椰子苑（やしえん） （Shinkamata, Ota-ku, Tokyo／Nearest station: Hasunuma） “椰子苑” is a neighborhood Chinese restaurant in an old-fashioned downtown residential area south of Kanpachi-dori, a 15-minute walk from the west exit of JR Kamata Station and a 10-minute walk from Hasunuma Station on the Tokyu Ikegami Line. Although it is far from the stations, the surrounding area is an old shopping district called 道塚本通り商店会. Apparently, from the Taisho era through early Showa, the former route of the Tokyu Meguro Line ran nearby, and there was a station called “道塚駅” (本門寺道駅). These days, the shopping district has little foot traffic and is used only by local residents, but there are several places to eat, and at lunchtime you see the occasional local resident or office worker from nearby offices. When I go for lunch in Kamata, there are more restaurant choices toward Kamata Station, but the restaurants in this less busy area are quieter and more relaxing. Depending on my mood, I sometimes visit “椰子苑” here or “がんころ食堂” across the street. With its red awning sign, it has the nostalgic appearance of an old-fashioned neighborhood Chinese restaurant. Inside, there is an L-shaped counter surrounding the kitchen and tatami seating in the back. Run by an elderly couple, it has the atmosphere of a quintessential Showa-era everyday diner. The menu has the standard neighborhood Chinese lineup: ramen, chahan, gyoza, chukadon, mapo tofu, tanmen, and so on. Prices are reasonable, such as 550円 for ramen alone and 800円 for a ramen and half-chahan set. The lunch specials listed on the whiteboard outside are 50円 off the regular prices. ●Chahan・half ramen 800円 ※Lunch special The red and white naruto gives the chahan a vividly colorful appearance. The ingredients are a simple combination of chashu, naruto, green onions, and egg. The rice is stir-fried to a slightly moist finish, with an old-fashioned seasoning generously boosted by flavor enhancers. Personally, chahan is one of my favorites, but I prefer this kind of neighborhood Chinese chahan with naruto to the authentic-style chahan with separate grains served at Chinese restaurants. The half ramen has a light chicken-bone shoyu broth and soft, smooth, medium-thin noodles, topped with chashu, menma, wakame, and bean sprouts. It tastes exactly like Showa-era neighborhood Chinese ramen. Recently, the term “nosura” (nostalgic ramen) has come into use, and there is even a genre called “neo-nos” that reconstructs old-fashioned ramen in a modern way, but this is the real nostalgic ramen. These days, ramen emphasizing ingredients and cooking methods or pursuing impact and individuality is everywhere. This is the exact opposite: your emotions don't stir at all as you eat, and you finish with your mind still at peace. It certainly isn't bad, but it isn't amazingly delicious either. It's the kind of bowl that makes you think, “This is just what I need.” In this age of information overload, I think restaurants where you can occasionally eat without having information pushed on you, without thinking about anything, and even forget by the next day that you ate there, are valuable too.

+3

One of the charms of the area around Kamata in Ota-ku, Tokyo, is that typical neighborhood Chinese restaurants, even ones that don't face a main road, still remain. I checked the opening time beforehand and arrived after walking a little over 15 minutes from “Yaguchinowatashi Station” on the Tokyu Tamagawa Line. It was just after 12 and the restaurant was almost full, but the far end of the counter was open, so I sat there. After struggling to choose from the extensive menu, and on the owner's recommendation, I ordered the “ramen set (ramen➕half chahan➕half gyoza (3 pieces))” (900円) this time‼️. Besides the 7 counter seats, there seems to be a fairly large raised tatami area in the back that could accommodate about 10 people by itself. Another thing I like is the Showa-style allowance of “smoking,” which is customary at Chinese restaurants around here. It took about 15 minutes for the food to arrive after ordering, which admittedly felt a little too long, but you can see the owner working hard all by himself in the kitchen in front of the customers' counter. Perhaps part of this restaurant's charm is that you somehow can't bring yourself to think, “This is taking forever‼️”. The ramen, chahan, and gyoza I ordered all earned passing marks. I think being able to eat this much food for under 1,000円 is the appeal of the restaurants around here, including this one.

+3

The food is really delicious! Both the gyoza and ramen get a ◎ There are lots of menu items, and the prices are reasonable! There were various set menus too. A married couple runs it, and there was tatami seating beyond the counter seats. But the distinctive Chinese-restaurant smell inside was too strong for me.

+3

Egg ramen set 1200円, thanks for the meal Quintessential neighborhood Chinese! The set includes an unusual mildly spicy egg ramen Plenty of condiments You're sure to find a set you like! Smoking ok A Chinese restaurant that doubles as the home of an older man and his daughter

+3

An old-fashioned neighborhood Chinese restaurant. The atmosphere feels nostalgic too. This time I ordered the gyoza set from the lunch menu. It comes with 2 small side dishes and half ramen for 650円. It's inexpensive, the gyoza wrappers are chewy, and the ramen has a simple, nostalgic flavor. It was delicious. I'll go again.

+1