It's past 10 PM and I want to grab a meal before heading home, but most places are close to their last order time. I suddenly thought, why not have a simple oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl) for a change and decided to visit this restaurant near the station. It's Nakau, maybe my third time here in my life? I don't have any particularly good or bad impressions of this place. This time, I ordered the oyakodon udon set with pickles and a beer. It arrived in about 10 minutes and I dug in. Surprisingly, it's pretty good! The egg is nice and runny, and the seasoning is just right. I finished it in no time. Thanks for the meal! Hmm, I might need to add this place to my list of occasional dining spots. I'll definitely come back again.

I saw a poster the other day for a Salmon Donburi in passing and it caught my interest. I had tried a Negitoro Donburi before and it was just okay, but I thought Norwegian Salmon would be delicious. When I tried it, it was really tasty. However, the amount of salmon was a bit small. It would be nice if it came with miso soup or something. It's a bit pricey, but overall good.

Visited on the evening of June 20, 2023 (Tuesday) around 7:25 PM. The restaurant is located a 2-minute walk from the north exit of JR Akabane Station on various JR lines, under the elevated JR line. There are two entrances, but the entrance under the elevated line is closed from late night until 8 AM. Inside the restaurant, there are three ticket vending machines, two on the roadside and one under the elevated line. Prior to my review, the restaurant had 25 reviews with an average rating of 3.04. There were 7 customers when I arrived, and the staff consisted of 3 people. Many customers were opting for takeout, so even with few customers inside, there was a delay in food service. I purchased a "Beef Sukiyaki Unagi Don for 1,090 yen (tax included)" and a "Miso Soup and Pickles Set for 150 yen (tax included)" from the ticket machine. This year, the Unagi Don is available until late August as a limited-time offer. The price has increased from 850 yen two years ago to 900 yen this year, which is a reasonable increase. Previously, the restaurant only offered Unagi Don, but this year they introduced a new version with Kyoto-style beef suki. The Unagi Don had slightly smaller eel pieces, and even with the addition of beef suki, the rice was still visible. The eel was tender and flavorful without any unpleasant smell, making it a good value for the price. The "Miso Soup and Pickles Set for 150 yen (tax included)" was simple but satisfying. On a revisit on June 8, 2023, I ordered the "Special Egg Breakfast Set for 290 yen (tax included)" which had increased in price by 40 yen compared to previous years. The egg was rich and flavorful, and now comes with a mini-sized Kyoto-style pickles. The pickles were average, and the seasoned seaweed sometimes stuck together. The total bill for this visit was 290 yen. Overall, a satisfying meal at a reasonable price.

Visited around 7:00 am on June 23, 2022 (Thursday). The restaurant is located just a 2-minute walk from Akabane Station on various JR East Japan lines, under the elevated tracks of JR lines. It is open 24 hours, which is very convenient as you can eat and drink at any time. In Japan, stagflation is progressing, and prices are rising rapidly. Many udon and soba shops, including standing eateries, have raised their prices. However, it seems that "Nakau" has not raised its prices yet. At the time of my review, the restaurant had 18 reviews and an average rating of 3.05. There were 3 customers when I arrived and 6 customers came in later. The restaurant had 2 staff members, a man and a woman, working. There were two entrances, each with a ticket vending machine where you could purchase your meal ticket in advance. I selected the "Morning Tempura Soba for 330 yen (tax included)." Normally, tempura soba costs 500 yen, so it was 170 yen cheaper during breakfast hours. The "Morning Tempura Udon for 280 yen (tax included)" was also a good deal, as it usually costs 450 yen. There was a slight wait for the soba, possibly because fewer people ordered soba. After about 3-4 minutes, the meal was served. The tempura seemed a bit cold, not freshly fried. I had a better experience with freshly fried tempura at another Nakau location, although the oil was a bit heavy there. The tempura included carrots, onions, and potatoes, and was served in a separate dish. The total cost for the meal was 330 yen. Thank you for the meal.

