yokoMAMA
Louis Vuitton City Guide 2011.2013, selected as one of the top 100 gyoza restaurants in 2021, is the number one gyoza eatery out of 59 popular options for adults on weekends. This gyoza restaurant has been featured in various gourmet magazines and TV shows such as NHK, King's Brunch, Hirunandesu, and Shabekuri 007. Located very close to Yoyogi Station, it is easy to miss as it is so close. The restaurant has a white curtain with "Living Gyoza" written on it, and a red signboard that says "Hand-stretched Large Gyoza." Looking up, you can see the green-lit NTT Docomo Tower resembling Manhattan. Despite being right by the station, this luxurious two-story house restaurant stands out. First, you buy food tickets from the vending machine in front of the store, which only accepts 1,000 yen bills and coins. If it malfunctions, they settle the bill inside. To maintain freshness, they make the gyoza on the spot without any pre-made or frozen ones. Inside the restaurant, there are many notices warning about the juicy gyoza splattering, so be cautious. Alcoholic beverages are priced at ¥480 each, appetizer A at ¥380, and appetizer B at ¥480. They also serve ramen, among other dishes. I arrived on a Sunday just before 7:00 PM and was able to get a seat without waiting in line. The first floor has a 12-seat counter surrounding the kitchen, where you can see people kneading gyoza skins and stuffing them, with numerous frying pans lined up for steaming and cooking the gyoza. It took 30 minutes for the gyoza to be ready as the skins are thick. I ordered the gyoza set with 6 gyoza, vegetables, soup, and rice for ¥880. The gyoza was piping hot, and the skins were chewy but not too thick. After eating, the lingering taste of oil was quite prominent. The condiments available were soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, pepper, and hot mustard. I tried different combinations, and the authentic flavors were a departure from what you would typically find in Japan.