Before the end of summer, I came to Adachi Ward Office to eat hiyashi chuka. Luckily, they still had it! The ingredients were served separately. I passed on the cucumber, which I don't like, and topped the noodles with ham, shredded egg, bean sprouts, and seaweed. I lightly poured vinegar over it before eating. The noodles were cold and firm, and delicious. And all of this for only 540 yen, what a great deal! Adachi Ward Office's hiyashi chuka is pretty good! I'll come back next time aiming for the curry!

Tonkatsu bento with added cold tofu = 640 yen. By default, there is no miso soup included, but there is a free tea dispenser available, so not having miso soup was not a problem. It was a bit disappointing that the tonkatsu was cold, but since it's a bento, it's understandable. Next time, I want to try the cold noodles. It's great that the ingredients are served separately, so I can eat it without cucumbers (no need to remove them). This saves time in preparation and is another win-win situation!

Manna Curry / ¥450 - I wanted to eat curry with fluffy potatoes. I heard rumors that it was full of chunky ingredients, but what appeared were small pieces. I scooped from the bottom of the pot, so the timing was completely off. Too bad. The portion size is decent, so it's not filling but just right, about 80% full. The rice was a bit mushy, which was a bit disappointing, but the curry itself was delicious.

The underground cafeteria has a unique atmosphere, but it is actually just a cafeteria located underground. It used to be open from 9 am to 11 am for breakfast, and then for lunch from 11 am onwards. Now, it only operates from 11:00 to 14:30, with last orders at 14:15. I occasionally come here for their curry rice, and this time I decided to try the ramen and mini curry set. I also saw that they had a weekly special of sauce pork cutlet rice bowl, so I bought a mini bowl ticket from the vending machine. It cost me 960 yen. I also couldn't resist getting a side dish of dumplings for 120 yen. It ended up being a bit over 1000 yen, but the curry was delicious with a hint of spice, the ramen was simple and tasty, and the pork cutlet was surprisingly tender and flavorful with the sesame sprinkled on top. The dumplings were a bit bland on their own, but dipping them in soy sauce improved the taste. I recommend sitting at the bright table near the back of the cafeteria, close to the tea dispenser.

Adachi Ward Office employee cafeteria. Located on the basement floor of the North Building, it is open to anyone, not just employees. Since I don't often have the opportunity to eat at an employee cafeteria, and the prices are reasonable, I decided to give it a try. There is a ticket machine at the entrance, and soba or udon noodles cost 330 yen, which is quite affordable. Unfortunately, the Adachi Vegetarian Lunch was sold out, so I chose the Balanced Lunch instead. On this day, it was Chicken Coconut Curry, described as spicy. I placed my food ticket on the tray and took it to the counter, feeling a bit unsure as it was my first time. The rice and curry were quickly placed on my tray. There was a lot of rice, so I asked for a smaller portion. I sat at an empty seat and was amazed by the generous amount of ingredients in the curry. The size of the chicken pieces surprised me. I took a bite of the large cut potatoes and found them surprisingly sweet – they were actually sweet potatoes! The curry was spicier than I expected, similar to what you would find at a Thai restaurant. All of this for 520 yen – it's definitely a good deal. I didn't realize it at the time, but for an extra 50 yen, you could have chosen a side dish. Of course, tea and cleaning up were self-service.

Adachi Ward Office's underground cafeteria. It seems to be a staff cafeteria, but I heard that the general public can also use it. I didn't know that. I decided to go check it out. It was just as I imagined, a typical cafeteria. I purchased a ramen set (ramen and curry) from the ticket machine for ¥630. It's definitely budget-friendly! I found a seat and tried the ramen, which had a nostalgic taste, and the curry, which tasted like homemade curry. This is great! It's nice to have this kind of experience once in a while. Thank you for the meal.

