Schnitzel
On this day, I went shopping at Tsukiji Outer Market for the first time in a while. It's great to see the crowds returning, but it seems like this town has turned into a food theme park exclusively for inbound tourists. The businesses that come to buy ingredients for their work or individual customers seem to have been pushed to the sidelines. I am worried about what will happen to the traditional shops that have been diligently running their businesses. After finishing my errands, I quickly retreated. I also took a Tokyo bus to Toyosu, connected to the market. Here, compared to Tsukiji Outer Market, there is still less of a touristy atmosphere and it feels more calm. I visited the business retail store on the 4th floor of the Fish Intermediate Wholesale Building for the first time, and it felt more user-friendly than when it was in Tsukiji Market. For lunch in Toyosu, I visited this place located on the 3rd floor of the Fish Intermediate Wholesale Building, run by a long-established chicken wholesaler from Tsukiji, offering chicken rice bowls, oyakodon, and ramen. It was less crowded on the floor, the prices were reasonable, and most importantly, I love the "tori bento" that I can also buy at National Azabu, which is why I chose this place. I have used the shop when it was in Tsukiji Market, and I have also bought their bento boxes, but this was my first time eating in since they moved to Toyosu. When I visited just before noon, there was a line of 7-8 people in front of the shop. I ordered the "tori ju" for 1000 yen while waiting in line. It seems that the previous "torimeshi" has been replaced with this menu recently. After being seated, the soup and the bento box arrived in about 5 minutes. The soup was so rich that a gelatinous film formed on the surface. As my knees have been shaky lately due to my age, I appreciate the collagen content. The tori ju is similar to the "tori bento" but with slightly different ingredients. The teriyaki chicken thigh, minced chicken, shishito pepper, and pickled vegetables are the same, but the bonjiri and kinkan from the tori bento have been replaced with chicken skin and quail egg, respectively. It was warm and delicious, but the completeness and satisfaction when eating may be higher in the tori bento. I still want the bonjiri. However, it was a satisfying lunch overall. If I have the chance, I would like to try their curry or ramen as well.