My favourite place! Enjoy to drink:)

A tiny counter-only shop with a pretty cramped kitchen. Watching the owner finish one dish after another with beautiful, efficient movements in that space never gets old. And the food made that way is super delicious!! The sweet and sour pork clad in jet black like something out of chuunibyou (of course that's not its actual name) was so good!! Thanks for the meal🙌

+3

A one-person-operated Chinese bar with a casual vibe that seems loved by local regulars, where everything is delicious with fairly bold flavors. The food is cheap and tasty. The hospitality is outstanding too. But the drinks are a bit pricey. The counter seats 7 max, and there's a young guy who's great with customers, so it's popular and you might not always get in? They don't have bottles, but you can bring your own full bottle of wine, although the corkage fee is on the high side🙆‍♀️ It's a bit of a walk from Ikebukuro Station. It seems they don't take reservations. 翔真さん, who apparently became the owner, is so good with customers that I assumed it was just a baby face, but I was surprised to find out 翔真さん really is that young. Even so, customers were handled well, drink pours were consistent, and the food was delicious. I'd never have thought of pairing mapo pasta with those thin noodles. The lamb skewers are a bit sweet but tasty. As for the spices sprinkled on afterward, personally I think just five-spice powder and ichimi might be enough. Both the cilantro salad and the cold jellyfish dish came loaded with green onions and cilantro, which made me happy as a lover of aromatics. I realized partway through that the slippery texture I suddenly enjoyed in the cilantro salad was wood ear mushroom, and since I don't like chicken tendons or skin, I appreciated it as a different texture (by the way, the cilantro salad comes with chunks of steamed chicken). I love spring rolls, but unfortunately these were just ordinary. The smoked or roast duck (not sure which) was tender, had no gamey smell, and was delicious. Also nice that it came with lots of aromatics. The restroom is unisex, outside the shop, and has no washlet, so if that bothers you, go elsewhere. But it's not as cramped as you'd think, doesn't smell at all, has disinfectant, hand soap, and paper towels, a mirror, and is bright, with lots of thoughtful touches, which was nice. By the way, obviously I don't think there's parking. Apparently during COVID they did lunch bento and takeout, but now it seems they're only open at night, from 18:00 to 3 AM. Apparently you can sometimes get in after 17:30, so since seats are limited, if you really want to get in, try going early. As part of the heavy-drinking crowd, if they offered bottles I could become a regular…

+3

Late last night I dropped by here on a whim, 金玉満堂. I don't really know why, but I'd always thought the name was pretty striking. I happened to hit it off with someone I'd just met (crude way to put it), got a recommendation, and we went together. The food was delicious, but above all, the shop had a lovely, friendly, cheerful atmosphere. What we ate ・Gyoza ・Lamb skewers ・Menma ・Chashu ・Bang bang chicken ・Spring rolls ・Sweet and sour pork? (was that what this black thing was)

+3

Everything is cheap and delicious. There's no cover charge, so lots of regulars come in for a casual drink, which might make you nervous the first time you walk in. The manager is good at keeping the conversation going, and most people come alone, so it's recommended for anyone who wants someone to talk to.