I stopped by on my way back from work (^^) because I took the last train (T-T). McDonald's and Jonathans were already closed (^_^;) and Denny's charges late-night fees (>_<). At this hour, only Matsuya and Fuji Soba are open (T-T). Oh, Nakau is open 24 hours, I remembered, so I went there♪ It was empty in the middle of the night, with only two customers☆ I had a beef bowl (^^) but there was no "extra sauce" button on the ticket machine (T-T), so I asked the staff to add some sauce for me (>_<). There was no tea either, so I asked and they brought it to me♪ The staff were friendly☆ It was tastier than the big three companies Y, M, S (lol)

Visited on the evening of May 13, 2022 (Friday) around 7:25 pm. The restaurant is located a 2-minute walk from JR Akabane Station on various lines, under the elevated tracks in the north direction of the station. In 2022, the sale of "unagi (eel) rice bowl" has started again. As usual, it is a limited-time sale until late September. The website mentioned that the grilling method for eel is similar to "Sukiya". Prior to my review, the restaurant had 18 reviews with an average rating of "3.04". There were 7 customers already seated, 5 customers waiting, and 2 takeout orders. The restaurant was operated by a total of 3 staff members, both male and female. Two ticket vending machines were installed in the store, but one was in use by a previous customer, so I had to wait. When it was my turn, I also struggled with the operation of the machine because there was no miso soup available during dinner time. The elderly female customer in front of me chose a parent-child rice bowl and was frantically looking for the miso soup button. I couldn't find the "unagi rice bowl with pickles and miso soup set" button, so I ended up selecting the "unagi rice bowl 880 yen (tax included)" button and sat at the counter seat. I asked one of the male staff members if the miso soup and pickles set, which used to be available until last year, had been discontinued. The staff explained that during the current dinner time, miso soup was not available, and instead, it was replaced with chicken dumpling soup. The female customer in front of me also asked the same question but declined as it was not miso soup. It seemed like they might be losing orders by not offering miso soup. It's a shame, but it must be their management policy. When ordering the unagi rice bowl, I also ordered the "Kyoto-style pickles and chicken dumpling soup set 160 yen (tax included)" that the male staff member was looking for on the vending machine. The price of the unagi rice bowl had increased by 30 yen in 2022 compared to 2021. Additionally, the "sansho pepper powder" was no longer available. At this rate, I felt that the 70 yen price increase at "Sukiya" was more straightforward. It seems better not to cut costs unnecessarily and have a price increase that reflects the cost. From the counter seat, I could see the kitchen well. They packed the rice into the lacquered box, scooped up the shredded omelette with a ladle and placed it on top, then tore open the bag of grilled eel warmed in the microwave and placed it on top of the rice to complete the dish. The meal served was the unagi rice bowl, chicken dumpling soup, and pickles. It was a bit lonely without the sansho pepper powder compared to last year. The unagi rice bowl tasted delicious, as it seemed to have the same cooking method as "Sukiya". They use specialty eggs for the shredded omelette, but with the additional cost, I felt that the unagi beef bowl at "Sukiya" was more cost-effective. The chicken dumpling soup was recommended by the current "Nakau". It contained two chicken dumplings and chopped green onions in a milky soup, which was delicious, but as a 55-year-old man, I prefer miso soup. Perhaps they were considerate of the high salt content in miso soup (laughs). The Kyoto-style pickles were 20 yen more expensive than regular pickles, but I couldn't tell the difference. The 2022 eel menu includes "unagi rice bowl 880 yen (tax included)", "special unagi rice bowl 1,380 yen (tax included)", "unagi and toro rice bowl 1,030 yen (tax included)", "Nakau's hitsumabushi 1,000 yen (tax included)", and "unagi parent and child bowl 1,260 yen (tax included)". It was surprising to see the combination of unagi and parent-child bowl. Even more surprising was the high number of parent-child bowl orders. The rice bowl pot was fully operational. There were even takeout orders for six parent-child bowls. The total bill for the day was 1,040 yen. Thank you for the meal.

Visited on the morning of March 29, 2022, around 7:35 AM. The restaurant is located a 2-minute walk from Akabane Station on the JR lines, under the JR elevated tracks. Normally open 24 hours, but during the state of emergency and prevention period for the new coronavirus, they operated from 9 AM to 8 PM. Now that the prevention period has ended, I revisited for breakfast. At the time of my review, the restaurant had 18 reviews with an average rating of 3.04. There were 3 customers before me and 3 after me, with a total of 2 staff members working. At 8 AM, there was a shift change, causing a bit of a rush inside. I ordered the Fried Egg Breakfast Set and the Raw Egg Breakfast Set, both priced at 250 yen each. I usually add "Change to Pork Miso Soup for 90 yen", but they had removed pork miso soup from the menu, so I settled for the Fried Egg Breakfast Set and 3 pieces of Fried Chicken for 120 yen. The fried eggs and fried chicken were pre-made and kept warm, resulting in slightly undercooked eggs and tough chicken. The rice was overcooked and mushy, which was disappointing. I left a bit of rice uneaten. The total bill for the day was 370 yen. On a later visit on March 23, I found out that they had removed pork miso soup from the menu permanently. I ended up ordering the Grilled Fish Set for 370 yen, which included rice, miso soup, seasoned seaweed, and grilled fish. The individual condiments were all individually packaged, leading to some waste. It was sad to see the removal of pork miso soup from the menu. The total bill for this day was also 370 yen.

