You'll definitely want to come back to this Chinese restaurant that offers a modern twist on traditional dishes. Whether you choose the course menu or a la carte, everything is delicious and worth trying. I recommend going a la carte to fully experience the variety of flavors. Here are some of the dishes I tried: - Vegan Salad (¥1,430): A must-order! The salad is refreshing with a hint of Sichuan pepper, featuring a mix of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, and seaweed. - Drunken Chicken (¥880): Tender chicken with a flavorful sauce that pairs well with drinks. - Scallop Shumai (¥250): One bite-sized dumpling filled with scallops, satisfying and delicious. - Gyoza (¥250): Large and juicy dumplings served with a special mustard sauce. - Ayu Fish Spring Rolls (¥250): Crispy and cute spring rolls filled with tender fish, a unique twist on traditional spring rolls. - Steamed Buns (¥180): Soft and slightly sweet buns that can be dipped in leftover sauces for extra flavor. - Peking Duck (¥770): Freshly made Peking duck with crispy skin and a rich, sweet sauce. - Hokkaido Lamb Skewers (¥550): Tender lamb skewers with a flavorful mushroom sauce and crispy spices. - Eel and Corn Fritters (¥880): Crispy fritters with a mix of eel and sweet corn, seasoned with Chinese spices. - Crab Fried Rice (¥1,650): Luxurious fried rice made with snow crab meat, fluffy and packed with crab flavor. - Shrimp Toast (¥990): Crispy toast filled with juicy shrimp, a unique and delicious dish that will surprise you. Overall, every dish was delicious and left me wanting to try more. The flavors were amazing, and I highly recommend this restaurant for a memorable dining experience.

I finally had the chance to visit a restaurant in the neighborhood that is hard to get a reservation for. As the name suggests, it is located on the second floor of an apartment, giving it a hidden gem vibe! I made a reservation for the 7000 yen course in advance. The meal started with a vegan salad, sweet shrimp, and abalone, followed by a stylish presentation. The first main dish was Peking duck. The duck was delicious, but the roasted beef tongue that came with it was even more amazing. Then, the second main dish was mapo tofu. Oh, the Sichuan flavors were strong, with a numbing sensation that was fantastic! The impact of the stylish atmosphere and the dishes was overwhelming. It was great! I had a glass of red wine after a draft beer. I would love to go back again!

I wanted to eat something spicy, so I searched on Tabelog and found this small restaurant on the second floor. It only has a counter and there was one other group of customers. It was past lunchtime so we were able to sit down easily. The popular menu items seemed to be the mapo tofu and stir-fried pork with green peppers, so we decided to share those dishes. They also came with a small colorful salad and coconut ice cream for dessert, all for 1980 yen. If you're lucky, you can get freshly cooked rice in a feather pot. The jasmine rice they served was delicious. The mapo tofu arrived first and it had a strong punch of flavor, not just spiciness. It was really tasty and went well with the rice. The stir-fried pork with green peppers, on the other hand, didn't stand out as much after the flavorful mapo tofu. Overall, the mapo tofu is definitely recommended. I'm not sure about the value for money, but it was a good meal.

