Going down slowly into the underground, there is a feeling of excitement and anticipation, right? Have you ever turned back in the past? Haha. But when you hit the jackpot, it feels great, doesn't it? This time was my second visit for lunch, about five years since my first visit. The mackerel set meal and the barley toro were delicious! Mackerel used to be so fatty ten years ago, right? The mackerel dish at Isshin was rich in flavor, and it paired perfectly with the barley toro. Thank you for the meal!

It was so hot that I decided to have a light drink with my senior and junior colleagues. We were in the mood for yakiniku and beer, but since the junior colleague was running late, we wandered around Ikebukuro West Exit wondering what to do. We were drawn to a place where they offered draft beer for 350 yen until 7 pm. It was my first time there, and I found out they mainly served fish dishes with a great selection of alcohol. We had sashimi, minced raw fish with miso, and grilled fish neck, all of which were delicious. We also tried a lottery where you pay 500 yen to draw a bottle of shochu to drink. It was fun. We ended up drinking sake as well, and it turned out to be a heavier drinking session than we initially planned.

B-Ranch's grilled saury with barley rice for ¥800 is now ¥40 more expensive, and the portion of barley rice has been increased for free. Prices are going up everywhere! The saury was skinny with little meat, but the taste was good. What caught my attention was that the head was on the right side, so you have to flip it over to eat it properly. Why is it facing the wrong way?

I used this restaurant for the night service over 10 years ago and I remember it being quite expensive at the time. Since then, I haven't used it again. I happened to pass by during the end of lunchtime, so I decided to stop by to see what it was like. Going down the spiral staircase, I entered the narrow restaurant. It looked just like I remembered. I was instructed to sit at the round counter in the middle, and I ordered the daily lunch set A because I didn't have much time. As expected, the A lunch set arrived in less than 5 minutes. There were three large pieces of fried chicken in the center, with croquettes behind them. The salad was mostly cabbage. The simmered dish side was a nice touch. The fried chicken was crispy and just the way I like it. The croquettes were decent. The miso soup was a bit lukewarm. The rice was barley rice, and you pour seasoned grated yam over it to eat. There are additional side dishes available for those who want to eat a lot. It seemed quite crowded at night, but I wonder how it is now. The location is great, right outside the west exit of Ikebukuro Station. I'll have to visit again for the night service.

In Ikebukuro, there is a sign on the first floor with two daily menu options written on it. I decided to try the saury set meal, which was served with rice, miso soup, and pickles. The saury was a bit skinny with less fat, but it was cooked well and had a nice texture. The meal also came with grated radish, cabbage salad, and barley rice. The staff were friendly and the atmosphere was pleasant. Overall, it was a good value for the price.

The mac and cheese was good. I went on a weekday at 12:30 and the restaurant was only half full. I ordered the daily special cheese menchi katsu and fried horse mackerel for 800 yen. It took over 15 minutes for the food to come out even though it wasn't very busy. When the food finally arrived, it was barely warm. The fried dishes, miso soup, and rice were all lukewarm for some reason.

Continuing in Ikebukuro. It feels safe near the station. I heard the fish here is delicious, so I decided to visit. Good fish means good Japanese sake! That's a golden rule. Without a doubt, both the simmered fish and grilled fish were delicious! At this point, it's definitely sake instead of beer! I enjoyed it as recommended by the owner. Thank you for the meal!

Today, I felt like having sashimi or grilled fish for lunch, so I was walking around Ikebukuro after lunchtime had passed. It has been over two and a half years since I last wrote about Isshin, so I decided to write about it again. There hasn't been much change since I occasionally visit the place. The signboard in front of the shop remains the same. Option A changes daily, while option B is the fixed "Grilled Pacific Saury with Grated Yam" dish. I'm not exactly sure how it differs from the regular menu inside the shop, but I imagine it emphasizes the availability of grilled fish set. I ordered the B option "Grilled Pacific Saury with Grated Yam" for 800 yen (tax included). In these times of rising prices, I think it's a very reasonable price. The grilling was perfect. While thinking about my afternoon work, I enjoyed the Pacific Saury with a side of barley rice. The grated yam topping is truly delightful. Towards the end, I poured the grated yam over the barley rice and enjoyed it. The barley rice can be refilled for free, so you can adjust your meal if you're still hungry. Many people order the large portion from the start. The number of customers, which had decreased significantly, has started to return, although not as much as before the pandemic. There are more part-time female staff now, and I hope they continue their lunch service. Thank you for the delicious meal today!

