I went to a Japanese restaurant that mainly serves fresh fish for lunch. The interior of the restaurant had a large fish tank in the center surrounded by a counter, which made a big impression. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo, but the fish tank was huge, taking up more than half of the restaurant. There were only a few types of fish available, such as flounder and sea bream, probably due to the market being closed or the current situation. The lunch menu was a classic Japanese meal that you might expect at a ryokan (Japanese inn). The food arrived in about 10 minutes. The tempura was freshly fried and well done. The tuna sashimi was delicious, but I was hoping for more variety of sashimi since they focus on fresh fish. The simmered dishes were well-seasoned and tasty, and overall, the meal was satisfying and reasonably priced. Despite the impressive fish tank, I felt that using ordinary ingredients made it unnecessary, but perhaps they prepare specific fish requested by customers in the evening? Some restaurants promote freshly sliced fish, but for fish that are not aged, like tuna, there may be concerns about parasites and the texture may not be as tender and flavorful. Overall, the food was delicious and reasonably priced, making it a recommended choice for a Japanese lunch. Thank you for the meal. It was delicious. The original main store located in the basement across from the market has apparently closed since the market relocation, making this location the main store for the group.

I used it for lunch on a regular day. It is located downstairs. I ordered the "tempura set meal". Personally, I prefer tempura that is a little more crispy, so I was a bit disappointed. Still, it's nice to be able to eat freshly fried tempura at this price.

"Tempura, sashimi, and small dishes," "Private tatami room available for banquets," "Wakatake" - these are written on the sign. Located near the station at the narrowest street by the Rokumata intersection in Ikebukuro East Exit. You have to go down a set of stairs to enter the coffee shop "Flea Market" underground. The interior has a counter and small tatami seating. It felt like I had been to this place before, even though I wasn't sure. It was lunchtime, around 1:30 pm, and the place was not crowded, so I was recommended to sit in the tatami area. The menu mainly consisted of tempura and sashimi dishes. I ordered the "Shrimp Bowl with Extra Rice" (1,100 yen) with an additional "Custom Tempura and Smelt Tempura" (300 yen) - as shown in the photo. The shrimp bowl came with 3 shrimp and vegetable tempura, including pumpkin, bell pepper, and shimeji mushrooms. The tempura batter was not too thick but had a dense texture that preserved the flavor of the ingredients, reminiscent of traditional Edo-style tempura rice bowls. The sauce had a hint of sweetness from water candy but was not overpowering, with a subtle burnt flavor adding depth. Each ingredient in the tempura had its own distinct taste, all within a reasonable price range. The miso soup served was clam-based, and the pickles included a type of leafy chili pepper. Overall, it was a pleasant and cozy dining experience. The atmosphere was relaxed, making it a perfect spot for enjoying a drink and some freshly fried tempura at the counter. (Reviewed by Kyonatsu Shuukuu, 2019.9.20) (Rating: 6/10)

This is a tempura restaurant located on the basement floor of a building on a quiet backstreet off Meiji Street. There are surprisingly few tempura restaurants in Ikebukuro, which is nice. For lunch, they offer not only tempura rice bowls but also tempura set meals and recommended sashimi with tempura set meals. The lunch special includes a regular tempura rice bowl for 800 yen, but this time I ordered the large size for 1,100 yen. The restaurant has both counter seating and tatami seating, but the layout is quite narrow. It took a bit of time for the order to be ready. The tempura was served in a tiered box, featuring black tiger shrimp tempura, pumpkin, scallop, shishito pepper, small scallops, and small shrimp tempura. The dipping sauce was a slightly spicy Edo-style broth that went well with the rice. The portion of rice was on the smaller side, but I wonder if they charge extra for a larger portion? For the price of 1,100 yen, the amount of tempura toppings felt a bit lacking for the large size. I wonder what toppings come with the regular size? Overall, this place seems more like a casual tempura restaurant rather than a high-end one, making it a good choice for a simple lunch. It would be convenient for nearby office workers.

It's the annual year-end tradition lunch. It's after the human body check-up.