• Dinner course 4400 yen • Vegan salad (2nd picture) • Sweet shrimp in Shaoxing wine (3rd picture) • Snack assortment (drooling chicken, daikon mochi, scallop shumai, crab steamed dumplings) (4th picture) • Black beef Sichuan mapo tofu (1st picture) • Gyoza - Awa Shokuniku 1 piece 330 yen (5th picture) • Ebi-mayo 2 pieces 1430 yen (7th picture) • Shrimp spring rolls 2 pieces 800 yen (6th picture) • Peking duck 1 piece 800 yen (8th picture) • Crab fried rice 1760 yen (9th picture). A meeting with the most inspiring Chinese cuisine. A wonderful restaurant, farm studio #203, located just a short walk from Gakugeidaigaku Station. I saw it on TV and thought, "Wow, it looks delicious! I want to go there!" So I made a reservation. On this day, I opted for the 4400 yen course and added various additional items. The menu was so attractive that I ended up ordering a lot of additional dishes. We started with a toast of vinegar citrus sour. The course began with a vegan salad, fresh ingredients wrapped in spring rolls. Each bite offered a variety of textures and spices. When dipped in the accompanying sauce, the deliciousness was heightened even more. I could easily eat about five of them. It was just so delicious. Next came the sweet shrimp in Shaoxing wine! The plump, rich flavor of the shrimp and its creamy texture were irresistible. I wanted to eat the whole thing, including the head. Next up were four types of bite-sized Chinese snacks, each a delight. Drooling chicken made with gizzard and liver, crispy and fragrant daikon mochi, scallop shumai, and crab steamed dumplings were all so delicious that I couldn't help but be impressed. I kept saying how delicious everything was. Next was the gyoza I had been wanting to try! I was so happy that I could order them individually! The plump, generously sized gyoza was a dream. The sweet, rich meat juice that overflowed as soon as I bit into it was sweet, rich, and irresistible. I could easily eat five, no, ten of them. And then the mapo tofu! Just watching it being plated in front of me made my mouth water. The aroma of the spices pierced through my nose. Oh, it was definitely going to be delicious. The texture of the large cotton tofu and the umami of the meat were perfect. I felt like I wanted to add more rice. It was perfect. Still wanting to experience more of the deliciousness here, I added even more. Shrimp spring rolls, Peking duck, and ebi mayo! The Peking duck, with its thickly sliced crispy meat, was sandwiched between layers of pancakes. I really wanted to try this. The seasoning was exquisite and perfect. Ordering it was the right decision. The ebi mayo, although I initially thought that 1430 yen for two pieces was a bit pricey, proved to be worth it once I tasted it. The firmness, thickness, and the interplay of the mayo sauce were delightful. Shaoxing wine paired perfectly with it. Finally, we ended with crab fried rice. The fried rice made with jasmine rice was light and fluffy, perfect for the end of the meal. Everything I ate was delicious, and I was happy throughout the entire time. The course was great, but ordering various items individually is also a good option. The small-sized dim sum and small dishes allowed us to enjoy a variety of Chinese dishes, which was really wonderful. I'm now a big fan of this place. I definitely want to visit again. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

The other day, I visited the restaurant but it was full, so this time I arrived 10 minutes before opening to wait. I ordered without hesitation the Sichuan mapo tofu with black wagyu beef. The first salad caught my eye with sea grapes. In addition to sea grapes, nuts, sesame seeds, and goji berries were used to add texture and accents. The dressing had an ethnic or Chinese style. And then the mapo tofu. It was spicy with a strong numbing sensation from the Sichuan pepper. The meat was in chunks instead of minced, giving it a luxurious feel. The rice was half jasmine and half regular, but personally, I preferred the regular rice. It would be nice if we could choose between jasmine rice, regular rice, or half and half. The mapo tofu was so deliciously spicy that I regretted not getting the large portion. I added some dumplings halfway through. At 330 yen each, I thought they were a bit pricey, but they were packed with meat and so delicious that they were more than worth it. Next time, I'll try the mapo noodles.

It's about a 3-minute walk from Gakugei-daigaku Station! I made a reservation through Tabelog and visited the restaurant. The place was not crowded, and if you make a phone reservation, you can probably go on the same day. This is a recommended restaurant for those who want to try a variety of Chinese dishes in small portions! The interior is stylish and suitable for a date. Thank you for the meal.

The food uses a lot of authentic spices and tastes delicious, but the portion size is small so the cost performance is not great. The chef cooks alone so it takes some time for the food to be served. Each dumpling costs 330 yen and be careful as the juicy filling may squirt out. The Uni fried rice had a lot of Uni but the overall portion was small. The mapo tofu is so spicy that it's overwhelming, but delicious. The flavors are strong so a bit more rice would be nice.

I visited this restaurant for the first time. It is a Sichuan cuisine with only 8 counter seats. I reserved the cheapest course at 4,400 yen. It started with a vegan salad called Green Chili Spring Rolls with Celery Sauce, followed by Sweet Shrimp Soaked in Shaoxing Wine, various parts of chicken, daikon mochi, shumai, shrimp dumplings, and Sichuan-style Mapo Tofu with wagyu beef. I had two glasses of 10-year-old Shaoxing wine on the rocks. I was satisfied with this, but my companion wanted more, so we added Uni Fried Rice. The food was authentic and delicious. I will definitely revisit.

I ordered the lunch set with black wagyu mapo noodles, added shima-cho and coriander dumplings, and also Awa Shokuniku. The dumplings are a bit pricey but juicy and delicious. They come with a pine nut sauce. Overall, the portion is too elegant for the price, leaving me a bit unsatisfied. The amount is so small that they shouldn't even bother serving ice cream. The taste is good though. They can make delicious food, so maybe the impression would change if I tried their dinner course?