Ikebukuro Ranko visited "Isshin" for lunch. From the 7th exit of Ikebukuro Station, go up to the ground and turn left at the corner of TAITO STATION (game center) → OWNDAYS (glasses shop). The stairs leading to the shop are immediately on the left. If you accidentally go too far to the front of Seven-Eleven, you've gone too far. I was drawn to the lunch menu of the day, "A. Tonkatsu and Fried Oysters," which is very attractive for fried oyster fans starting from September. The interior of the restaurant resembles a retro izakaya. It's surprising to find such a retro-style restaurant right in front of Ikebukuro Station West Exit, where development is gradually progressing. There is a long circular table in the center of the store, and table seats along the wall. Since I was dining alone, I sat at the circular table. There were 10 regular menu items and 2 daily specials on the lunch menu. The daily specials were "A. Tonkatsu and Fried Oysters" and "B. Pacific Saury with Miso." The daily special lunch "A. Tonkatsu and Fried Oysters" (tax included 800 yen) includes tonkatsu, fried oysters, barley rice, grated yam, miso soup, simmered dish, and salad. ◎Tonkatsu: Two tonkatsu pieces the size of Imagawayaki were served. They were freshly fried and easy to eat, cut with chopsticks. The crispy texture of the batter was also good. There were tonkatsu sauce and soy sauce on the table. Please use according to your preference. ◎Fried Oysters: Two perfectly sized fried oysters were served. They came with tartar sauce and Worcestershire sauce. They were perfectly fried and crispy, and undeniably delicious. ◎Barley Rice: It looked quite white for barley rice when it arrived. I immediately mixed in the grated yam due to hunger, but looking at the photo I took, there was white rice in there as well. The barley rice was slightly more moist than usual, resulting in a more digestible rice when combined with the grated yam. And the barley rice is free for seconds. Amazing! ◎Grated Yam: It was sticky grated yam. Personally, I didn't feel the need for seasoning like soy sauce. The simple sweetness of the grated yam and egg makes the rice go down smoothly. It also had finely chopped green onions, which was nice. It may be rude, but I'm the type that vigorously mixes the grated yam and rice until it foams before eating. The viscosity and how well it mixes with the rice, this barley grated yam rice was perfect! ◎Miso Soup: It had wakame seaweed and green onions. A solid miso soup. (From personal memory, it reminds me of some other miso soup.) ◎Simmered Dish: Thick fried tofu, daikon radish, and carrots. The simmered dish made by izakaya restaurants is delicious! It was well-soaked, not too salty, and had a good balance. It was served at room temperature. ◎Salad: It was shredded cabbage. There was a Japanese-style dressing on the table. On a weekday at 2 p.m., even after peak hours, customers trickled in. The customer base was diverse, ranging from the elderly, late lunch break staff, to young members of music bands. The gender ratio was also equal. The lunch menu ordered by customers varied. Everyone seemed to have their favorite dish as a regular customer. There is a unique warmth to izakaya lunches. And there are some points that are unique to Isshin. One is that the condiments on the table were clean. The bottles of soy sauce, tonkatsu sauce, and dressing looked brand new, without any drips, and had a sense of cleanliness. Each bottle was filled up to 90% with condiments, and the labels with the names of the condiments were clear and easy to understand. The second point is the price. Although there have been gradual price increases in the past, it's amazing that they are offering this lunch for 800 yen! And the barley rice is free for seconds, which is incredibly generous.

The set meals are the main highlight, with side dishes, barley rice, grated yam, miso soup, and pickles, all delicious. Even with a large portion of rice, the price remains the same, and refills are free. In the evening, they serve mainly fish dishes at the izakaya, and the fish is undeniably delicious. Their fried dishes are also consistently good. Prices range from 700 to 1000 yen, making it affordable.

B Lunch - Pacific saury with barley rice set meal for 760 yen. Free extra serving of barley rice. This is a reasonably priced restaurant where you can enjoy a fish set meal. During lunchtime, many nearby office workers come here. The Pacific saury was a bit lean, but it's still a good place to eat. They have COVID-19 measures in place, such as disinfection and acrylic partitions.

