Located a 5-minute walk from Kagurazaka Station, this restaurant's chef gained experience at Akasaka Momonoki before branching out on their own. The creative Chinese dishes, with a high level of originality, are both gentle on the body and full of delicious flavors. The May set menu includes: - Scallop and sweet orange salad with grilled eggplant and onion mousse - Crispy squid spring rolls - Cherry shrimp steamed egg custard with fava bean mousse - Stir-fried fruit tomatoes and eggs with a hint of sansho pepper and ginger - Fugu milt mapo vermicelli - Black vinegar sweet and sour pork - Cold noodles with soy sauce or sesame dressing - Almond tofu with green tea jelly.

The building where this restaurant is located has many restaurants, and I used to visit the French restaurant on the upper floor. I remember being interested in this place back then, but when I called to make a lunch reservation, they were fully booked for the day. However, they had availability for dinner on the same day, so I decided to go in the evening. There is a small door with "engine" written on it, and inside, there are only 12 seats at the counter, so I can understand why lunch reservations are difficult to come by. Same-day reservations were only accepted for the 8-course meal priced at 7700 yen, which includes dessert. This place is known for its spring rolls and black vinegar sweet and sour pork, both of which were included in the course menu. The appetizer was a Chinese-style marinated sardine with diced tomatoes on top, giving it a refreshing summer taste. Initially, I ordered beer, but I noticed they had a wide selection of sake, so I asked for a recommendation to pair with the dishes. They served me a Nara-made Mimuro Sugi sake in a ceramic container, which complemented the meal perfectly. The following courses included a chilled corn chawanmushi topped with sea urchin, a stir-fry of white peaches and figs with a light chestnut coating, a tomato, egg, and crab stir-fry, and the highlight - the black vinegar sweet and sour pork with fried bananas. The dish was delicious, with the perfect balance of black vinegar acidity and banana sweetness. For the dessert, almond tofu with peach jelly was served, which was a delightful combination. The meal was quite filling, and I felt satisfied but also very full by the end.

This is a restaurant that only offers two courses, one for 7,700 yen and the other for 12,000 yen. On this day, we chose the 7,700 yen course. Both courses consist of 8 dishes. You can add a la carte items, but I highly recommend adding the crab ball. - Anchovy with Paprika Sauce - Eel Spring Rolls with Red Vinegar / Summer Vegetables and Braised Pork - Chilled Corn Chawanmushi / Shaoxing Wine / Sea Urchin - Figs and Peach Stir-Fry - Crab Ball with Hair Crab (additional) - Duck and Ma Po Eggplant - Black Vinegar Sweet and Sour Pork with Green Bananas - Cold Chinese Noodles - Almond Tofu / Peach Jelly - Lychee Black Tea The restaurant has a counter and table seating. The atmosphere is cozy and perfect for a relaxing meal with friends. Overall, the meal was delicious and the service was great. I recommend this place for a special dining experience. [Restaurant Info] - Name: ROJI Kagurazaka - Location: 5-43-2 ROJI Kagurazaka 1F, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo - Rating: 3.70 on Tabelog - Opening Hours: 11:30-14:30, 17:30-21:30 (Closed on the 3rd Monday, Sundays, and holidays) - Reservation: Recommended - Budget: From 2,000 yen to 8,000 yen - Instagram: @mogu.gourmet Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this review, please like and follow for more daily gourmet posts on Instagram.

In a building beyond a hidden alley in Kagurazaka, on the first floor, there is a Chinese restaurant. There are a total of 16 seats at the counter and tables. The first dish was grilled sardines with paprika on top, with a delicious sauce and a crispy texture of green onions. The second dish was spring rolls, one with meat and seasonal vegetables, and the other with ayu fish. The ayu fish spring roll was surprisingly delicious and went well with beer. The third dish was corn chawanmushi topped with sea urchin and seasoned with Shaoxing wine. The combination was harmonious. The fourth dish was figs and peaches, cooked and seasoned with salt. The fifth dish was mapo eggplant, using Kamo eggplant, juicy and hot. The sixth dish was sweet and sour pork with bananas, a perfect match. The seventh dish was tantan noodles, ensuring a high-quality dining experience. Before dessert, lychee tea was a pleasant surprise. The eighth dish, almond jelly dessert with peach jelly on top, was just right in sweetness. Overall, the quality of the dishes was outstanding, showcasing the chef's talent. I will definitely come back again. Thank you for the detailed explanations and the delicious meal.

The meal was delicious on August 1, 2023. It included Engine Sardines, Sardines with Paprika Sauce Spring Rolls, Sweetfish, Summer Vegetables, Chilled Chawanmushi with Corn and Sea Urchin, Lotus Root Mochi, Ground Duck Meat with Black Vinegar, Sweet and Sour Pork with Green Bananas, Chilled Chinese Mango Almond Jelly.