A trendy modern Chinese restaurant that women would love! This stylish restaurant offers a fusion of spicy Chinese cuisine and wine, located in Gakugei-daigaku, a popular spot featured on TV. Recently selected as one of the top 100 restaurants, reservations are filling up fast! Seats after 8 pm are available even a week in advance. While this is a Chinese restaurant, the dishes are not too spicy and have a visually appealing modern touch that women would enjoy. The customers are mostly women and couples. I couldn't decide whether to go for a course menu or order a la carte, but ended up choosing a la carte to pick my favorite dishes! Since the portions are small, those who find the course menu insufficient should consider adding extra dishes. - What I had - - Vegan salad ¥1,600 - Dumpling 1 piece ¥330 - Steamed prawn dumpling 1 piece ¥330 - Shrimp mayo 2 pieces ¥1,430 - Black Wagyu Sichuan mapo tofu ¥2,100 - Tamago kake gohan (rice with raw egg) ¥1,870 - 2 glasses of wine This cost me around ¥7,000 per person! As mentioned in other reviews, the prices for individual dishes may seem a bit high, but it ended up being similar to other restaurants.

On Saturday at 8:45 PM, I had a late dinner at a restaurant where the only available time slot was this. I opted for the 4,400 yen course which consisted of small portions, so additional orders were necessary. The vegan salad (similar to fresh spring rolls), sweet shrimp marinated in Shaoxing wine, and various snacks like mapo tofu, scallop shumai, daikon mochi, crab steamed dumplings, and drooling chicken were all flavorful and complex. The mapo tofu had a strong peppery aroma when being prepared, but surprisingly the spiciness wasn't overwhelming. The quality of the course dishes piqued my curiosity and expectations, leading me to order a variety of a la carte items such as shrimp spring rolls, shrimp mayo, dumplings, Peking duck, and crab fried rice. Each bite brought happiness, and my personal favorites were the shrimp spring rolls, dumplings, and crab fried rice. The crab fried rice was light and fluffy with jasmine rice, making it a perfect ending to the meal. The sudachi sour drink was exceptional with a perfect balance of sweetness, sourness, fruitiness, and freshness. Each dish was unique, creative, and delicious, and the ambiance of the restaurant was cozy. Overall, spending 20,000 yen for two people was worth it.

I visited "farm studio #203," a Chinese restaurant that was newly selected as one of the top 100 restaurants this year, located a 2-minute walk from Gakugei-daigaku Station. Arriving 10 minutes before opening on a weekday, I was the 10th in line. With only 8 seats available, I thought I had missed my chance, but managed to enter just in time with the help of extra chairs. I ordered the Sichuan Mapo Tofu with black wagyu beef for 1,980 yen, which came with a mini salad, rice, and dessert. It took about 45 minutes to be served as I was the last to arrive. The Mapo Tofu was authentic Sichuan style and super spicy! It had both minced and diced black wagyu beef, providing a satisfying texture. Even as a fan of spicy food, I found it quite hot. The dessert was vanilla ice cream, a perfect way to cool down after the fiery dish. I enjoyed every bite until the end. There were moments when all the customers coughed due to the strong aroma of spices being cooked.

Gakugei University Farm Studio #203, known for its "Spicy Mapo Tofu with Black Wagyu Beef," opened in 2019 and was selected as one of the top 100 Chinese restaurants in 2023. The restaurant has 10 counter seats and is popular for its Sichuan-style mapo tofu and mapo noodles during lunch on Fridays to Mondays. I finally found the perfect timing to visit, avoiding weekends. I arrived at 11:35 and soon after, the place started filling up, with the first round of 10 customers seated by 11:50. The specialty dish at Farm Studio #203 is the "Spicy Mapo Tofu with Black Wagyu Beef," which is seasoned with various spices, offering a rich and delicate flavor with the umami of beef. The dish comes with a mini salad, rice, and dessert. You can request the level of spiciness, and the rice is jasmine rice cooked at 12:15 and 13:15, with the option to add cilantro. Although I was seated at the end of the counter, I couldn't help but notice that the people in front of me were coughing when the spicy mapo tofu was served - it had a strong aroma of Sichuan pepper followed by a punch of spiciness from chili, making it extremely spicy but incredibly delicious. The tofu was flavorful, and it paired perfectly with the black Wagyu beef and cilantro. For dessert, there was coconut milk ice cream, which was a sweet ending to the meal. Thank you for the wonderful dining experience!

I had a lunch set and dried tofu. The lunch set includes salad, main dish, rice, and dessert. I chose mapo tofu as the main dish. It was spicy but not too much, just the right level of spiciness for me, and very delicious. The dried tofu was in a Japanese style, and it was also tasty.

I went to the restaurant before the Honest Walk broadcast! For someone like me who loves the numbing spiciness of sansho, it was the perfect taste... I couldn't stop eating the rice (ᵒ̴̶̷̤‧̫ ᵒ̴̶̷̤) The sudachi beer also had a strong sudachi flavor and was very delicious (*´艸`)

I visited this restaurant at night. We ordered a la carte, and even though the portions were not large, we were able to enjoy a variety of dishes. Everything was delicious. I particularly liked the mapo tofu with ground chicken, grilled dumplings, and shrimp mayo. I would love to visit again.