The restaurant recommended by a popular YouTuber had about 70% of its seats filled even though it was past 1 PM. The menu was extensive, but I decided on the mackerel fry and crab cream croquette barley rice set for 780 yen. The food arrived in about 10 minutes, and it was great to have grated yam included in the set at this price. The rice seemed to be refillable, but the portion was just right for me. Both the mackerel fry and crab cream croquette were very crispy, served with tartar sauce. The side dish was shredded cabbage and pickles, almost like a salad. It was evident that they put effort into using cheap cabbage creatively. The menu was diverse, and the overall impression was that they put in a lot of care. Quite good.

Just outside the west exit of Ikebukuro Station, there is a board with daily changing menus that caught my eye. Today's menu included fried oysters, minced cutlets, grated yam, barley rice, simmered dish, salad, and miso soup for 780 yen. They also had grilled saury with grated yam, barley rice, pickles, and miso soup for 760 yen. I decided to go for the fried oysters and grated yam with barley rice due to the attractive price. I descended to the basement of the restaurant via a private staircase, and I was pleased to find that it was non-smoking. The staff welcomed me with a lovely smile and guided me to a counter seat. It was my first visit, and it was already 11:50, with only a few counter seats left. The adjacent seats had transparent dividers, and there were also table seats, but the low ceiling made it feel a bit cramped. By 12:10, the restaurant was almost full, but turnover seemed fast as some diners had already finished their meals. Condiments and a water pot were shared between tables. The lunch menu had other options like scallion and toro (fatty tuna) rice bowl, oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl), katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl), simmered tofu with barley rice and toro, fried horse mackerel and crab cream croquette with barley rice and toro, salted mackerel with barley rice and toro, fatty Atka mackerel with barley rice and toro, fried chicken with barley rice and toro, pork loin cutlet with barley rice and toro, assorted sashimi with barley rice and toro, with free refills of barley rice available. The menu was extensive, and the standard Japanese lunch options were delightful, especially with the barley rice. The prices were reasonable for Ikebukuro, with a good balance of 80 yen and 20 yen coins for change. I imagined that the restaurant was thoughtful in this regard (laughs). I ordered the fried oysters and minced cutlets, and they were served in about 12 minutes. Overall, the dishes had a brownish hue. The barley rice and grated yam were tasty, with a light dashi flavor. I poured the grated yam over the barley rice; the barley rice was slightly overcooked but had a simple taste and a generous portion. The miso soup was on the richer side. The fried oysters were about 7 centimeters long and slender, with a light-colored batter, resulting in a soft texture. The oysters were slightly warm and juicy inside, and the tartar sauce had a strong acidic taste. The minced cutlet had large chunks of onions inside, which added a sweet accent. Both the meat and binder had no strong flavors and were delicious. However, they were slightly warm, and being pre-cut into two pieces, some meat juice had leaked out, which was a bit of a shame. The cabbage salad was served underneath the fried items, with a Japanese-style dressing for a refreshing touch. The simmered dish had a well-infused flavor. Overall, it was a treat to have barley rice after a long time, and it felt nourishing. The fried oysters and minced cutlets were delicious, and the simmered dish complemented them well. The seating felt cramped, and the turnover was quick. The basement location made it feel like extra care was taken with the air quality, which was appreciated. The staff had lovely smiles and efficient movements. The reasonable prices and classic Japanese menu make it seem like a place worth visiting regularly. Thank you for the meal!

Oyakodon for ¥680 with miso soup and pickles. I've been here quite a few times. I wanted to eat oyakodon, and there aren't many places that serve it, so some places serve oyakodon with yakitori instead. The taste here is decent. The soy sauce flavor of the egg is a bit strong, and I don't think they focus too much on the quality of the chicken. But the price is probably the best around here. When I feel like eating oyakodon, I think I'll end up coming here again.

Daily special set meal, Pacific saury sashimi and barley rice set meal for ¥760. The Pacific saury is whole and the barley rice is free for seconds. The price is reasonable and it's great that this place is open on weekends in the office district where many places are closed. They do not have any COVID-19 measures in place. There is no ventilation in the underground area.

