In the midst of the continuing intense heat, a noticeable "monkfish hot pot" flag catches the eye. The orange sign also mentions "Sendai beef," which is intriguing. Located about a 2-minute walk from Minami-Mizue Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line. It's two doors down from the "Black Wagyu Yakiniku Ushikuro" that opened last year. An izakaya that serves sake, fresh fish, and Sendai beef called "Zen." Upon entering, I checked the menu on the standing sign outside. The interior of the restaurant has a chic atmosphere with black and brown tones. There are counter seats and tables for two. The staff, two women, greeted us. The background music playing included nostalgic songs like "Romance Flight" by Kome Kome Club, "The Hottest Summer in the World" by Puri Puri, "Until the End of the World" by WANDS, and My Little Lover. The chilled tumbler for water was The Premium Malt's Master's Dream. It might be a Suntory "God Foam" expert store. The Sawara tempura set meal costs 900 yen. The miso soup included crispy zucchini, and there were two sweet shrimp heads inside, giving it a shrimp flavor. The rice was served in a small tea cup, with the option for one refill. The small dishes included penne with meat sauce, which had a hint of curry flavor, and turnip and cucumber pickles. The main dish was fried mackerel, cut into bite-sized pieces and served with a side salad of leafy greens with sesame dressing. The mackerel was crispy and delicious on its own, but also tasted refreshing with a tangy ponzu sauce. The mackerel is sourced from a local supplier and prepared in-house. Although the positioning of the penne with meat sauce felt a bit odd, the meal was delicious and satisfying. I have a feeling the evening menu would be just as good.

The lunch was delicious, so I'm looking forward to dinner as well. Located a 3-minute walk from Mizue Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line, this restaurant opened about half a year ago in the place where Oden Se Sanriku was located before. This was my second visit, and I decided to go with the Grilled Beef Harami Set for 1,000 yen, which includes harami steak, small side dishes, rice, miso soup, and pickles. Just like the last time, the meal was delicious and felt like a good deal for the price. Compared to a yakiniku restaurant set meal, this one has a more relaxed and traditional Japanese taste, allowing for a more leisurely dining experience. I plan to try other dishes on my next visit. Thank you for the meal.

I had lunch at Zen, a new restaurant in Mizue that serves sake, appetizers, fresh fish, and Sendai beef. The area around Mizue Station is mainly residential, so it can be difficult to find lunch options, but Zen offers lunch menus, which is a lifesaver. The prices are also reasonable, with options under 1000 yen and free refills of rice. On this day, I had the pork ginger stir-fry set meal. I will definitely visit again. Thank you for the meal!

The lunch was delicious, so I can expect the same for dinner as well. A new restaurant opened 4 months ago, located a 3-minute walk from Mizue Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line. It used to be a place called Odense Sanriku. I was in the mood for Chinese food while exploring Mizue, but when I passed by this restaurant, an easel caught my eye and the staff invited me in. They recently started serving lunch. The interior had tables and a counter, similar to the previous establishment. I don't remember ever going to the previous place. I sat at a table and looked at the menu. I ordered the grilled beef skirt steak set for 1,000 yen, which came with skirt steak, side dishes, rice, miso soup, and pickles. The skirt steak was delicious, thick, and had little to no meaty smell (I am sensitive to meaty smells). Considering the cost of 1,000 yen, it was quite tasty. It's very convenient to have a restaurant within walking distance from Mizue Station. Thank you for the meal. Next time, I might try the grilled mackerel with salt set for 900 yen, or the grilled chicken with grated ponzu sauce for 900 yen.

Lunch has just started at this place, which used to only operate at night. I decided to try it out right away. They offer lunch every week on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday starting at 11:30. The prices are reasonable, around 900-1000 yen. Today, I chose the top menu item, the grilled beef harami set. The portion of meat was just right for me, and it was refreshing with grated radish. The macaroni with curry-flavored minced meat as a side dish was also good. It's great to have more lunch options in this area.

I visited "Zen" located within a 5-minute walk from Mizue Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line. I reserved a reasonable course for this day. I entered the restaurant at 18:30. The interior had around 20 seats, including counter and table seats. There were four staff members, including the head chef, all of whom were working hard and had a pleasant demeanor. The course started with an aperitif, followed by appetizers, foie gras, sashimi, tempura, Sendai beef, hot pot, and zosui (rice soup). I enjoyed the head chef's recommended sake, Aisajiman, as well as the Midori no Highball and draft beer. Everything was delicious! The Aisajiman sake, in particular, left a strong impression. Considering the quality of the food and the price, I would consider revisiting this restaurant. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

A new izakaya recently opened next to a standing bar. The interior has three tables and a counter seat. The menu seems relatively wide with items like simmered silver cod, persimmon and komatsuna salad, sashimi of water octopus, simmered oysters, and grilled duck with yuzu pepper. We enjoyed these dishes along with highballs and sake in a relaxed atmosphere. Another quiet evening passes by.