It's been a while since my last visit. This time, I ordered mapo tofu, cold tantan noodles, crab fried rice, shrimp chili, dumplings, stir-fried vegetables, and drooling chicken. The dishes were all so delicious and unique, not something you can find elsewhere. You can order dumplings individually, so you can adjust the quantity.

Day 2 of my day off. It's time for the Chinese and Italian showdown. I originally wanted to switch between lunch and dinner, but the Chinese restaurants I wanted to try were mostly open for lunch on weekdays, so I decided to go with Chinese for lunch and Italian for dinner. It's Sunday near Gakugeidaigaku Station. I arrived 10 minutes before opening, but I hesitated and lost my pole position to someone else. Oh well, it's fine. The restaurant has been featured in "Tokyo's Best Restaurants" as a great casual Chinese tavern. They don't take reservations for lunch, so I decided to just walk in. The restaurant opened right on time. The counter seating is inviting, and you can have a drink here too. They offer a lunch set for 1,980 yen (excluding some items) and an a la carte menu. I asked if I could have the Black Wagyu Mabo Men with rice, and they agreed to add it for free. The dish had large slices of beef, giving a unique twist to the traditional Mabo Men. The noodles were thin and chewy, and the Sichuan pepper added a strong and stimulating aroma. While I personally prefer the Mabo Men from other Chinese restaurants, I appreciate the stylish presentation of this dish. What stood out to me more was the creativity in their salads and desserts, showing the restaurant's true skills. It's hard to judge the restaurant based on just one lunch item, as its true value may be experienced during the evening with various dishes and drinks. The price of 1,980 yen for lunch may seem a bit high for Chinese cuisine, but it's probably the norm around here. The staff were friendly and provided good hospitality. Will I go back? Maybe with a reservation next time. I'll have to figure out the best way to get there...

July 1, 2023, noon - Black-haired Wagyu beef mapo noodles... 1980 yen, salad changed to vegan... +550 yen. Modern Cafeteria. I had bookmarked this place after seeing it in the February 2023 issue and have been trying mapo noodles for the past few months. This dish instantly jumped to the top of my personal ranking. The balance of sharpness and richness, the perfect level of numbing from the Sichuan peppercorns, the cut of the ingredients, the cooking of the noodles - everything was just to my liking. The spiciness was just right, but the heat and amount of spices made me break a sweat on my forehead and neck, a detoxifying mapo tofu. I was thinking this would definitely go well with rice, and just then, jasmine rice was presented to me. In addition to the great service, the perfect timing of this dish, and the impeccable hospitality even during lunch, impressed me. The vegan salad was colorful in taste, aroma, and texture, and the dessert, which was cooled down thoroughly even in the container, helped cool down both my body and mind. This restaurant is definitely worth a visit in every aspect.

I visited this modern Chinese restaurant on my day off. Located just a 2-minute walk from Gakugeidaigaku Station East Exit, this up-and-coming restaurant serves creative Sichuan cuisine that pairs perfectly with the wines recommended by the sommelier owner. I arrived just before opening time and was allowed to wait inside the cool restaurant. At noon, the restaurant opened with only 2 customers. The lunch menu includes dishes like Mapo Tofu, Shredded Pork with Green Peppers, Mapo Noodles, Vegan Salad, and Sea Bream Soup Noodles. I ordered the Black Wagyu Mapo Tofu with additional coriander. The counter seating offers a view of the chefs at work, and I enjoyed watching them prepare the dishes. I started with a refreshing mini salad, followed by the flavorful Mapo Tofu served with rice. The dish was beautifully presented and the combination of sweetness, spiciness, and numbing sensation from the Sichuan pepper was delightful. The Black Wagyu and coriander added richness and depth to the dish. I almost forgot about dessert, which turned out to be Coconut Sorbet, a sweet and refreshing treat. I was grateful for the opportunity to experience the restaurant's atmosphere during lunch, and I look forward to returning. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

I revisited this place because I couldn't forget how delicious it was last time. Since I made a reservation for a late hour, I was able to order a la carte instead of a course menu! Everything was delicious again this time, but the Mapo Tofu with Mala sauce was especially good! Personally, I liked it more than the Shirako Mapo Tofu I had in the winter. Also, the dessert, coconut steamed castella, was unexpectedly good! It was so good that I wanted to eat it again the next morning. We started late, so we ended up cheating at another restaurant, and once again, I couldn't make it to that beautiful Tamago Kake Gohan... Next time, I'll definitely order the Tamago Kake Gohan!