Visited around 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, May 20, 2021. The restaurant is located a 2-minute walk from Akabane Station on the JR lines, under the elevated tracks in the northern direction of Akabane Station. There are entrances on the east and west sides of the restaurant, each with an automatic ticket vending machine. The system requires purchasing tickets in advance, and accepts transportation IC cards and credit cards. This reduces contact with staff significantly, making it suitable for the COVID-19 era. Chopsticks and spoons are individually wrapped for hygiene. The interior has a counter with 9 seats in an I-shaped layout in front of the kitchen, as well as 2-person and 4-person table seats. The 6-person counter seats are currently used as waiting areas for takeout orders. Due to the state of emergency, the operating hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Please note that they are not open 24 hours. For operating hours after June 1, 2021, please contact the restaurant directly. At the time of my review, the restaurant had 14 reviews with an average rating of 3.04. There were 6 customers when I arrived and 4 customers came in later. The restaurant was operated by two female staff members. Personally, I have been comparing the eel bowls from major gyudon chain restaurants. I have tried the eel bowls from Sukiya, Matsuya, and Nakau. I skipped Yoshinoya after reading reviews from other reviewers (laughs). Matsuya had a limited-time sale until May 17th, so it is no longer available. Sukiya and Nakau will be available until around September. All the eel bowls have the rice covered with gyudon meat at the top. However, Nakau uses scrambled eggs to cover the visible rice part. I selected the "Eel Bowl 850 yen (tax included)" and "Pickles + Miso Soup Set 160 yen (tax included)" from the panel. This was my first order over 1,000 yen at a gyudon chain restaurant. As a solo customer, I sat at the counter. Cold tea was served, and I handed over the ticket. The restaurant also serves fried dishes, but there was a notice that fried dishes may take longer to prepare. The ingredients for my eel bowl were prepared separately. The dish was served after a 7-minute wait. The volume of eel was decent, with scrambled eggs covering the rice part. Honestly, for 850 yen, I felt that Sukiya's Unagi Gyudon for 890 yen offered better value. The eel was fluffy and had a nice texture, typical of the Zensho Group. However, the sauce was a bit too sweet for my liking. The pickles and miso soup were standard and common to other dishes. Nakau's miso soup usually features seasonal ingredients, with bamboo shoots being a common choice, but on this day, spinach was used. Perhaps they have excess spinach due to fewer customers? In that case, the bamboo shoot farmers might be struggling. In my personal ranking of eel bowls from gyudon chain restaurants, Sukiya > Nakau > Matsuya. I will try Yoshinoya next time. The total bill for this day was 1,010 yen. Thank you for the meal.

I went to Akabane and found a restaurant called "Nakau" in the shopping street under the elevated train tracks. I bought a ticket for a Japanese-style beef bowl at the ticket machine and waited at the assigned seat. On the table, there were packets of pickled ginger, shichimi pepper, and disposable chopsticks. It felt a bit inconvenient that all the seasonings were in packets for dine-in customers. It felt like eating a takeout meal inside the restaurant. I wouldn't go out of my way to try the beef bowl at Nakau. It was a place that made me think about how to deal with COVID-19.

On February 20, 2019 (Wednesday) at 14:40, I walked from Akabane Chuo Hospital to Akabane Nishiguchi Bus Stop, and because the weather was warm today, I sweated a little. I was feeling hungry, so before getting on the bus, I chose the Parent and Child Donburi Mini with Zaru Udon (regular size) for 780 yen. Last time, I had the Parent and Child Donburi with a small Cold Udon set for 670 yen. I was debating whether to make the Parent and Child Donburi the main dish or the Udon. The Zaru Udon was nicely chilled, firm, and had a good texture. I entered from the entrance on the side where the bus stop is located for the first time. It was delicious. Bon appétit!

Outside the shop, there is a sign that says "Tan Tan Udon". First, you buy a meal ticket from the ticket machine. I bought a meal ticket for Kama-tama Udon. There are only counter seats. On the table, there are shichimi (seven spice blend), pickled ginger, and soy sauce. There is a new menu sign on the wall. Background music is a Japanese-style song. I ordered Kama-tama Udon with yuzu kosho and raw egg. The udon noodles are round and chewy. When you break the raw egg, it becomes gooey with a hint of yuzu flavor. Next time, I plan to try the shrimp tempura udon.

