- Raku-san's authentic beef and vegetable herbal soup (with rice) for ¥1,050 including tax. Located a 5-minute walk from Takadanobaba Station on the JR Yamanote Line, this Chinese restaurant I visited today had a slightly brighter and more vibrant atmosphere compared to before. It seems that there are many Chinese-owned Chinese restaurants popping up lately, catering to the wealthier Chinese clientele. During lunchtime on a weekday, the restaurant was empty when I arrived, but later it got crowded with what seemed to be Chinese exchange students, filling up the place and even having a few people waiting. The seating arrangement was comfortable with tables arranged as much as possible in a space without steps. Orders were made using a tablet, similar to the popular karaoke song selection trend. I decided to try the restaurant's recommended dish, the beef and vegetable herbal soup. The dish was served promptly, and I dug in. The soup came in a ramen bowl-sized container, with a light salt-based broth, thinly sliced beef, and a decent amount of vegetables like cabbage. I found myself expecting noodles to be included, probably due to overeating ramen. Ultimately, the portion and flavor were lacking, but the soft white rice served alongside helped satisfy me. The lack of flavor was somewhat compensated by adding all the provided chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns for seasoning. With the rise of authentic Chinese eateries like this one catering to the Chinese community, the competition has become tougher. In Takadanobaba, this restaurant doesn't seem to have a strong presence. The place was quite casual and the service was a bit rough, likely due to the high number of students. Overall, it was an okay dining experience.

In recent years, there has been an increase in what they call "authentic Chinese" restaurants in the Takadanobaba area. One of these places caught my eye with its atmosphere and clientele reminiscent of mainland China, so my family and I decided to give it a try. Ordering was done on a tablet, with photos included, which was convenient and ensured no mistakes were made. However, it would be helpful if they indicated the quantity of items like skewers (grilled). We ordered sausage skewers and dried tofu to enjoy with bottled beer. The beer was served in a large glass, so I opted to drink mine from a plastic cup for water. The dried tofu was a bit salty, but it paired well with the beer. We also ordered the "Chinese cold skin" which was like transparent chilled knife-cut noodles, and the most popular item, the "herbal soup with beef and vegetables." While you can add noodles or glass noodles, we just stuck with the rice that came with it. We started by eating it like soup curry, then added the rice inside towards the end to make it like a porridge, which was quite tasty. I'm curious to try it with noodles next time.

The restaurant had signs in Chinese, which made me hesitant to enter, but a friend agreed to go with me so I mustered up the courage to go in. The menu was on a tablet, but the staff quickly realized I was Japanese and changed the menu to Japanese for me. I ordered the most popular dish, the beef tripe mala noodle soup, and also added tripe because I like it. When the bowl arrived, it looked very spicy. I took a bite and was surprised by the authentic taste, filled with spiciness, umami, and unique Chinese spices. It was delicious and had a real Chinese taste. As I continued eating, I felt a warm sensation spreading inside my body. By the end, I was sweating a lot, but it was worth it. The cost was also very reasonable, at less than 1000 yen. Thank you for the meal. By the way, I can't read the name of the restaurant in kanji, and even if it's written in katakana, I doubt I'll remember it, so I just call it the mala beef noodle soup restaurant in Takadanobaba 3-chome (laughs).

Second visit. This time, I tried ordering using a tablet for the first time. There were several options, but today I chose the beef tongue vegetable soup with rice. I was surprised by how thinly sliced the beef tongue was, but it was a good menu that warmed my body. I remembered from last time, so I was able to add cilantro for free verbally, which increased my satisfaction even more. ⤴️⤴️

There used to be a Chinese restaurant on Waseda Street. It is located at the corner where you turn into a narrow alley just past the Super Ozeki when coming from Takadanobaba Station, with eye-catching flashy red colors. I passed by on a weekend and saw a long line forming at a strange time, so I thought, "I must visit soon!" I visited just before noon on a weekday. There was only one group of two customers ahead of me, but after noon, more and more people started coming in, with almost 10 people waiting near the entrance. You order using a touch panel, but it was a bit confusing as the menu was mainly in Chinese characters and only a few words in Japanese. I wanted to try the spicy soup noodles, but I couldn't find the word "noodles" immediately, so I ordered what seemed to be popular - "Beef and Vegetable Herbal Soup". The atmosphere inside the restaurant felt authentically Chinese, and the menu was challenging to navigate. When my order arrived, it was a bowl of soup with rice and a dish of what seemed to be chili peppers. I asked the staff how to eat it, but they didn't understand me, so I tried dipping the chili peppers into the soup as instructed. The soup was clear with plenty of beef and cabbage, and it had a light yet flavorful taste with a hint of spiciness. Adding the chili peppers intensified the Sichuan flavor and warmed my body. It was an interesting and delicious experience, and I look forward to trying the noodles next time.

