蓼喰人
The branch of "Kougai Ken," whose main store is in Hiroo, is located in the restaurant area of Seibu Ikebukuro. It has been less than two years since its opening, but before that, another Western-style restaurant was in the same location, and many people seem unaware that the restaurant has changed. I took the elevator up to the 8th floor, where you can stop by without having to endure the hot outdoor air while shopping in Ikebukuro. It was just before 11 o'clock, and there were people waiting outside popular restaurants, sitting on chairs. There were no waiting customers here, so I entered as the first customer when it opened. I was seated at a 2-person table in the middle. The menu features photos of their proud dishes. Additionally, there are handwritten side menu items on a large blackboard, which staff bring to the front of the customers on an easel. The most popular item seems to be the "Western Plate," which includes a hamburger and shrimp fry. On the other hand, the "All-You-Can-Eat Plate," which includes omurice and fried food, also seems like a good deal. After some thought, I ordered the "All-You-Can-Eat Plate" (2,200 yen) and added the "Crispy Menchi Katsu" (550 yen) from the side menu. I also ordered a Highball from the lunch alcohol menu, which is all priced at 550 yen. It took about 15 minutes for the set to be served. The "All-You-Can-Eat Plate" had an omurice in the center of a large oval plate, with Hayashi sauce poured on the right side. A shrimp fry was placed on top, a "Crab Cream Croquette" was placed in front, and a small cocotte with salad and tartar sauce was placed beyond that. I started with the shrimp fry, which was fried with the head on, so the meat was overcooked, but the shell and legs had a crispy texture, and I enjoyed the miso inside as well. When I cracked open the Crab Cream Croquette, it had a good amount of crab meat and flavor, even though it lacked creaminess. The omurice egg was nicely cooked with a fluffy texture. As mentioned in a review, the rice inside was white rice, not ketchup-flavored chicken rice, so it was a bit disappointing. The key to the Hayashi sauce in the omurice is the Hayashi sauce itself. The sauce had a good richness but was lacking in flavor, making it weak in tying together the omelet and rice flavors. The salad included leaf lettuce, ham potato salad, and a slice of tomato. The potato salad was well-made, and the dressing was decent. The separately ordered "Crispy Menchi Katsu" was a 7cm thick disk with plenty of demiglace sauce, so the crispy texture was not very noticeable. When cut, the meat was juicy with a good texture. The demiglace sauce had a unique flavor with a hint of spice, but it was not bad. Although the omurice was a bit lacking, adding the menchi katsu to it increased the overall satisfaction. I was given a glass of red lunch wine, which paired well with the menchi katsu. Despite some shortcomings in the food quality and taste, I was reasonably satisfied with the meal. Including a Highball and a glass of wine, the total bill was less than 4,000 yen, making it quite affordable for lunch. By the time it was close to 12 o'clock, I saw customers waiting outside here as well. Initially, I planned to have dessert as well, but I decided against it. Since it's inside a department store, it's unlikely that I would go out of my way to visit at night, but I think it's convenient to stop by for lunch at a slightly off-peak time.