Tokyo Ikebukuro [Nanja Town] ☑️ Kasumi drink of Tokito Muichiro ¥990 * Comes with an illustration sheet for each menu item Held again this year! Collaboration between Nanja Town and Demon Slayer August 8, 2023 (Tuesday) - September 24, 2023 (Sunday) Tokyo, Toshima-ku, Higashi-Ikebukuro 3-1-3 Sunshine City World Import Mart Building 2F Period: August 8, 2023 (Tuesday) - September 24, 2023 (Sunday) 10:00-21:00

I went with a child who has a big appetite. The child loves the gyoza with mentaiko mayo from Gyoza Damashii and kept asking for more. I prefer the gyoza from Shigoshikaku. The taste was similar to the one at the other restaurant and delicious. It took about 10 minutes to cook at each place, but they were not too hot and we could eat them quickly without burning our mouths. We had to pay an entrance fee because it was not a weekday night, but I would like to go again on a free day and enjoy the sightseeing vibe.

Having dinner with friends in Ikebukuro. We talked about various things and then headed to Gyoza Stadium in Namco Namja Town. It used to be in Osaka too, but it seems it's not as popular there anymore. However, in Ikebukuro, it's still there. When we arrived, we had to pay an entrance fee of 800 yen to get in, which gave it a kind of premium feel. Inside, there were about 8 different shops. We decided to try a variety of gyoza from different famous shops. We tried gyoza from Sio, Rairan, Koran, Ni-hao, Hoka-Tei, Bao-Oh, Ron, Gyoza Soul, and Denden. Each shop had its own unique style and flavors, and we enjoyed comparing and trying them all. Overall, it was a fun experience tasting different types of gyoza, although the atmosphere was not very conducive for lingering and drinking. The gyoza were delicious, and we had a great time. Thank you for the meal!

Today's Piyopiyo Gourmet is the Gyoza Stadium at Nanja Town, located 8 minutes on foot from Ikebukuro Station in Sunshine City, World Import Mart 2nd floor! To use the Gyoza Stadium, it seems that you have to pay an entrance fee. Inside the Gyoza Stadium, it feels like you've taken a trip back to the Showa era♪ The setting is part of Nanja Town, so every detail is decorated, making it fun to walk around inside the stadium♪ There are many gyoza shops where you can try a little bit of each. Some shops may have a bit of a wait. I waited about 10 minutes for some popular shops♪ So, it's recommended to eat as soon as it's served, as waiting to try everything may cause other items to cool down. I suggest going with a large group and trying a variety of options!

I recently indulged in dumplings in Utsunomiya, but I wasn't satisfied, so I came here!! The Gyoza Museum inside Namja Town! The entrance fee is 500 yen, but it's free after 6 pm! Depending on the time, the cat-like character here will come around to cheer and toast. Our table, already piled with beer cups, was ignored though (lol). We paid the entrance fee, chugged a 580 yen beer, and contributed, but it's so mean!! lol In the end, it's just amusement park food. It strongly feels like it's trying to cover up the garlic scent. The "Japan's longest gyoza" is rolled up in a spiral, and when you lift the end, it peels off and becomes stick-shaped. The appearance and naming are funny, but there's a lot of skin and you can't really taste the filling. It feels like you're eating wheat with gyoza sauce. The beef gyoza has a scent that lets you know you're eating beef. The beef fat. Hmm (๑´•.̫ • `๑) The interior of the museum is also designed in a Showa-era street stall style, and in that kind of space, we enjoyed various types of gyoza from different shops while drinking beer! Yeah, it's a place to go for that kind of experience!

At Sunshine City's Namja Town in East Ikebukuro, they have been hosting the Gyoza Stadium for quite a long time. In July 2018, I stopped by to eat some gyoza. Here are some of the highlights: - Hamamatsu Ishimatsu Gyoza: Among the various Hamamatsu gyoza, Ishimatsu Gyoza is my favorite. It is juicy with plenty of cabbage and has a delicious flavor that changed my perception of meat gyoza. - Hoko-Ou: Known for using Omi beef in their beef gyoza and pork in their pork gyoza, this shop is mainly focused on online sales but is the most popular at Gyoza Stadium. The flavors of the beef and pork really stand out in the filling, making it a true meat gyoza. - Sango-Roku-Sai-Kan: Gyoza from Yokohama's Chinatown is easy to eat. - Rori: The skin and filling of the Nagasaki Suigyoza are incredibly delicious. - Koran: The Kobe miso sauce gyoza is a perfect match. - Gunma Gyoza Workshop RON: The Joushu barley pork gyoza brings out the deliciousness of the pork. There are also gyoza from Utsunomiya, but I'll refrain from mentioning them as I prefer to eat them locally. All the gyoza are served freshly cooked, so you can enjoy the taste of famous restaurants. However, it's unlikely that they can fully replicate the taste of the original restaurants. I still want to go to the actual restaurants and eat there. I enjoyed the gyoza with beer.

I see, I think no matter which store you go to, it seems the same. Well, shall we go to Osho?

I tried about three different places. The winged gyoza in Kamata was delicious!

