Koenji Guard-Under, there are still few open shops, so I wandered into the Guard-Under. The shop is called "Matsuri Taiko" and they serve Nepalese and Indian cuisine. The staff seemed to be Nepalese, possibly a family. They served edamame as a complimentary dish. The menu includes Nepalese dishes and also some Japanese izakaya-style dishes. It's usually not too crowded, making it more accessible than other Nepalese restaurants. There is a TV which adds to the cozy atmosphere. I tried the Vegetable Chow Mein, which is a Nepalese stir-fried noodle dish with eggs and vegetables. It was light and slightly spicy, but delicious. The Batmas Sadheko was a salad made with fried beans, vegetables, and spices. The beans were different from the usual beans, but the spices were authentic and tasty. They also serve Indian curry and ramen, making it a good option for a rice meal. They offer Shisha (water pipe) which is popular among young customers. Matsuri Taiko has a unique mix of foreign flavors that I found quite interesting.

I arrived at the festival drum place after going here and there, so I ordered the Nasu Chicken Curry Cheese Naan for my final dish, along with some kind of cola-like drink. There was a lemon floating on the surface. The curry was a mild and sweet flavor, gentle on the stomach, with big chunks of eggplant. The cheese naan was estimated to be around 500 calories, not too hot so it's safe for those with sensitive tongues. The staff were mostly international, and the restaurant was packed with customers. The main clientele seemed to be young people, giving off a lively atmosphere typical of Koenji. Thank you for the meal. I paid in cash.

I have been coming here quite often, almost to the point of getting bored. It's really grateful that they are open during these times and serving alcohol. After finishing a meal of curry at another place, I met up with friends here. We ordered a highball and some dishes, taking advantage of the great deal of all-you-can-drink for two hours at 1,000 yen per person with a minimum order of three dishes per group. The kitchen and service staff were well-prepared with two people each, but it was still difficult to keep up with the demand. The tandoori chicken was not impressive, likely made from frozen chicken and lacking flavor. We stuck to Nepalese dishes, which seemed to be a safer bet. We ended up helping out with serving ourselves and clearing dishes, as well as assisting other tables, as the staff was overwhelmed. It was a bit amusing when new customers mistook us for Nepalese and asked for service.

We filled our stomachs with "yabu soba" and warmed up our engines with some drinks before heading to our favorite festival drum. It was a miracle that we had the place all to ourselves. The restaurant is quite spacious, but usually only run by one or two people in the hall and one person in the kitchen. Today, only the mother in charge of the kitchen was there. I ordered a bottle of Ichiko for ¥2200. It's cheap, and we're going to finish it among four people anyway. We also placed our food order and enjoyed ourselves for a bit. Suddenly, a group of customers came in and the place was packed. The mother was in a panic. Feeling sorry for her, we helped by setting up plates, chopsticks, wet towels, and appetizers at each table, and also taking orders and making drinks. The mother focused on cooking. It was a strange turn of events, but with our group of friends helping out, the restaurant was able to keep running smoothly. About an hour later, a Nepalese helper arrived and relieved the mother. After all the hard work, the ramen tasted delicious. I highly recommend the ramen here.

Started drinking from noon and now at the third bar. If you drink too much highball, you might get tired of it. Here, you can have a highball with a craft gin called "Soso" from Suntory for 390 yen. Even though I'm already full, I end up ordering some snacks - soup momo, chicken chow mein, and mutton sekuwa. They have a Nepalese touch, typical of the Shin-Okubo area. As the night goes on, people start appearing from nowhere, and before you know it, the place is packed. No one seems to be ordering Nepalese dishes, just drinking. Initially, I was worried about the size of this place, but it seems to have become a convenient izakaya for the locals in Koenji. With a Nepalese grocery store nearby, getting ingredients is no longer a problem.

The restaurant has a street food-like setup, and the interior feels foreign in both good and bad ways. The staff seem to struggle with Japanese, making communication difficult, and sometimes the wrong orders are brought to the table. While the prices are very cheap at night, both the price and taste for lunch in Koenji are average at best.

