I think patience is important after all. Today's lunch was at a motsu-yaki izakaya called Kakuyoshi Ichigaya. Located along Yasukuni Street heading towards Kudanshita from Ichigaya, right next to the popular ramen shop Ikaruga, I decided to visit this place. I initially wanted to go to Ikaruga, but I was late and it was already past 12 o'clock, so there were about 10 people waiting outside... I gave up waiting and went into this restaurant next door. I confirmed that the prices in this area of Ichigaya are relatively reasonable. Since there were seats available, I was able to sit down right away. From the lunch menu, I ordered the "Chicken Katsu Don for 770 yen." Or rather, as soon as I sat down, tea, miso soup, and pickles were brought to me (゜o゜; Isn't the miso soup and pickles a bit too early? The tea, miso soup, and pickles were already prepared and waiting at the counter. The tea was lukewarm and had cooled down, and the pickles were slightly dried out (･o･;) I think it would be better to serve water instead of lukewarm tea, and even if preparing in advance, some effort should be made to prevent the ingredients from drying out... The food arrived relatively quickly. The taste was decent, but the portion was good, so I think it's reasonably cost-effective.

Cheap and fast! Quick and easy!

The liver sashimi is cheap and delicious! Great value for money!

The menu is rich. I was eating katsu curry.

"Hormone rice bowl"

"Specialty Motsu Curry"

Chicken cutlet bowl for 630 yen is reasonable.

Visit on 11/20/2017 This Monday, work took longer than usual. So, on my way back from work to the station, I decided to stop by a motsu-yaki (grilled offal) restaurant located on the route, near Ichigaya Station. Heading towards Kudanshita on Yasukuni Street from Ichigaya Station, it's on the right side before the Togo Koen intersection, in a semi-basement. It's less than a minute walk from the nearest subway exit. I entered around 6:40 PM. The restaurant has table seats on the right and the kitchen and counter on the left. Although the whole place wasn't crowded, I was squeezed into the packed counter. It was a bit disappointing to see a single customer who came after me being seated at a table. I started with a black Hoppy (a low-malt beer-like drink). The scallop appetizer was soft and delicious. The Kinmiya (another drink) for refill was a bit pricey. I ordered several motsu-yaki skewers. First came the torotan (fatty beef tongue) and kashira (pig cheek). The torotan was tender with a nice chewy texture and good flavor. The kashira was just regular pork. I also ordered moyashi namul (bean sprout salad). It was a bit salty but tasty, and the portion was too big. Next, I had teppo (beef tripe). It had a chewy texture but the flavor was a bit lacking. Then, I had shirokoro (white intestine) and hormon (pork intestine) served with sauce and sprinkled with sansho pepper. The shirokoro had a good chew and a nice taste. The hormon was decent but slightly inferior to the shirokoro. I had 4 refills of Hoppy Nakami, and the total bill was 2754 yen. It felt a bit expensive for Hoppy and motsu-yaki. I wasn't completely satisfied with the service. [Restaurant Information] Chiyoda-ku, Kudan Minami 4-7-16, Ichigaya KT Building IIB1F

I visited for lunch on a regular day. The Foodlog score at the time of visit was 3.00. The restaurant is located on the underground floor near Ichigaya Station, along Yasukuni Street. I arrived around 12:15 pm. There were empty tables, so I sat down. The customers were mostly men. The menu had daily specials and rice bowl dishes, and I chose the Chicken Cutlet Bowl (680 yen) and ordered it. I asked for the large size, which was free. It arrived in a few minutes - quite fast. It was a lot of food, even though I asked for the large size... I felt sorry. The rice portion was too much, and the ratio with the chicken cutlet was off. It was saved by adding more sauce. The miso soup and pickles were average. I was very full. Maybe the set meal would have been a better choice. It was cheap, fast, and filling. I'm not sure if I would visit again. That's all, Osomatsu!

Located along Yasukuni Street, heading towards Kudan from Ichigaya Station, is a yakitori restaurant. According to Tabelog, it seems to be part of a chain with several locations in the eastern part of Tokyo. However, there are only lunch reviews for this Ichigaya branch, with no reviews for dinner. It is rare for this type of restaurant. I decided to stop by for a drink after work on a weekday. Upon entering the semi-basement restaurant, I was the only customer with no one else present during my hour-long stay. I started with a stew and beer, and ordered yakitori skewers priced around 150 yen each. You can order just one skewer. The skewers grilled over charcoal were decent. However, the lack of atmosphere in the empty restaurant made it a bit lonely. The bill was not particularly cheap either, and overall, it was a restaurant that lacked distinct characteristics, making it difficult to write a review about.