I took advantage of the free admission to Namba Parks on July 18th, so I went to Gyoza Stadium for the first time in a while. I tried various gyoza in a retro Showa atmosphere. First, I tried Ishimatsu Gyoza. The gyoza made with Omi beef felt more like a grilled Omi beef mince wrapped in dough rather than traditional gyoza. The filling inside was delicious. The feast of Chinatown also offered gyoza from three different shops, showing the deliciousness of famous Chinatown restaurants. I finished off with Ishimatsu Gyoza. There are different types of gyoza with their own unique characteristics, making it enjoyable to try them all.

After visiting Sunshine Aquarium, we headed to the 2nd floor to check out "Nanja Town", a popular course at Sunshine City. Surprisingly, my wife decided to join us today. We paid the entrance fee (500 yen for adults) at Nanja Town and headed to the virtual shopping street called "Fukubukuro Shichome Shotengai". Our plan was to have a light lunch at "Nanja Gyoza Stadium" and then compare the famous gyoza from Utsunomiya and Hamamatsu at Utsunomiya Gyoza Hall. It was a bit disappointing that they didn't serve ramen though. For lunch today, we compared "Kentaro Gyoza" from Utsunomiya and "Ishimatsu Gyoza" from Hamamatsu. The gyoza portions were smaller and the prices were slightly lower compared to other entertainment facilities. It seemed like they wanted to offer a variety of famous gyoza for customers to try. - "Utsunomiya Kentaro Gyoza (5 pieces)" (390 yen): The vegetables (cabbage, leek, etc.) were slightly larger and had a good texture. The pork was light and not overpowering, making it easy to eat. However, I didn't feel a strong dedication to gyoza like I do with ramen, so my review was also light. - "Ishimatsu Gyoza (4 pieces)" (400 yen): I have been eating Hamamatsu gyoza since I was a child. It was a light gyoza that even children could eat without resistance. The ingredients were finely chopped, both the meat and vegetables, giving it a gentle texture. I only noticed the boiled bean sprouts that come with Hamamatsu gyoza when I became an adult and started living in Tokyo. The boiled bean sprouts have now become a "feature" of Hamamatsu gyoza, but it felt a bit strange to me who had been eating it since I was young. In the Fukubukuro Shichome Shotengai, you can also enjoy various desserts at "Fukubukuro Dessert Yokocho". My wife's feedback was quite positive. The combination of gyoza and dessert was enjoyable. Thank you for the meal. P.S. On the way back, we took the Toden from "Higashi-Ikebukuro Yonchome" to Nishi-Sugamo. Along the way, we passed by "Higashi-Ikebukuro Daishoken Main Store" where we had lunch recently. I couldn't help but think that it might have been a good idea to have lunch at Daishoken, even if it was a bit crowded. That's what I thought on the way back.

We love dumplings, so our group headed to Gyoza Stadium inside NAMJATOWN. If you don't ride any attractions, you can enter the stadium with an entrance fee of 500 yen. It was Saturday night, but surprisingly not crowded. From Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south, representative dumplings are sold at the street food stalls. The first one we tried was Maruman Gyoza, which looked different from regular dumplings - round and plump fried dumplings. We tried a set of 4 with KG at a small eat-in space in front of the stall. The taste was unique, not like typical dumplings, with a special aroma in the dough. It was juicy with a lot of soup inside, but it didn't leave a big impression. Next, we tried the iron pot dumplings from Hakata, Kyushu. We chose the cheese flavor this time. Served in a sizzling iron pot, the cheese was melted and gooey. The dumplings were small, so you could eat many of them, but the cheese flavor was overpowering. Maybe the normal flavor would have been better. Lastly, we tried Utsunomiya Gyoza. We chose a half & half set of two types, including Ishimatsu Gyoza. We enjoyed it with a grapefruit sour. It tasted like chilled dumplings from the supermarket, with disappointing sauce. Despite being part of an amusement facility, overall, the quality was not impressive. It was more like a snack to fill the stomach while having fun. Still, it was enjoyable to try different types of dumplings.

I have visited this place about 5-6 times in the past. It's great that you can compare dumplings from various shops, but it wasn't ideal for us who wanted to try different dumplings from different shops all at once. However, it was fun to see various shops set up as food stalls, allowing us to order our favorite items from each shop. My favorite flavor was the beef dumplings from Bao Wang. There were also unique menu items like cheese wing dumplings and dumplings with spicy miso mayo, so we could enjoy a variety of dumplings without getting tired of them no matter how many we ate.

<Tetsu Nabe Arae Honten> Tetsu Nabe Gyoza (6 pieces) 390 yen x 2 Draft Beer 560 yen <Maruman> Maruman Gyoza (3 pieces) 390 yen <Huako> Huako Gyoza (3 pieces) 310 yen <Utsunomiya Gyoza-kan / Ishimatsu> Utsunomiya Kenta Gyoza (5 pieces) 390 yen Ishimatsu Gyoza (4 pieces) 400 yen Total: 2,830 yen Separate entrance fee required. There are restaurants where you can eat inside and others where you cannot, making the system confusing. It was only after finishing all the food that we found out it was okay to bring in gyoza from other shops. It would be nice if the staff could provide some guidance or at least a notice posted in the restaurant. It's quite challenging for restaurants that only offer takeout. Can you only pour the sauce directly on the gyoza?