Matsuri Taiko [Ate Nepalese Ramen] Curry Outside 2020.12.18 ■ Nepalese Ramen ¥590 excluding tax On the west side of Koenji, there is a Nepalese izakaya that looks like a typical Japanese izakaya that took over a space. You can enjoy Nepalese dishes like momo, sekuwa, choela, chowmein, and more at cheap prices with affordable drinks. I was curious about what kind of business they run on a Saturday afternoon close to 14:30, so I decided to stop by. I arrived in front of the store. I love the appearance of Matsuri Taiko. It looks like a typical Japanese izakaya. Even by looking at the name of the restaurant and its appearance, few people would imagine Nepalese cuisine. There are signboards and posters in front of the store, promoting Wai Wai Ramen and Nepalese Ramen, which is quite interesting. It seems like they are promoting ramen as well. I opened the door, and a staff member came over, but the store was completely empty. It was like a private reservation situation. I sat down in the izakaya-like interior. As expected, there were no lunch menus, just the usual izakaya menu. I asked the staff member. GK: "What's the difference between Wai Wai Ramen and Nepalese Ramen?" Staff: "Nepalese Ramen has bean sprouts and eggs on top, while Wai Wai Ramen has nothing on top." I see. So, if you add toppings to Wai Wai Ramen, it becomes Nepalese Ramen on the menu. By the way, Wai Wai Ramen is a brand name for Nepalese instant ramen, similar to Sapporo Ichiban in Japan. The Nepalese Ramen arrived. It looks like regular instant ramen. When I picked up the noodles, they had a wavy texture like Sapporo Ichiban. But when I tasted it, the noodles had a firmer surface and a good chew compared to Sapporo Ichiban. It's quite good. The soup flavor is indeed unique, with a distinctive taste that I often feel when eating Nepalese dishes like momo or sekuwa. Maybe it's the garlic and ginger. In any case, it definitely has a Nepalese flavor. It's quite delicious. I really liked the Nepalese Ramen. It might be good for camping or breakfast. Next time, I'll try to find Wai Wai Ramen at Islamic Yokocho. I had a great time. The end. #GoggleMask #Koenji #MatsuriTaiko #NepaleseIzakaya #WaiWaiRamen #NepaleseRamen

After finishing my temporary stay in Koenji, I decided to have a casual drink with some remaining customers and ended up here. The spacious interior, no social distancing. Nepalese-looking young men in the middle space. Two other Japanese couples. I have some experience with Nepalese cuisine, so that's why I came here, but I'm curious about what regular people order here. Well, the place is definitely worth visiting just for the cheap drinks (draft beer for 350 yen, highball for 350 yen, sour for 300 yen, etc.). Later, some friends of friends joined us, and since they were unfamiliar with Nepalese cuisine, we ordered a variety of dishes. Chicken Sekuwa (spiced grilled chicken), Mutton Sekuwa (spiced lamb skewers), Pork Sadheko (spiced stir-fried pork), Steam Momo (Nepalese dumplings), Lamb Momo (steamed lamb dumplings), Sukuti Sadheko (spiced dried mutton stir-fry), and more. All of them were delicious with authentic Nepalese flavors. The portions were slightly smaller compared to the ones in Shin-Okubo area. They seemed to enjoy their first experience with Nepalese cuisine, which made me happy. As a finale, I decided to try the "Fragrant Lamb Ramen" that I had been curious about. The noodles were average, but the ramen was topped with skin-on bone-in sweet and savory stewed goat shank instead of char siu, and it was a bold creation that was delicious. The broth was flavorful and delicious. Definitely worth trying. You can easily finish your meal and leave. They're open until 5 am. I was worried about how it would turn out, but they're still operating properly, and seeing Japanese customers there is reassuring.

Under the elevated tracks in Koenji, there is a shop that is really working hard. First of all, I was surprised by how cheap the prices are. The yakisoba, for example, is in the 400 yen range. And the menu includes not only Nepalese cuisine, but also Japanese izakaya dishes and ramen. You can really feel how earnestly the master is working. However, the question of whether it is right to become more multinational is a difficult one. Personally, I enjoyed the food very much.

Under the guard underpass that connects Koenji Station and Asagaya Station, there is a restaurant called Matsuri Taiko. From the name, you would imagine a traditional Japanese izakaya. The appearance and interior also give off that vibe, but once you step inside, you can't help but feel a sense of unease. The staff members are of Nepalese descent, which is not uncommon these days, but there is a strong aroma of spices in the air. The menu consists of typical Indian-Nepalese dishes, with some izakaya options mixed in, creating a unique fusion. The Cheese Momo is a gyoza-style dish served on a hot plate. The Batmas Sadeko is more refreshing and closer to Japanese cuisine than authentic Nepalese. The Mutton Sekuwa is like grilled lamb skewers. The Eggplant and Potato Curry was a dry type of curry, fairly average in taste for Indian-Nepalese cuisine. The prices, including drinks, are quite reasonable, which is a plus. While other izakayas may be crowded, this place is a hidden gem, tucked away in a quiet corner, perhaps due to the sense of unfamiliarity.

