The battle that began in March at the end of the fiscal year and the start of the new fiscal year has come to an end with the completion of salary revisions. Looking back at the posts from around March 15, I feel nostalgic for the intense days we had for about six months. Well, I guess it's natural to have to make various changes at the beginning of the fiscal year. I had a get-together like a "thank you for your hard work in April" with my comrades who overcame those days together. I realized that just a week ago we were having Ginza duck highballs and now, before I knew it, it was late at night. I truly appreciate having these kinds of gatherings. Now, all that's left is to complete the remaining tasks before Golden Week.

It's usually crowded, but today it was empty so that was good. I had oolong tea, a salad with plenty of cilantro dressing (they'll add more if needed), garlic soy sauce pickles, juicy pan-fried dumplings without sauce, a generous portion of rice with soup, and tantan tsukemen with a mild and not too spicy flavor. The service was attentive because it was not busy.

When I used to live in Ikebukuro a long time ago, this restaurant had just opened and I went a few times back then. Many years have passed since then, and the number of branches has been increasing rapidly. I decided to visit again after a long time, and the beer was really cold, and the appetizers were all delicious. Especially the gyoza was perfect in terms of the cooking, the taste of the filling, and the skin. Ikebukuro has a branch in the west exit as well, but if you're shopping at Seibu and browsing magazines at Junkudo and get hungry, I recommend heading to the east exit for some juicy gyoza! Thank you for the meal!

NATTYSWANKY Holdings operates "Nikujyu Gyoza no Dandadan," a gyoza izakaya with over 100 locations nationwide. The restaurant is located a short walk from JR Ikebukuro Station, heading south on Meiji Street towards the intersection of Nishi-Ikebukuro. I visited for lunch on a Saturday, where I ordered the lunch set (Yaki Gyoza and Char Siu set). The set included grilled gyoza, seared char siu, onsen tamago, soup, and rice. The staff recommended trying the gyoza as is, as they are already seasoned. The gyoza was not as hot as expected, but the soup inside was flavorful. The menu stated the gyoza set came with 6 pieces, so I assumed the Yaki Gyoza and Char Siu set would also have 6 pieces, but it only came with 3. It would have been helpful if the menu specified the number of gyoza for both sets.

Ikebukuro, other than Kai-raku, let's look for gyoza. It's far from the station but walking in the heat, finally found it. Before looking at the menu, they asked how many gyoza to fry. I chose 2 pieces of 6 gyoza. Excited to have gyoza with cola, but the gyoza never came. The ice in the cola melted, becoming watery and weakly sweet. As an appetizer, ordered a plate of two types of horse sashimi, which was disappointing. It was so watery, as if it had been soaked in water. Couldn't even taste the horse meat. It cost ¥980. Frustrated after waiting 30 minutes, the gyoza finally arrived, but they were cold. It seemed like they forgot to serve them.

Of course, if you want to drink properly even with the "manbou tekiyouka" rule, you should definitely go for a refill of Dandan or Futago! It's nice when the staff asks, "How many sheets do you want to grill?" It's important to have them grill it properly so you can start drinking! I started with Hoppy, but after having them fill the inside of the cup with plenty of Nakami from the Yakan, I got a little dizzy (lol). When eating gyoza, I always feel like having a highball. So, after finishing the Hoppy bottle, I switched to a highball. By the way, the highball glass was so bumpy it was funny (lol). And the gyoza was piping hot, which made the drinks go down smoothly. When I go to Dandan, as long as I have gyoza, I'm good to go. Thanks for the meal!

This time, I used it for lunchtime. I was undecided about what to order, but this time I ordered the Mapo Tofu set meal. Order contents Mapo Tofu set meal 750 yen *Mapo Tofu, onsen tamago (hot spring egg), soup, rice, pickles set Meat juice pan-fried dumplings (6 pieces) 506 yen The Mapo Tofu was quite salty. The meat juice pan-fried dumplings also had a slightly salty taste, but they were delicious when eaten with vinegar. Overall, including the onsen tamago, soup, and pickles, the flavors were quite salty, so I would be happier if the saltiness was reduced a bit. The meat juice pan-fried dumplings, the signature dish, are definitely recommended over the Mapo Tofu. The staff's customer service was polite. This is a dumpling izakaya near Ikebukuro Station.

Today's lunch was mapo tofu again! It costs 1108 yen each time! It's the closest place to my workplace, so I go there every day! Today, it took 30 minutes after ordering, maybe because there were only two staff members. But it was delicious! I never get tired of eating it every day!

Today, I had mapo tofu and gyoza again! I got a large portion of rice, and it cost 1108 yen! It's kind of cheap and kind of expensive... but I keep coming back because the mapo tofu is addictive! Temperature: great, Taste: great, Spiciness: great, Soup: okay. That's how it was today! Definitely give it a try!

After finishing an online meeting in the morning and completing some tasks at the financial institution in the afternoon, I felt hungry and decided to go to a nearby restaurant. It was my first time ordering the lunch set, and I was looking forward to it. However, I was surprised to see that the set came with 6 dumplings but a huge portion of rice. I felt like there was too much rice compared to the dumplings. In the end, I left some rice uneaten, poured soy sauce over a soft-boiled egg, and placed it on the rice to make a kind of egg rice dish. It turned out pretty good. The meal had a good amount of food, the dumplings were tasty, and the egg rice dish was not bad either, although I felt there was a bit of a lack of balance in the meal.

