With Koenji Station behind you, walk straight along Junjo Shopping Street and you’ll see this restaurant on your left. I thought the interior looked like Isomaru Suisan, and apparently it has changed business formats. I visited alone around 23:00 on the night before a day off. It’s spacious inside, and even then it was lively with about 10 groups. The draft beer is Ichiban Shibori. Many chains have bad beer because their dispensers aren’t properly cleaned, but the draft here had no off-flavors and was delicious. Other comments say the gyoza isn’t good, but the meat gyoza I had was very tasty. Bursting with juices and well-seasoned, it was perfect with beer. Don’t underestimate it just because it’s a chain. The ham katsu arrived wonderfully crisp too, and I finished my second beer. The xiaolongbao tasted a little unrefined, perhaps. The wrappers might be too thick. At a gyoza chain, you really should eat gyoza! Also, they accept PAYPAY!

+1

The gyoza is simply fantastic. The prices didn’t feel expensive either. The long opening hours mean you can relax without worrying too much about the time, which I appreciated. The staff’s pleasant service made for a lovely time. I’ll visit again.

Open 24 hours, easy to drop into, and fairly cheap! Convenient because it’s near the station!

+1

Since it’s a chain, I expected some assurance of taste, but the gyoza in my gyoza set was remarkably bad. Perhaps the garlic chives were too strong; only that harsh flavor lingered in my mouth, and it simply wasn’t tasty. In a way, it’s impressive they can make gyoza this unappetizing.

An izakaya focused on inexpensive, delicious gyoza. Even dining alone, I felt comfortable walking in. It made me want to keep returning until I’d tried every kind of gyoza.