I happened to be near the gym at lunchtime, so I decided to go in! I ordered the pork cutlet and it was delicious, crispy and tasty. They had a wide selection of shochu lined up, which made me want to have a drink. I bet it's also lively at night. The prices are cheap and the other menu items looked delicious, so I want to come back next time. The staff were also really nice! Everyone seemed to be ordering the same menu item one after another, so it must be the most popular. I'll definitely come back when I'm in Ikebukuro again.

There was a period when I used to go to a certain restaurant for three consecutive days. It's called Isshin. It's located right in front of Nishiguchi Park, very close to Ikebukuro Station. It's underground, so it was a bit intimidating the first time, but I'm glad I mustered up the courage to go in. For lunch, they offer a regular menu item called "Mugi Meshi," which allows you to eat to your heart's content without worrying too much about calories. Because of this, you can often see women dining alone here. The regular menu is already quite satisfying, but they also have daily specials. For example, on a certain day, option A was "Chicken Karaage and Fried Horse Mackerel" for 780 yen, and option B was "Grilled Pacific Saury and Mugi Tororo" for 760 yen. The A lunch option changes to "Menchi Katsu" on some days, so it's never boring to come here every day. Usually, the B lunch option is fish-based, so you can feel at ease whether you're in the mood for meat or fish. Previously, you could smoke even during lunchtime, but as of April 1st, due to the "Revised Health Promotion Law" and Tokyo's "Passive Smoking Prevention Ordinance," smoking is completely prohibited. There are noticeable no-smoking signs everywhere. Additionally, due to the impact of COVID-19, the number of customers seems to have decreased significantly. Lunchtime used to be bustling and almost full, with 3-4 female staff members working as part-timers, but now there was only one staff member on the floor. Let's focus on today's A lunch, "Menchi Katsu and Fried Horse Mackerel." Here's a close-up of the main dish. When it comes to fried horse mackerel, I also think of Marutomi Suisan near Ikebukuro Station's west exit. By the way, on a different day, the "Chicken Karaage and Fried Horse Mackerel" looked like this. It's hard to see in the photo, but the karaage includes both thigh and breast meat, allowing you to enjoy two different flavors. And if you choose the "Grilled Pacific Saury and Mugi Tororo," it looks like this. The world is unstable, but I hope this restaurant can continue to thrive. Thank you for the delicious meals as always!

Visited around 11:30 am on Saturday. The restaurant is located on the basement floor of a mixed-used building next to Seven Eleven in front of Ikebukuro West Exit Park. During lunchtime, they offer 10 standard menu items and a daily special. Prices range from 680 yen to 920 yen, with 6 options below 800 yen, making it budget-friendly. The interior of the restaurant is traditional and calming. I ordered the Barley and Cream Croquette Set Meal (780 yen) with Fried Horse Mackerel, which I had decided on upon entering. I later found out that rice refills are free, which was a pleasant surprise. While waiting for my food, I noticed a "Shochu Lottery" for 500 yen, where you can draw a random shochu brand from over 70 options. This seemed like an interesting idea since premium shochu is also included in the selection. The set meal arrived in about 10 minutes. The fried items were crispy and not greasy, which was great. Unfortunately, I couldn't see the crab in the Cream Croquette, but the grated yam portion was just right for half a bowl of rice. The barley rice had a nice texture with a balance of chewiness and moisture. The shredded cabbage was fresh and enjoyable. The staff were efficient and provided good service, making the dining experience pleasant. If you ever find yourself struggling to decide on a lunch spot near Ikebukuro West Exit, this place is worth considering.

I happened to be looking for a restaurant near the station and found one that seemed to serve delicious fish, so I decided to try it out. The fish dishes were really tasty. They didn't have a wide variety of sushi rolls, but they had many seasonal specialties. You can choose from about 7 different appetizers as a starter, and each one costs 300 yen. They had a good selection of shochu, but not so much of my favorite sake. However, they did have seasonal sake available for both shochu and sake.

Simmered tofu set meal for 650 yen. A block of tofu and a small amount of beef tendon simmered together. The broth is very delicious, and the tofu soaked in the broth has a perfect taste. I sprinkled plenty of red pepper on top. It makes me want to have some sake. The amount of beef tendon varies each day, and if it's too little, it feels quite unsatisfying. I wonder how to use the green onions on the small plate... I mixed rice with grated yam and pickles, and enjoyed my meal.