heavy, and you could eat as much as you want. The Soboro and Onsen Tamago Donburi was recommended by the lady, and my partner ordered it. I tried a bit, and it tasted exactly as I imagined, meeting my expectations. The Katsudon Set I ordered had a generous portion of sauce-covered pork cutlet on top of cabbage, with simmered eggplant and root vegetables, and miso soup on the side. And all of that for ¥650, so cheap, right? The pork cutlet tasted like the ones you get at a Kushi Katsu place. The sauce is typical of a Kushi Katsu place. The pork was delicious, and the batter was finely textured and tasty. We didn't get full until the end without getting bored of it. My partner was still a bit hungry, so we ordered the Sweet Shrimp Karaage, Pumpkin, and Satsumaimo Kushiage. The Sweet Shrimp Karaage was crispy and perfect for drinking with alcohol. Surprisingly, there was a lot, but we managed to finish it easily. It didn't make us feel heavy in the stomach, I wonder why. Satsumaimo is my partner's favorite. The pumpkin was also delicious. It was about 2cm thick, and it was worth ordering. It was fluffy, sweet, and I was glad we ordered it in the end. So, it's better to come with friends and order various dishes to share while having a good time, assuming that everything is delicious. It's a bit selfish, but I want to try a little bit of everything. There seems to be a party course available, so that's also something I'm interested in. It's now one of the restaurants I want to visit more often.

Using expensive ingredients to make delicious food is expected. However, this restaurant stands out by offering tasty yet affordable dishes through various clever ideas. With a wide menu selection, you won't get tired of coming back multiple times. For example, the Sauce Katsu Don for 500 yen or the set meal with miso soup and salad for 650 yen offer great value for money. The flavor of the sauce is well thought out, showing the effort put into each dish. It's rare to find smoked shishamo on a menu, showing the creativity and dedication of the restaurant.

Located on Manshuin Street heading towards Shirakawa Street from Ichijoji Station, this small family-run shop offers a wide variety of tempura skewers, with a total of 31 types available. In addition to skewers, they also offer small dishes, plates, set meals like the Kushi Koro Teishoku and Sauce Katsu Teishoku, rice dishes, and donburi. I visited after seeing their 1st-anniversary flyer and tried their popular night market-style tempura skewers (beef or tripe, 5 pieces for 350 yen) and a trial set of 6 pieces for 600 yen. The menu was extensive and we ended up enjoying around 30 skewers for two people. The drink selection is a bit limited, but they do have draft beer (500 yen for a medium) and sake like Tsukasabotan 300ml for 700 yen. During June 2009, they are offering a 10% discount for their 1st anniversary. Overall, the cozy atmosphere, good value for money, and tasty food have made this place one of my favorites.

This is a shop located on the north side of the street walking west from Shirakawa Street, where the signboard of "Shibanaga" is a landmark. There are around 10 counter seats and 2-3 table seats. It's a nostalgic shop where you can relax. I always order cabbage and assorted skewers, and also liver marinated in sauce. It's absolutely delicious. The beer disappears quickly. It seems to be run by a husband and wife, and although it's a small shop, families, students, and solo diners all come here. It's a place you want to visit when you want to relax once in a while.