唐揚げと野菜炒めのセットをいただきました。店内はカウンターのみで、風情があります。人気のあるお店の様で席はほぼ満席でした。どれも美味しそうなので欲張って野菜炒めと唐揚げがセットになったものをいただきました。店主と奥さんと思われる二人で切り盛りされています。特に印象に残ったのは野菜炒めでした。火加減や材料を入れるタイミング、調味料の量など、店主の動きに目が釘付けになりました。もやしは火を通しすぎるとべちゃっとなるから最後の方なんだなとか自分で答え合わせしながらいただきました。全品コロッケ付きのようです。PayPayは使えそうな雰囲気では無かったです。

+3

I stopped by during a weekday daytime. Every time I walk past, there are usually 3 to 4 people waiting outside. There was no line today, but the restaurant was full, so I waited outside for about 15 minutes before getting in. I ordered the most popular Half-and-Half (a combination of stir-fried vegetables, one croquette, and a katsu of your choice). The interior of the restaurant feels very old, retro, and gives off a nostalgic vibe. My food was served about 10 minutes after ordering. The stir-fried vegetables have a strong flavor and a rich oily taste that makes you want to eat more rice. The minced meat cutlet also has a distinct pepper flavor, which goes great with rice as well. Overall, the food is delicious and the satisfaction level is high. It seems they also do bento boxes, so it might be a good idea to buy one and eat it somewhere else.

Ordered menu: ☆ Half & Half Set Meal Fried Sardine & Vegetables 930 yen (tax included) Many people were ordering the half fried sardine or half fried chicken vegetable set meal. By the way, the half fried chicken was 900 yen (tax included). Tonpei Donike Branch, thank you for the wonderful meal.

+3

Please note that this review is based on the premise that I am simply not the target demographic for this restaurant. I have no intention of disparaging regular customers. I had been curious about this restaurant because there is always a long queue during lunchtime. However, the outside of the shop is extremely smoky, which made me hesitant and kept me away. Since people are still lining up despite this, I figured there must be some amazing taste that defies expectations, and since it was luckily empty, I decided to come in. It's a narrow shop with only 9 counter seats stretching deep inside. Although the space behind you is tight, the spacing between the counter seats isn't cramped. Based on this, I think it's best to come alone, or with a maximum of two people. Also, it's cash only. By the way, the restroom is also located in the back, but I didn't peek so I don't know what it looks like inside. It's great that the pickles on the table are self-serve, and getting tea instead of water is a high plus point. Now, the menu is quite extensive, featuring a wide variety of fried foods. Since I couldn't decide, I got the vegetable half set (half stir-fried vegetables with half of the main fried food, served with rice, miso soup, a croquette, a salad, and a token amount of spaghetti), and chose tonkatsu as the main (940 yen). Even so, the inside of the restaurant is extremely smoky and filled with the oily smell of fried food, which is hard to call clean. (You can see ahead, but it's smoky enough to turn things whitish.) Your clothes will completely absorb the smell. It's unavoidable, so those who mind should be careful (though you can tell even before entering the shop). The food itself comes out quickly without making you wait. Just as I thought the taste of the stir-fried vegetables was delicious and of fairly high quality, that illusion shattered. After eating the stir-fried vegetables, the inside of my mouth was coated with a sliminess unlike anything I've ever experienced in my life. I'm not sure if it was because of the sauce or the oil. Also, the katsu was shockingly thin, the likes of which are rare these days. There was a superior katsu on the menu, but even that is probably thinner than what everyone imagines. This is just my own guess. When I picked up the katsu with my chopsticks, it was thin enough to bend in the middle from its own weight. However, the oil visible in the fryer was pitch black, and perhaps because it's battle-hardened oil, there was honestly the unpleasant smell of bad oil. Because of that, eating the katsu was quite painful, and I started to wonder if I was just eating oil, though the strong aroma of the demi-glace sauce was a saving grace. Most of the people coming out of this restaurant are greasy, stocky businessmen, so I kind of expected it, but after all, it's a restaurant specialized for salaryman warriors. It's not a place where you get delicious food despite a junk-food vibe, but rather a place for people who enjoy junk food. I learned my lesson the hard way, but since the aforementioned salaryman warrior regulars seem plentiful, it's the kind of place that hits the spot for certain people, while for someone like me, it doesn't just miss the mark—it leaves you with regret. The restaurant staff did nothing wrong. It's my own fault for not realizing the restaurant's exterior, the smell of oil lingering outside, and the smoke. However, if you're looking for a restaurant that will defy your expectations and give you a sense of a gap, my impression is that you'd be better off going somewhere else. The interior and food are exactly what you'd imagine from the exterior. I recommend this to those who felt a strong pull. Of course, I don't recommend it to tourists.

Tonpei, located on Donike Street between Shinsaibashi and Honmachi in Osaka. A long-standing fried food set meal restaurant that has been running in this area for about 40 years. Stir-fried vegetable set meal with 1 croquette - 940 yen I've been coming here for about 35 years, and I almost always eat this menu item. There is also a luxurious meat and vegetable stir-fry containing pork, but since I used to dislike pork, I still omit the meat today. It contains cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, spinach, and egg. These are stir-fried in lard that has absorbed the flavors of various ingredients from the fryer. When an order comes in, the vegetable stir-fry is cooked using an iron frying pan and a charcoal stove (kanteki), making a clanging sound as it comes together—it is super, super delicious. Tossed over high heat, it's so good you could never make it at home. The croquette also highlights the sweetness of the potatoes and is super, super delicious. Adding a little Worcestershire sauce adds acidity, making it delicious all over again. Are you on team 'nothing on the croquette'? The interior is a narrow shop with only about 8 counter seats, the air conditioning doesn't work well, and the chairs are torn. Yet, it's a place that continues to attract long-time fans. Next time, I'm going to go try the new menu item: stir-fried pork belly stamina style.

+3