- Course (12,000 yen) visit 3.74 We visited this renowned Chinese restaurant for a special early summer gathering, which was more luxurious than usual. I had bookmarked this place while searching for my favorite tantanmen (spicy sesame noodle), but never had the chance to visit alone. The evening course had two options, one for 7,700 yen and the other for 12,000 yen, and we were able to make a reservation two days in advance. The entrance didn't have the name of the restaurant displayed, so I was a bit lost at first, but once I entered through the door, I saw the sign and felt relieved. Inside, there were 6 counter seats and 12 table seats, creating a cozy atmosphere. The delicious dishes made with seasonal ingredients paired perfectly with the selection of alcohol, making the evening even more enjoyable. I would love to come back and experience different seasons at this restaurant. It was a delightful dining experience. Thank you. - Grilled sardine and paprika - Shark fin and corn chawanmushi with sea urchin and Shaoxing wine sauce - Spring roll of ayu fish with head and bones included - Conger eel with yam - Stir-fried fruit tomato and egg (forgot to take a photo) - Sweet and sour pork with green banana and burnt green banana - Tantanmen or cold noodles Finally got to try the tantanmen I've been wanting. It had a strong sesame flavor and a light texture, with plenty of pine nuts giving it a distinctive aroma. - Almond jelly - 1 beer, 2 white wine, 1 red wine, 1 sake, 1 Shaoxing wine (Note: The original review had a rating of 3.74 out of 5, which was mentioned at the beginning.)

6th visit. I came to request the spring rolls with ayu (sweetfish) and the banana black vinegar sweet and sour pork that start every year around this time. A single middle-aged man dining at a Chinese restaurant on a weekday night. **Interior:** Seated at the counter. When I saw Chef Matsushita after a year, his hairstyle had completely changed. Previously he had a sporty short haircut, but now it's a bit flashy (laughs). Currently, they only offer courses and not à la carte. Also, lunch is only available on Fridays and Saturdays. **Impressions:** The ayu spring rolls and banana black vinegar sweet and sour pork are as delicious as ever! The flaky ayu meat packed inside the spring rolls is even more flavorful from being dried overnight. And what really impresses me more than the spring rolls is the deep-fried ayu backbone that comes with it. It's a concentrated umami bomb that leaves you speechless. The banana and black vinegar sweet and sour pork is seriously a masterpiece. When you chew in your mouth, the banana, sweet and sour pork, and black vinegar mix together, creating a chemical reaction like in French cuisine. I wish there were twice as many bananas (laughs). **Today's course, including tax at 12,000 yen, consisted of:** ① Shrimp marinated in Fushimi chili peppers and Shaoxing wine with corn puree. The corn puree with Chinese-style dashi is delicious. ② Overnight-dried ayu spring rolls, backbone, red vinegar. ③ Shark fin cooked with ginger, clams, soybean sauce, and nori. The combination of shark fin and nori is surprisingly good. ④ Stir-fried fruit tomatoes and eggs. A common dish, but the fluffy texture of the eggs and the kick of sansho pepper are well-balanced. ⑤ Mapo tofu with duck and eggplant. So delicious that I want to eat it with white rice. ⑥ Black vinegar sweet and sour pork, banana. ⑦ Choice between tantanmen or hiyashi chuka, chose hiyashi chuka. It's a sesame sauce, but it has various ingredients and tastes delicious. The toppings include chicken, water eggplant, zucchini, tomato, bitter gourd, lotus root, and grapefruit. ⑧ Almond jelly, yellow watermelon jelly.

I ordered the 3,850 yen chef's choice course for lunch. I made a reservation for a seat over the phone the night before. The atmosphere of the restaurant is stylish, suitable for both women and men, not too fancy but just right. The most memorable dishes were the century egg tofu that came out first and the fried figs and loquats that came in between! The tantan noodles were rich and delicious, but my friend's cold noodles looked so good. I want to try the cold noodles next time I come. Also, the ayu spring rolls and the shirako mapo glass noodles posted in the restaurant looked too delicious... I wonder if they come out in the evening course? I want to go back to try them.

The restaurant is located in a hidden spot in the backstreets of Kagurazaka, which adds to its charm as it reflects the peaceful atmosphere of the area. There are two course options available: 7,700 yen and 12,000 yen, and this time we chose the latter. The course included dishes such as scallops with summer oranges, white shrimp spring rolls with Kujo green onions, sautéed shark fin with hairy crab sauce, stir-fried fruit tomatoes and eggs, firefly squid and komatsuna stir fry, black vinegar sweet and sour pork, tantanmen, hot and sour soup noodles, almond tofu, and new tea jelly. The Chinese dishes had a touch of Japanese flavor and were light and not too heavy. We also ordered additional dishes of whitefish mapo harusame and wild boar shumai, which were incredibly delicious. For drinks, we started with beer and then had a bottle of 20-year-old Shaoxing wine, Sancerre, Alsace Riesling, Vire Clesse Marzanne, and plenty of white wine. Lastly, we enjoyed a highball from Kaynosuke Distillery.

It is Chinese cuisine with a gentle seasoning that allows the ingredients' flavors to shine. The whitefish mabo harusame has very large whitefish pieces that are creamy and unique. The wild boar shumai is juicy and meaty, offering a satisfying and delicious experience.

