Awful experience to eat there...

Came in for Saturday lunch. A neighborhood Chinese restaurant about a 7-minute walk from the Sangenjaya intersection along Chazawa-dori toward Shimokita. It's run by the owner and an elderly lady. There were already 2 lone wolves at the counter, one chatting with the owner and the other silently slurping ramen. Honestly, the atmosphere didn't give me high hopes for the food, but the stir-fried liver and garlic chives I ordered had unapologetically bold seasoning, and the liver was well seasoned too. It went perfectly with rice and was delicious! Lunch at one of the stylish places around here is nice, but when you're a guy eating alone, a Showa-era place like this, relaxing in a different way, is nice too.

Ordered ramen and 回鍋肉. The ramen was the kind you often find at beach shacks. The chashu tasted like rubber bands. The 回鍋肉 had far too much liquid; it was more of a thickened soup than a stir-fry. It wasn't to my taste...

The soot-darkened furnishings and glaring fluorescent lights really show the place's age. I can see why earlier reviewers described it as “bare”; it feels like you've wandered into a scene from a Japanese film or V-cinema. Some customers might actually be drawn to that atmosphere (I was). The ramen also has an old-fashioned look and taste that can't be judged by today's standards, but as a finish after drinking, it's delicious in that “this is just what I want” way. The menu is extensive and everything is reasonably priced. The ramen in particular is astonishingly cheap. I think it's a very good place to finish off a night of drinking.

+3

For lunch, I walked about 10 minutes from Sangenjaya Station and entered the neighborhood Chinese restaurant 「廣蘭」 before 13:00. The prices here feel like they're from about 10 years ago. Cheap is good, but how will it taste.. There were 5 small gyoza. The wrappers were fairly firm, which I like. They were boldly seasoned too, good with beer. The fried rice wasn't a large portion either, and the ingredients were simple, but at under 600円, that made sense. In fact, the sizes of the gyoza and fried rice here let you eat a full portion of both, and I think the quantities and prices are kind to older people. The fried rice seemed slightly fluffy and separate on the surface, while the inside was more moist. The umami was gentle, though perhaps a little strong on salt. But it wasn't unpleasant, the overall balance was good, and at 590円 including soup, I was very satisfied. A delightful neighborhood Chinese restaurant serving inexpensive, tasty food. And this is Setagaya, not the countryside with cheap rent. Places charging 900円 or so for fried rice that isn't particularly good should learn from them.

+3