Located near Bukuro's Mutsumata Rikkyo Bridge, it can be a bit hard to find, so follow the signs and head down the stairs to the underground. Once there, a white noren curtain hangs over the sliding door. Open it and enter the charming space with a counter and a raised seating area. The clientele mainly consists of adults, which is understandable. While the sports set meal on the menu caught my eye, I stayed true to my initial plan and went for the eel bowl priced at 800 yen (tax included). The restaurant had a score of 3.08 at the time of my visit, but all four reviews were rated above 3.5. And it's no wonder, the miso soup alone is delicious. It has a rich red miso base with a great clam flavor. Starting with the eggplant in front of me, the slightly sweet sauce doesn't overpower the eggplant's natural sweetness. Moving on to the sweet potato, and the eel bones garnishing the dish, added by the chef at the end. This is the essence of the eel's flavor. The eel pieces were large and there was just the right amount of sauce drizzled over the rice, which perfectly suited my taste. The sashimi set meal is also reasonably priced at 900 yen (tax included), making this a restaurant worth revisiting. All in all, thank you. Bon appétit.

● July 31, 2015 (Friday) ● [Information] Tempura and small dishes restaurant in Ikebukuro. [Situation] Visited with friends around 1:30 pm. [Environment] Not very close to the station, and the entrance is hard to find. Even if you find the entrance, the interior is also hard to understand until you go downstairs, giving the impression of being difficult to enter. However, since they are operating in such a location, I thought it must be a delicious restaurant and decided to give it a try. The interior has counter seats and tatami seats, suitable for dining alone or with a few people. It seems they also have evening business, but they close at 9 pm, and although they have a shochu menu, it is not easy to understand what kind of alcohol they have, making it unclear if it is a drinking place or just a place to eat. The staff are friendly, but the service is more old-fashioned, without the kind of attentive service seen in modern restaurants. [Food] - Tempura set meal 900 yen ◎ Although the conger eel bowl also looked delicious, I chose the tempura set meal. This was incredibly delicious! I am not very knowledgeable about tempura, but compared to tempura set meals I have had at other restaurants, this one was outstandingly delicious. The quality is such that you could enjoy the tempura alone, with a solid and well-made dish fitting of a small dishes restaurant. The miso soup and pickles were also delicious without any shortcuts. The rice portion may seem a bit small, but maybe they offer a large portion? However, I think this is just because I have a big appetite, so please don't worry about it (laughs). By the way, I also tried a bit of my friend's grilled fish set meal, and it was delicious with the oily fish! Maybe there are no bad choices no matter what you order? [Overall] It seems they only operate on weekdays, but it is a hidden gem. If you are looking for cheap and delicious set meals, I highly recommend visiting this place at least once. [Rating] ★★★★★★★★ 8/10 [Certified as a famous restaurant!!!]

I visited "Wakatake" before 1 pm on a certain day in February 2015. It is located in the direction of Kita-Ikebukuro from the west exit of Ikebukuro. The restaurant is in the basement of an old building, so it may be a bit hard to find. The small interior had about 3 other customers. It seems to be a restaurant loved by middle-aged workers nearby. Although tempura is the main dish, they also offer some seafood options. I sat alone in a tatami room and ordered the "Tendon" for ¥800. It was served after a 10-minute wait. The tendon came with small pickles and miso soup with clams. The tendon had a nice dark sauce color and included 2 shrimp. While the portion size was not large, the taste was good. I was satisfied with the frying quality and the quality of the ingredients. Since they close early in the evening, I would like to come back on a day when I can start drinking early in the evening.

Yes, so I'm in Ikebukuro. I passed by a tempura restaurant that caught my eye a few times, and it seems they have a lunch menu. I decided to go in right away. The entrance has a bit of a mixed-use building vibe, so it gives off a slightly intimidating impression, but inside, it's a clean and cozy little restaurant. It's a sophisticated atmosphere. It feels like a lunch spot in the rotation for nearby office workers. I chose the tempura rice bowl set. You can enjoy freshly fried tempura, and the price is reasonable. The tempura is crispy and the sauce is delicious. It really makes you want to eat more rice. Thank you for the meal.

I had always been curious about this restaurant but had never tried it until now. The tempura and tempura set meals are priced around 800 to 900 yen. The restaurant has about 5 counter seats and 3 table seats. I didn't have high expectations, but the tempura was surprisingly delicious. The place seemed to have a good reputation among customers. If I feel like having tempura again, I think I will definitely come back to this restaurant. Next time, I'll try the conger eel tempura. The restaurant doesn't seem too crowded, even during lunchtime on weekdays, so I think you can find a seat easily with 3 to 4 people.