I went out for drinks with my junior colleague as usual! This time it was like a farewell, but we will continue to go out for drinks and will probably meet in Okinawa as well. It seems like we will have a long relationship! My junior always chooses great restaurants! This place is hard to find even in Kagurazaka. It's said to be a restaurant that is hard to make a reservation at. Although it's Chinese cuisine, it's creative so there are many dishes that I've never seen before, and each one was delicious and carefully prepared.

I finally had the chance to visit this fusion Chinese restaurant that I had been eyeing for a while. The dishes are all beautifully presented with a fusion of Western and Chinese influences. The option to enjoy wine with the meal is great, but overall, I felt like the dishes lacked a bit of impact. Personally, I think the food is above average in terms of taste, so it might just come down to personal preference. As a wine lover, I find that Chinese cuisine pairs well with orange wine, so I felt like the wine selection could have been a bit better.

Firefly squid and shellfish with mountain pepper jelly spring rolls, whitefish with green onions, beef and bamboo shoot and turnip with sakura shrimp sauce, sakura trout steamed in Shaoxing wine, taro sprouts, fava beans, and udo. The black vinegar sweet and sour pork with fruit tomato remnants soba, Dekopon apricot almond tofu course, all of them were incredibly delicious.

There is a slightly hidden restaurant that can be easily found on Google. The seating was full, but the layout was convenient. We had a course meal and were very satisfied. The spring rolls with seaweed were delicious, especially since it was my first time trying them. The almond jelly was also excellent.

Dinner seemed to be only available as a set course, but additional dishes could be added. I really liked the sweet and sour pork and the crab meatballs were delicious too. I wished there was rice with the mapo tofu and sweet and sour pork. The order included: Steamed chicken with pistachio sauce, Spring rolls with green vegetables and white fish, Crab meatballs, Stir-fried white asparagus and kumquat with fermented tofu, Mapo tofu with shirako, Glass noodles with black vinegar sweet and sour pork and crispy rice, Tan-tan noodles, Cherry blossom jelly.

The combination of cherry blossom masu with kinkan, and nanohana with dried sweet potato, was remarkably wonderful, and it made me groan in pleasure. I also saw a few solo diners at the counter. The atmosphere is casual and relaxing, making it perfect for enjoying a meal alone or having a meal with close friends.

I visited during lunchtime on a regular day. I had always wanted to go to Uzumaki in Akasaka in the past, but never got the chance, so when I found this place, I had been aiming to visit for a while. I ordered the following: Lunch ¥2200 - Appetizer: Chilled tofu with century egg and cashew nuts The combination of silky tofu, century egg paste, slightly seared bonito, black vinegar sauce, and green onions was amazing! - Main dish: Sweet and sour pork with crispy rice The tangy black vinegar flavor was delicious! The pork was firm and didn't melt in your mouth. - Noodles: Tantanmen Cute portion size with a thick and creamy soup. The noodles were average. You can also choose fried rice as an option. - Dessert: Almond jelly with sweet potato sauce The sweet potato sauce was great! It seems that the weekday lunch is limited to Fridays now. The prices are reasonable, and I noticed many customers casually dropping by for a meal at the counter seats. Thank you for the meal!

I finally took a day off during the week and went to a famous Chinese restaurant in Kagurazaka. They offered two lunch options: a 2,200 yen course and a 3,800 yen course with two additional dishes. I decided to splurge and ordered the 3,800 yen course. The dishes were elegant and each one was delicious, with a unique taste that I haven't experienced elsewhere. It was a luxurious lunch, but I definitely felt it was worth it!

I made a reservation for the opening hours and visited the restaurant. While chatting, both the table and counter seats were suddenly full. I ordered the lunch course for 3,850 yen, the Four Seasons Spring Tea for 1,100 yen, and the appetizer. I was surprised to the point of interrupting the conversation. I particularly liked the yuba, which was soft and maintained its shape. It was different from what I expected, similar to century egg tofu. I think even those who don't like century eggs could enjoy it. The shumai made from wild boar meat was chewy. The mapo tofu made with pumpkin was an unexpected twist. The black vinegar sweet and sour pork (with crispy rice) combined large pieces of pork with Daio burdock, impressing me with the chef's creativity. The crispy rice allowed me to enjoy the sauce as well. The dan dan noodles were the perfect size for me, not too overwhelming in flavor and rich in sesame creaminess. For dessert, the almond jelly with apple sauce was a delightful twist on the classic Chinese dessert. The Four Seasons Spring Tea, a Taiwanese green tea, had a strong aroma in the first infusion and a refreshing taste throughout. It was delicious. I will definitely make a reservation and visit again!

Today, I was in the mood for Chinese lunch, so I visited Engine in Kagurazaka for the first time in 6 years. I called ahead just to make sure and reserve a seat at Iidabashi Station. I would be shocked if I couldn't get in. The lunch was only available as a course, and there was also an option to add 2 extra dishes to the course. This time, I ordered the lunch course for 2200 yen. It's 400 yen more than last time, but considering the course content, it's a reasonable price. The course includes 2 appetizers, black vinegar sweet and sour pork with fried rice, choice of tantanmen or fried rice, and almond jelly dessert with apple sauce. It seems like they also offer chilled Chinese noodles in the summer, so I would like to visit again during that season.

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