After finishing work in Ichigaya on December 22, it was lunchtime. Since it started drizzling, I decided to have lunch nearby. I noticed a sign for homemade bowl lunches and decided to try it. [Order] The options on the stand were: - Daily special set meal: 750 yen - Tender chicken and egg bowl: 630 yen - Famous offal curry bowl: 680 yen - Vegetable-filled fried chicken with sauce bowl: 680 yen - Chicken cutlet bowl: 680 yen - Hormone bowl: 680 yen I ordered the "Beef Sukiyaki Bowl" for 700 yen, which came with miso soup. [Taste] The sukiyaki bowl had beef, onions, tofu, half-cooked egg, and pickled ginger on top. When I broke the half-cooked egg with my chopsticks, the yolk flowed out smoothly, mixing with the beef, just like sukiyaki. The portion was generous, similar to a large beef bowl, so it was very satisfying. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal! The lunch hours are from 11:30 to 14:00.

Located facing Yasukuni Street, this restaurant is a bit hard to notice as it is semi-underground. The lunch prices here are considered quite cheap for this area. The interior is like a typical izakaya. The food is average in taste, with the curry tripe being a popular choice. I chose the daily special which was a combination of two dishes. The curry hamburger and fried chicken combo for 750 yen was a large portion. The taste was average and the prices were cheap. The daily lunch specials include dishes like beef harami, fried chicken, and ginger pork. I revisited the restaurant and tried the curry hamburger and fried chicken combo for 750 yen, which came with a large portion of rice. The quality of the beef harami was not the best, but the portion size was generous for the price.

Less than 200 meters from Ichigaya Station, there is a building facing the street where Nihonbashi Kakuyoshi displays several photos of rice bowl dishes. The restaurant is located underground, so you have to go down the outside stairs. The place was packed, so I had to wait for a while inside. While waiting, I changed my mind and decided to go for the daily special set meal which included grilled beef harami, minced meat cutlet, and fried chicken. It looked very appealing. The two people sitting next to me ordered a creamy chicken and egg rice bowl, which made me doubt my choice. But when the dishes arrived, I was happy with my decision. The beef harami was juicy, the minced meat cutlet was large, and the garlic-flavored fried chicken was delicious. It turned out to be a great meal for only 750 yen.

The other day, I was watching a BS channel that I don't usually watch, and they were airing "Keiji Monogatari 2 - Ringo no Uta," a detective story featuring the familiar character Detective Katayama played by Tetsuya Takeda. In the ending scene, Detective Katayama takes Takeshi, who is wearing Showa-era shorts, to "Asunaro-en" where they part ways with tears. Suddenly, without an intro, "Kuchibiru wo Kamishimete" by Takuro Yoshida starts playing. I can't stop looping in my head. If you're curious, you can watch the ending on YouTube by searching for "Keiji Monogatari 2 ED." It might not make you cry just by watching the ending though. Later, I went back home and had lunch at "Nihonbashi Kakukichi Ichigaya Store." The place was crowded, but there were few staff members, which made a female customer who came in later impatient and leave the store. I didn't think the service was that bad. They had a variety of lunch menu options, all served with pickled daikon radish. I tried the "Kakukichi specialty motsu curry bowl," which had plenty of tripe and chunks of potatoes. I thought the round pieces were meatballs, but they turned out to be konjac. It might be a good choice for a hearty lunch. Thank you for the meal.

In Ichigaya, I was in the mood for soba for lunch, but I was lured by the word "motsu" and unconsciously entered a restaurant. I'm not particularly fond of motsu, but I entered anyway. I immediately regretted it as soon as I entered the half-basement store. Smokers were dominating the place without any regard for manners, smoking away even when people were eating next to them! I asked to be moved to a seat further back, but the smell of smoke was still overwhelming. The lunch menu had 6 items listed with prices excluding tax, and I quickly chose the "Torinanshan Don" for ¥630. The homemade tartar sauce that came with it was a bit sour, but I guess that's how it is. Lunch at an izakaya is not really recommended.

During a training session in Ichigaya, I wandered around deciding where to have lunch. I stumbled upon a restaurant called "Kakukichi" with a sign saying "Lunch". They offered about 9 different rice bowl lunches, and I chose their specialty, "Motsu Curry". It came in a large bowl with miso soup and pickles for only 650 yen! It was cheap! Plus, you could get a free extra serving. The Motsu Curry was rich and thick, with a unique texture from the konjac. I highly recommend it if you're in the area.

I visited the restaurant on a certain day in May 2013 during lunchtime. It was quite crowded with office workers around Ichigaya. I sat at the counter and ordered the "nebauma don" for ¥650. It was served after about 5 minutes. At first glance, it didn't seem to have a lot of volume. I mixed the sticky ingredients and ate it. The taste was as expected, nothing too surprising. The lunch at this restaurant is reasonably priced, but it might be better to choose a meat dish. It seems like a good place for cheap drinks and food in the evening, so maybe it's worth remembering for a visit at night.

I was looking for a lunch spot on my way back from work in Ichigaya and was drawn in by the low prices. I ordered the katsudon. As a rice lover, I can be picky! It arrived in less than 5 minutes! The presentation was average, but the taste was... not bad for the price! The place seemed to be quite popular with customers. The taste was quite good for the price. If I were to be picky, the crispy texture was a bit lacking. Since it's a lunch menu, they probably pre-fry it. They have a variety of menu options, so I'll try something different next time!