Today, due to the cold weather, I engaged in a spice activity. I visited a restaurant that serves Sichuan cuisine and had a meat soup, as well as tripe and meat soup priced around 1600 yen. I also tried the Hatanaka chicken, which cost around 600 yen. The soup was simple and delicious, similar to the soup from Lanzhou ramen. The Hatanaka chicken had a slight sweetness but was not bad. In addition to the soup, they also offer a variety of noodles and have a touch panel ordering system, making it easy for beginners to visit the restaurant. Compared to the dim sum restaurant I visited yesterday, the service speed was faster, and the restaurant's layout was similar to a Neo-style, but it is run by someone experienced in the food and beverage industry.

A new authentic Chinese restaurant specializing in Chaojiaoniurou, a regional dish from Sichuan, opened near Takadanobaba. It quickly became a topic of conversation within the Chinese community. When I visited on a Sunday after 12 pm, there were only two groups of customers, but more people started coming in and by the time I left, almost all seats were filled. The signature dish, Raksan's original beef and vegetable soup with rice, was priced at 980 yen. The assorted beef hormones were 660 yen, and the lemon-flavored chicken feet, lotus root, and cucumber salad were also 660 yen. The beef and vegetable soup itself was quite light, enhanced by green onions and cilantro. The beef was marinated and tender with just the right amount of salt. The prices of other individual menu items were reasonable, and the total bill for two people was 2,200 yen.

Follow me on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/tokyo_messhi Located about an 8-minute walk from Takadanobaba Station, this newly opened restaurant in September 2022 seems to be quite popular among Chinese residents in Japan. When I visited around 12:30, the restaurant was full. In fact, all 20 or so seats were occupied by foreigners. I never expected to experience authentic Chinese cuisine in such a place. The signature dish of this restaurant is the "跷脚牛肉" (Qiāo jiǎo niúròu), a specialty dish from the Leshan region of Sichuan Province. It is a medicinal soup made with beef, beef offal, and 23 types of Chinese herbs. The style is to dip the ingredients in the accompanying chili sauce before eating. The lunch menu offers choices like beef, beef offal, and duck. I ordered the beef, which came with a simple soup containing coriander and green onions. The soup had a light fragrance, and the taste of the beef and medicinal herbs spread in my mouth, making me smile. It was delicious. Sichuan cuisine is often associated with spicy dishes like mapo tofu, but this was completely different. It might be a taste that most Japanese people can enjoy. The beef was well marinated, with a good balance of flavor that harmonized with the soup. The occasional aroma of coriander added to the experience, and I found myself quickly finishing the dish. Dipping the ingredients in the chili sauce and eating them became addictive, and before I knew it, I had finished my meal. The combination of spiciness and the effects of the medicinal soup made me sweat uncontrollably. After eating, I felt a surge of energy, which was very satisfying. Despite its unassuming appearance, this dish was a fantastic and powerful culinary experience. I enjoyed it so much that I already want to go back tomorrow. If you enjoy savory flavors, I highly recommend giving this dish a try!

From Takadanobaba Station, walk west along Waseda Street for about 10 minutes, just a little past the Super Ozeki, you will find a recently opened restaurant called 孙二娘跷脚牛肉. The place has a bright red sign and eye-catching exterior. Inside, there are about 10 tables crowded together. By noon, the place gets packed with customers, mostly Chinese. Orders are placed using a touch panel, but be sure to select Japanese first, as it defaults to Chinese. They offer various soups with rice, such as beef and vegetable, beef tripe and vegetable, beef tongue and vegetable, duck blood and vegetable, and assorted beef. I opted for the beef and vegetable soup from Leshan, Sichuan, which is known for its beef tripe. The soup arrived in a ramen bowl with a generous amount of beef and vegetables, along with chili powder on the side for customizing spiciness. The soup was well-seasoned with a savory flavor and the beef was slightly tough. The saltiness paired well with rice. I added some spice and finished the meal. They accept PayPay for payment.