The menu seems to change daily, but it's unclear where the balance is. If you skip the side dish, it's 50 yen cheaper. You can choose from various options. I chose the minced cutlet. It has chicken, ham, sausage, and demi-glace sauce. The taste aside, the price is cheap. But I don't understand why the miso soup is separate. Is it a cost-saving measure?

Received the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Adachi Ward Office and had lunch at the Adachi Ward staff cafeteria afterwards. Normally, I would have lunch on the top floor when I visit the Adachi Ward Office, but this time I wanted to try something like a company cafeteria! It is located on the basement first floor of the north building of Adachi Ward Office. They use a system where you purchase meal tickets in advance. The curry rice was only 410 yen and quite reasonable. The taste was like my mom's curry from home. It was delicious, reminiscent of a curry sauce made with Vermont Curry roux.

I bought tickets from a vending machine. I received a mini curry for 260 yen and an orange juice for 130 yen. The pick-up windows for noodles, set meals, and cafes are separate, so I received my order from two different places this time. The mini curry was surprisingly delicious, with a spice kick hitting you about 3 seconds after you take a bite. The orange juice tasted like a typical store-bought one. There's also a free tea machine, which is more economical. After eating, you have to take your dishes to the return shelf yourself. Since the pandemic, there are no face-to-face seating arrangements.

It's a cafeteria for the staff working in the Adachi Ward Office located on the basement floor. I stopped by today as I had some business at the ward office. At 12:15, there were 4 people in line in front of the ticket machine. The flow was smooth with a wait of 1-2 minutes. I decided to go for the daily balanced lunch for 500 yen with a side of miso soup for 30 yen. The balanced lunch was a demi-cutlet set. When I handed over my tray and ticket at the counter, the food came out quickly. I moved to an available seat and tried the cutlet, which was lukewarm and not very thick. The price was cheap, but if this is the main dish, it's a bit disappointing. Well, it's a staff cafeteria after all... Demi-cutlet set, thank you for the meal!

On a regular day off, I participated in the "Public Facility Curry Survey Team" activity. Today, I plan to conquer three distant facilities by using the bus. After enjoying curry rice at Arakawa Ward Office, I... took the Tokyo Sakura Tram from Arakawa Ward Office to Minowa Bridge. From there, I transferred to the Toei bus (草43) to head to Adachi Ward Office. Oh no! When I arrived at the bus stop, I saw that the bus only runs every two hours... The clock showed 11:34... Oh my! The bus that left at 11:32 just departed. I have to wait for 30 minutes until the next bus comes... I decided to explore Joyful Minowa (shopping street) to pass the time. The old-fashioned shops lined up in the shopping street were great. Thanks to that, I could shop for cheap items. Once again at the bus stop, the bus (草43) arrived shortly. It's always fun to look at unfamiliar scenery from the bus window like being on a trip. After a 25-minute ride on 草43, I finally arrived at Adachi Ward Office, significantly exceeding the scheduled time. The cafeteria at Adachi Ward Office is located in the basement 1st floor of the "North Building." Due to the large ward office, I got lost. Adachi Ward Office Staff Cafeteria was crowded during lunchtime. I quickly ordered the curry I wanted from the ticket machine. As I hesitated in front of the counter, an older man who seemed like a staff member told me to put the meal ticket on the tray and place it on the counter. I noticed that everyone was doing the same. The kitchen was busy with many older women. One of them asked in a casual manner, "Would you like some fukujinzuke with your curry!?" Curry with plenty of ingredients was served on a stainless steel plate. The ingredients included pork, onions, carrots, potatoes, etc. I have eaten various public facility curries, but this is the first time I have seen such a huge potato. The thick roux was spicier compared to the curry I had at Arakawa Ward Office earlier. However, being a public facility curry, it was generally on the sweeter side. Satisfied with the curry packed with ingredients. Now, let's hop on more buses and head to Itabashi Ward Office. But wait... Oh no! This bus stop also only has two buses per hour. I have to wait for 20 minutes here (Adachi Ward Office is tough!).