I visited a Nepalese izakaya in Koenji called "Matsuri Taiko" for dinner. The restaurant is located in a drinking alley under a bridge, with a spacious layout typical of an izakaya. The kitchen is run by a Nepalese chef, and the owner, a Nepalese man wearing glasses, occasionally works on his laptop in the dining area. Despite its size, the restaurant seems to manage with just a few customers. I started with a cold beer and ordered some deliciously spiced yakitori skewers. The portion size was a bit small for my liking, as I am used to the generous portions at Nepalese restaurants in the nearby Okubo area. I also couldn't resist ordering some chow mein, even though it was a carb-heavy choice. The noodles had a hint of ketchup flavor and were surprisingly tasty. Overall, it was a satisfying meal, but I probably should have stopped after the yakitori to make progress on my diet.

On a regular Tuesday evening around 8 pm, I visited the restaurant. There were no other customers at that time, which made me a bit anxious. The restaurant was a typical Japanese izakaya with a menu featuring unique items like chicken momo, mutton sekuwa, chicken tikka, shabaley, and Nepali curry. The prices for drinks were quite cheap, starting from 350 yen. I was worried about the taste of the draft beer due to the lack of customers, but it turned out to be fresh and normal. We ordered cheese momo, mutton sekuwa, chicken tikka, shabaley, and eggplant curry. The cheese momo was a new experience for my friend, who found the filling a bit mysterious but enjoyed the taste. The mutton sekuwa and chicken tikka were served on skewers, and they were decent in taste. The shabaley was like a meat pie and was also enjoyable. The eggplant curry lacked a bit of spice and punch but was a good snack without rice. As we ate, a few more customers arrived, which made me feel relieved. Overall, the restaurant was not as bad as I had feared. It was nice to see a foreigner with experience working at a regular Japanese izakaya serving dishes from their own country. They also had typical izakaya dishes like plum wine and rolled omelet on the menu. I will definitely visit this place again in the future.

After a large group drinking party at "Whale", five close friends decide to go to a second party. Initially, they planned to go to "Taisho 2" under the guard, but the shutter was down. Suddenly, they remembered a restaurant they had seen on Instagram, called "Matsuri Taiko", which seemed to be open. The place was spacious and could accommodate up to 40 people, with only 2 customers already there. They ordered a set of Hoppy drinks and edamame as a starter. The menu surprised them as it was mostly Nepalese cuisine, with only a few Indian Tandoori dishes. They tried various Nepalese dishes such as mixed Bhutan (hormone spice stir-fry), mutton Sukuti (dried mutton spice stir-fry), Batmas Sadeko (fried soybean spice mix), Momo (Nepalese style dumplings), Shabale (Nepalese and Tibetan style fried dumplings), mixed chow mein (Nepalese fried noodles), and Salyadi Alu Achar (potato pickles). The dishes were spicy and delicious, prepared by a Nepalese Newar mother in the kitchen. The prices were surprisingly low, ranging from ¥390 to ¥980 for a 2-hour all-you-can-drink option. The place was a hidden gem in Koenji, Matsuri Taiko, offering high-quality food at affordable prices. They were particularly intrigued by the Cheese Tteokbokki Curry!

I was curious about the "Nepalese Ramen," so I stopped by this restaurant located under the tracks in Koenji Street in Koenji on a weekday evening. I wonder what the meaning of the name "Matsuri Taiko" is. It seems to be a place for drinks, but I went there for a meal. I sat at the counter and ordered the "Nepalese Ramen" for 560 yen plus tax and the "Steamed Momo" for 500 yen plus tax. The staff were men handling the service and women in charge of the kitchen. Maybe the dishes were not ready yet, so I had to wait a bit. First, the Steamed Momo arrived. "Momo" is a kind of dumpling dish widely eaten in Asia, and steamed means it was steamed. The filling was chicken, and it came with a cold curry-like sauce. It was delicious even on its own. It had meat juice inside like a soup dumpling. Both the skin and the meat were tasty. Next, the ramen arrived. It was basically instant chicken ramen. I think instant ramen in a restaurant is fine, so I didn't mind. The noodles were soft. It had bean sprouts in it. It wasn't particularly spicy, so I'm not sure what made it Nepalese. According to the internet, there are instant ramen like this in Nepal. If you're interested, give it a try.

Visited the restaurant on a holiday after 3 pm. It was busy with only one person managing everything. Ordered a drink, cheese momo, chicken tikka, and spicy lamb tongue. The drink arrived eventually, but the food didn't come out for over an hour. Finally, when another staff member came, the food started to be served. All the dishes were delicious. Despite the long wait, I could only smile wryly. Next time, it might be better to go when all the staff are present in the evening. However, the food was delicious. Thank you for the meal.