I have never seen anyone go to Dandadan and not take a photo of the gyoza. Never, never, never. I have not seen it! Oh no! The gyoza looked so delicious that by the time I thought about taking a picture, it was already in my stomach. The MVP of this meal was the visually striking black egg. Thank you for the meal!

I accompanied my eldest son to his extracurricular activity and decided to have lunch at our usual spot. As soon as we entered, I ordered two pieces of pan-fried dumplings and a lemon sour, along with a rich tantan tsukemen. My son ordered chicken broth noodles. Enjoying dumplings and a lemon sour in the middle of the day is pure bliss. The pan-fried dumplings come seasoned by default, so I enjoyed the first one as is... and then used condiments for the second one. The dumplings here are truly top-notch. Now, onto the much-anticipated rich tantan tsukemen... I don't think I'll be ordering that again. And my son's chicken broth noodles... He loves noodles but surprisingly left most of it untouched. I tried it and found it to be quite bland... So, I don't think I'll be ordering that again either. It's a shame because the dumplings are so delicious.

I had some time to spare before picking up my eldest son from his lesson, so I decided to stop by a place I've been getting into lately. Luckily, it's right in front of his lesson, so it's convenient. Today, I ordered beer, grilled dumplings, and bamboo shoots as snacks. I thought the portion would be small since it was listed on the menu, but to my surprise, a tower of bamboo shoots arrived. It was delicious, but I wish they had indicated the amount on the menu beforehand. It's great value for money, but it was a bit overwhelming not knowing what to expect when ordering.

I went to Dandan Sake Bar, a meat juice dumpling production place about a 5-minute walk from Ikebukuro East Exit. The interior of the restaurant has about 10 tables, including tables for 2 people. First, I ordered the famous meat juice grilled dumplings and beer. The dumplings are so juicy that the meat juice overflows when you bite into them. The mapo tofu is seasoned with a spice called five-spice powder, and it tastes and smells absolutely delicious! The horse sashimi was fresh and had no unpleasant smell at all. The soy sauce for the horse sashimi uses sweet soy sauce from Kyushu. I enjoyed delicious dishes until the end. Thank you for the meal!

The 949th restaurant in Tokyo that I tried for the first time. The main dish is gyoza with a few other side dishes. It's not a bad thing to narrow down the menu. It's necessary to keep costs down. If the gyoza they focus on is delicious, then there's no problem. I visited on a Friday night and people without reservations were being turned away and there was a wait. It seems to be quite popular. The gyoza has a chewy skin and is of a high level. Even just one piece is satisfying. I tried a few other items on the menu and they were not bad. However, the simple chairs and the narrowness of the restaurant are not good. The small size is good for a small number of people but it gets crowded easily. That's the only issue for me.

When I went to the Gyoza Festival at Komazawa Park, I was surprised to see a Dandan booth lined up among the stalls. Even though it's a common dish, I wondered why it was there. After trying gyoza and xiaolongbao at five different shops, I decided to visit the Dandan booth as a joke. Luckily, I was able to enter right before 8 p.m. after waiting for a table reset. I ordered a large highball and toasted to a great meal. I tried their juicy grilled gyoza, which was delicious when eaten fresh from the grill. It's still tasty even when dipped in vinegar for a refreshing taste. The oil-splashed chicken was flavorful, but the chicken breast was a bit tough. The boiled dumplings were my favorite as they were light on the stomach and the soup was soothing. I thought I had enough gyoza for a while, but now I'm craving it again. Thanks for the meal!

"The slogan 'Gyoza and beer are culture' is interesting. There are shops on both the east and west sides of Ikebukuro, and this one is located on the east side along Meiji Street. They have a takeout window where you can get various menu items to go. I always opt for takeout. The frozen gyoza comes out quickly after ordering, which is convenient. Prices start at ¥550 for 10 pieces. The skins made with whole wheat flour are thick and satisfying to bite into. I prefer gyoza with thicker skins. The filling has a good consistency and is seasoned just right, so you can enjoy it even without sauce. When you bite into the piping hot gyoza, the meat juices overflow! Although the prices may seem a bit high, the size of each piece and the delicious taste make it worth it. They also offer side dishes like menma, flavored eggs, gizzards, miso bean sprouts, but overall, the flavors are on the stronger side. It's perfect for enjoying with beer, maybe? I like the quirky atmosphere of the shop that intentionally exudes a cheap vibe."

I feel like eating gyoza!! Could it be the influence of living in Hamamatsu?? I used to eat it maybe once a week when I lived there... There was a shop nearby that seemed easy to enter, so I decided to try it. The staff were cheerful and had a nice atmosphere. The taste of the food felt like it was worth more than the price... This time, I had a large serving of shredded cabbage and gyoza, and now I'm full... I want to try other menu items for a rematch. It's not a place to linger, but it's good for a quick drink! I'll visit again. Thank you for the meal.

The generous portion of rice in the set meal was great!

On the 26th and 28th, I thought it would be my last day of work for the year, but ended up working on the 29th as well. I went out with a female colleague to mark the end of work (around 5 pm). Although I prefer the crispy gyoza from Gyoza no Ohsho, I also enjoyed the juicy ones. The chicken wing gyoza was mostly chicken wings, but still delicious. The salted squid and potato dish was just right. The restaurant got crowded suddenly after 6 pm, but that's understandable. I had a great time eating and drinking with various colleagues this year, and I look forward to working with them next year. I didn't expect to feel this way last year, but I believe the changes in my responsibilities and mindset have led to the current positive changes. I am grateful to all the restaurants that have been like lubricants for me, and I am ready to close this year.