[Menu Rating] ☆3.4 Four Cheese Oyakodon ☆3.0 Unadon Gokai Mori [Food Report] *Motivation I wanted to have a slightly heavy meal from the morning, and since I felt like the convenience store wouldn't be satisfying, I decided to go to Nakau, a place that opens early in the morning near the station. They also have service tickets, so I went in right away. *Access I got off at the west exit of Akabane Station, turned right, walked a little north towards Kitashimoakabane along Route 460, and found the place. *Arrival I arrived around 8:15 am and was able to enter without any wait. It seems to be empty in the morning. *Inside the Store First, I purchased a meal ticket, and since I had already decided on what to eat, the Four Cheese Oyakodon, which I really like, I ordered the large size even though it was morning! I sat at a vacant counter seat, handed over the service ticket for 2 pieces of chicken cartilage, and waited. The food arrived in about 5 minutes. *Tasting Update 20210711 - Unadon Gokai Mori I saw a promotional photo from outside that showed a voluminous eel bowl, so I couldn't resist ordering it! It's a bit pricey at 1650 yen in Nakau, but it comes with plenty of eel. The eel itself is not too squeezed, and it feels a bit oily, but the quantity is enough to satisfy. I'd like to try eating it with egg and sauce like a katsudon. 20190219 - Four Cheese Oyakodon The bowl is filled with chicken and onions in egg and sauce, looking deliciously gooey. I sprinkled some pepper from the provided shaker and took a bite! The fluffy egg, melty cheese, and juicy chicken all match well and taste great. Unlike a regular oyakodon that may feel a bit lacking, this one has a satisfying amount of food. The cheese adds a salty flavor, so I think the oyakodon could be a bit sweeter, but I really liked the combination of oyakodon and cheese. The fried chicken is a bit salty as it is, so I think it would be easier to eat with a sweet and savory seasoning. It seems to be a limited-time offer, but I want to go back and eat it again while I can. *Payment Since you purchase a meal ticket first, I think they only accept cash.

Vending machine. 670 yen. The egg was cooked just right, with a nice creamy texture, the chicken had a good texture, and the sauce was flavorful with a rich broth, making it a very delicious rice bowl. The small udon had a light golden color typical of Kyoto broth, with soft noodles that paired well with the broth, also making it a tasty dish. Thank you for the meal.

Eating Out Edition - The Negi in the Beef Bowl is Unacceptable, It's Raw! - Japanese Style Gyudon @ Nakau/Akabane This is a story from a little while ago, but on 9/30 (Sunday) for lunch, I felt like having a beef bowl and headed to this restaurant. It's "Nakau" Akabane Nishiguchi branch. The restaurant is located under the JR elevated train tracks. It looked like it was about to rain, so I decided to go to this restaurant where I wouldn't get wet. First, I checked the menu. As planned, I ordered the Japanese style beef bowl regular size (380 yen). The Japanese style beef bowl arrived promptly. The difference from the major chains is that they use long green onions instead of regular onions, and it also has shirataki noodles in it. Topped with pickled ginger and sprinkled with shichimi pepper, I was ready to dig in. Of course, beef bowls are best with pickled ginger and shichimi pepper. Let's dig in. Yum yum yum. Oh, delicious! The beef in the beef bowl always tastes great. The green onions as toppings were raw. This is unacceptable. The shirataki noodles were just okay. The rice soaked in the sauce was also tasty! I could easily eat just this. The pickled ginger did a great job. I slurped down the Japanese style beef bowl, and finished it in one go. Phew, I'm full. With this taste and portion size at this price, the cost performance is good, but I can't say I'm completely satisfied with the raw green onions. With that in mind, Miyaken left the restaurant. The end. As of January 2011, the total number of meals eaten out (breakfast and lunch, excluding company cafeterias) up to this date is 1,025 meals, with an average price of 469 yen per meal including tax.

I ate zaru soba (cold buckwheat noodles) (^^) It was refreshing and delicious (>_<)

I went with my mother. We ate kitsune udon. It was light and delicious.

I want to eat shaved ice in the summer! If there was a shop nearby, I would want to visit once a week. I don't know if it's because I eat it occasionally, but I'm always impressed every time. It's so delicious.

Beef sukiyaki bowl with Shirataki noodles has a slippery texture.