I visited JUST at 11:00 to start my lunch. I purchased a ticket for the ramen set for 550 yen, which I had been wanting to eat since my last visit. The soy sauce ramen was simple and delicious. The curry in the mini curry seemed to have more ingredients compared to the morning curry I had last time. The onions were more prominent, and the potatoes and carrots were cut larger. Maybe it was just the timing of when it was prepared that made it taste different? But it was still delicious! Next time, I will try the bento box.

Visited the ward office. Since I work in Adachi Ward, I felt like I had to go at least once! Ordered the Curry Set for 400 yen, Salad for 100 yen, and Coffee for 100 yen at lunch price. The curry tasted like homemade, which was delicious. However, I'm not a fan of potatoes in curry, so that was a bit of a downside for me. The carrots were soft and cooked well, which made me happy. There was so much rice that I couldn't finish it all, sorry about that. I'll have to ask for a smaller portion next time. The restaurant is located underground, so I thought it might be dark, but sitting by the window made it bright and cozy, with a nice view outside.

After 11 AM, the lunch menu starts at the cafeteria, which gradually becomes crowded. I was torn between the traditional soy sauce ramen for 400 yen and the fried horse mackerel for 550 yen. I ended up ordering the fried horse mackerel, which was decent for the price, with a reasonably sized mackerel and a choice of one side dish (cold tofu, potato salad, shumai, etc.). I was surprised to find that the miso soup had diced potatoes and seaweed in it. Next time, I'll try the ramen set for 550 yen, which includes both soy sauce ramen and curry.

I ordered the limited morning curry for 300 yen from the 9 am opening until 11 am. The roux is thick and flavorful, perhaps simmered for a long time. Besides visible meat and carrots, there are also potatoes and spices that have melted in over time, surprisingly tasty! The satisfaction level is higher than the price, which was a pleasant surprise. There is also a simple Japanese breakfast set for 200 yen. When I went at 10:45 am, it was quiet and I was able to enjoy my morning leisurely.

Curry with chunks of potatoes and carrots. The cutlet was pre-fried. Quality of the parking area.

Salmon hamburger with a side of fried chicken.

On this day, I went to Adachi Ward Office for work. So, of course, I had curry rice for lunch (laughs). Following Shinagawa Ward Office's curry rice, Setagaya Ward Office's curry rice, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building's curry rice, and Edogawa Ward Office's curry rice, this is the fifth plate of curry at a government office! The cafeteria at Adachi Ward Office is located in the basement of the North Building. There are no signs or directions as you get off the elevator, so you might wonder, "Is it okay for the general public to come here?" But if you follow the sound of coins, you will find the ticket machine and cafeteria (laughs). What I had here was, of course, the Mixed Vegetable Curry for 400 yen. Unlike most curry at public facilities, this curry is full of ingredients! There are chunks of potatoes and carrots scattered throughout. It's not spicy, and the sweetness of the vegetables makes it taste like a homely curry. I like curries with chunks of vegetables like this (*´ω｀*) The Fukujinzuke was self-service, so I enjoyed it with the curry. It was a cheap and delicious curry. Thank you for the meal!

In order to switch to telecommuting in the afternoon, I decided to have lunch near my home. I thought of a cafeteria at the Adachi Ward Office that is only open on weekdays. The cafeteria is located in the maze-like basement of the huge Adachi Ward Office building. The district is making efforts to reduce the amount of leftover school lunches by coming up with creative menu options, and it seems like they are also making efforts to address the lack of vegetables in the meals at this cafeteria. Unfortunately, many menu items were sold out due to the Golden Week holiday overlapping with the suppliers' days off. However, I appreciated the cook standing next to the ticket machine explaining the situation to customers. I chose the curry from the remaining menu options. The curry was filled with chunky vegetables and the atmosphere of the underground cafeteria felt like time had stopped in the modern building. It was a nostalgic feeling as I enjoyed the delicious meal. I wonder if I will have the chance to visit again.