Up the dark, narrow staircase at the back entrance of Dogenzaka, the second-floor dining area is surprisingly spacious with plenty of table seating. The seats are comfortably spaced, but lunch offers only about five menu items. Other dishes like tantanmen require purchasing a 10+1 set coupon to order. I opted for the thinly sliced pork ramen. It turned out to be a fairly standard tanmen with generous meat portions and a mild seasoning—a solid dish overall. The price is reasonable, but this ticket system feels like it forces you to commit before you can even try it. The shop itself has a nice atmosphere, perfect for a relaxed meal. The restroom is stylishly decorated with artwork, but the bidet was out of order—a bit disappointing. The food itself is good, so improving these areas would be a plus. Large Shrimp Fried Rice: ¥1,200. Visited Thursday at 12:30 PM. Maybe past peak hours, only three groups including me inside. The moment I took my first bite, I knew instantly this was by far the best fried rice I'd had all year. The large portion is probably too much for most people to finish. The two side dishes and egg drop soup were a nice bonus. The server, who seemed a bit rough around the edges at first glance, provided outstanding hospitality and was pleasant throughout. Thank you very much.

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I had the spicy and delicious mapo tofu. The hole in the wall atmosphere was also very nice.

Large shrimp fried rice 1,200円 Visited Thursday at 12:30 in the afternoon. Perhaps it was past the peak, as there were 3 groups inside including me. The moment I took my first bite, I knew it was by far the best fried rice I'd eaten this year. The large portion was probably more than an ordinary person could finish. The 2 side dishes and egg soup were welcome additions too. The server, who looked rather gruff at first glance, offered first-rate hospitality and pleasant service throughout. Thank you very much.

It's a Chinese restaurant. I visited on a weekday evening. There are quite a few tables for 4, with enough space and seating to accommodate fairly large groups. It was quiet, perhaps because it was a weekday evening. We ordered ebi chili, pitch-black sweet-and-sour pork with black vinegar, and shumai. The shumai comes in portions of 3, but a female server suggested, “Shall we add one so there's enough for everyone?” Very kind. In terms of flavor, I thought the black vinegar sweet-and-sour pork was particularly delicious. For a neighborhood Chinese restaurant, the portions felt slightly small for the price, but that's convenient if you want to try several things. There used to be a Chinese restaurant with the same name in Musashi-Koyama that I visited occasionally, and according to other reviews, they seem to be part of the same group. That made me a little happy.

悟空” is a Chinese izakaya known for its delicious mapo tofu. It's an easy place to pop into for drinks while in Dogenzaka. We ordered: Gyoza Mapo tofu Pea shoots stir-fried over high heat Shanghai-style chilled scallion noodles Crab and takana fried rice Scallion karaage Using 渋パス, the gourmet pass issued by Shibuya Ward, we got a great deal on 3 gyoza×3 people, for 9 in total. The soft-skinned gyoza were generously filled and paired perfectly with highballs. The main dish, mapo tofu, had an irresistible level of gentle heat. The tofu blended beautifully into the rich, thick sauce, and this dish also went well with alcohol. An izakaya where you can relax and enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine.

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