From Takadanobaba Station, heading up Waseda Street towards Ochiai, used to be an area with nothing much until the closed Citizen Bowl (Citizen Plaza). Around 20 years ago, ethnic restaurants like Thai and Burmese started popping up in this direction. Now, the area is filled with eateries all the way past the former Seiyu location where Super Ozeki is located. This area beyond Ozeki is a strong ethnic cultural hub, with a mix of Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Chinese, Turkish, and Thai niche shops. A new restaurant that recently opened across from the pachinko parlor offers a specialty dish from the remote region of Leshan in Sichuan Province, not Chengdu or Chongqing. The dish, called "Jiggly Beef," consists of boiled beef, beef stomach, other offal, and spinal cord, all boiled separately and served with a light soup. This restaurant aims to provide this specialty dish in a fast-food style. The manager plans to expand with multiple locations, but this is the first branch worldwide. The name "Jiggly Beef" comes from customers eating it in a hurry while standing on tiptoes at a street stall. Despite being newly opened, the restaurant is gaining popularity among the local Chinese community for its unique and delicious dishes. The interior is clean and modern, with a menu on tablet devices that can be switched to Japanese. The menu includes the signature "Jiggly Beef" dish served with rice, noodle variations, appetizers, and bread options. I ordered the full version of "Jiggly Beef" with rice (1,680 yen) and the beef offal noodle (980 yen). The flavors are quite different from what Japanese might expect from Sichuan cuisine, with a light and rich taste. The full version includes beef, offal, and vegetables, resembling a pot-au-feu. The ingredients are boiled, so they lack flavor, but dipping them in a mix of chili, spices, and salt enhances the taste. The soup is delicately prepared, light yet flavorful. The noodle dish is also delicious, similar to a refined beef tendon stew. The restaurant's name, "Sun Erniang Jiggly Beef," refers to a character from the classic Chinese novel "Water Margin," known for her fierce nature. Despite the dark legend, the restaurant is definitely worth a visit for its tasty food!

Sun Er Niang's Cross-Legged Beef is a specialty dish from the Leshan region of China, and a restaurant specializing in this dish has opened in Takadanobaba. Located on Waseda Street, just past the Oozeki supermarket after exiting Waseda Station. Cross-Legged Beef is a dish where beef and various offal are boiled, then soaked in a light herbal soup, seasoned with spices, and eaten. The opening day of the restaurant was missed by a large margin, but the flashy neon sign hints at what the future of Takadanobaba may look like. On a weekday night after 8 pm, the square-shaped restaurant, which seats over 30 people, is about 80% full. Most of the customers are Chinese. The atmosphere is welcoming to young people and women, making it easy to enter. There are many Chinese staff in the restaurant, some fluent in Japanese, while others can communicate to some extent, but all are friendly and helpful. The menu is available on a touch screen. While the initial selection is in Japanese, subsequent choices are in Chinese, which can be a bit challenging. If you are worried about ordering the wrong thing, it's best to ask the staff. On this day, there were no rice dishes available due to the recent opening, only noodles and a limited selection of side dishes. I ordered the Spicy Shredded Potato for 580 yen, along with Shaoxing wine. The Shaoxing wine is cheap at 298 yen, but the serving size is quite small. The Spicy Shredded Potato is mixed with plenty of coriander, garlic, chili oil, and vinegar. It's refreshing yet packs a punch. The Shaoxing wine pairs well with it. For the main dish, I ordered noodles with beef and beef offal, with the option of non-spicy or spicy. Each dish costs 980 yen. I chose the non-spicy offal noodles. You can also request to have the coriander and green onions removed. The dish was served promptly in a small Chinese-style bowl, topped with plenty of coriander and green onions in a clear broth with various cuts of meat. The broth has a refreshing flavor with a hint of saltiness before the refreshing aroma kicks in. The offal is well-prepared, with no greasiness or odor. It was truly delicious. The noodles are a rare type of white wheat thick round noodles in Chinese cuisine. They have a smooth texture, a good bite, and pair well with the broth, creating a perfect balance. This dish, with its proven track record in China, is undeniably delicious. The offal is well-seasoned with salt and spices, offering a variety of textures to enjoy. I look forward to coming back to try their basic spicy dishes next time. Unfortunately, they ran out of food early on this day, but I anticipate it will be crowded with international students in the future.

Rakuzan authentic beef and vegetable soup with rice. The dish includes cabbage and beef as ingredients, garnished with green onions and cilantro.

Takojiro's delicious beef hamburger.

My wife saw this restaurant from the sweet potato ball shop in front of it, so she bought Liangpi and brought it home. The taste is similar to the takeout Liangpi from a Chinese supermarket in Ikebukuro. However, this place also offers takeaway options like skewers, so it might be worth a try for serious Chinese food lovers. I don't know much else about it though.