mapiko47
I visited "Donburi Republic" in Solamachi to buy a Christmas present for my granddaughter who is a Ghibli fan. After making the purchase, I decided to have coffee on the top floor, so I went up to the 30th and 31st floors, but it was almost closed after lunchtime. As I was about to go back to the 1st floor, I stumbled upon Jyuban'en. I didn't really pay attention to the fact that it was in Solamachi. Nowadays, there are many high-end yakiniku restaurants, so you might think why go to Jyuban'en now? But for me, it holds a lot of memories as I have been a regular customer for 37 years since the first store in front of Shinjuku Koma Theater. At that time, I was a university student living in Nakano and working part-time in Shinjuku. Before that, yakiniku restaurants were usually smoky and greasy, but I was really impressed by the elegant atmosphere and high-quality meat at Jyuban'en. As more branches opened in Roppongi, Azabu, Akasaka, Ginza, etc., I would try the special items that were not available at other branches with excitement. When Yugentei, a high-end yakiniku restaurant, opened, I was shocked by the menu prices. When I didn't have much money, I would go to slightly lower-grade branches like the Takadanobaba or Eifukucho stores to eat more affordably. Back then, celebrating special occasions like anniversaries was also done here. It may be common now, but Jyuban'en was the first to provide customers with clean white aprons, free ice cream after meals, and gum at the end of the meal. After the bubble economy, more high-end yakiniku restaurants emerged, but no matter where I went, my palate was not satisfied, and although the general public moved away from Jyuban'en, it remained the most delicious restaurant for me. However, after moving to Chiba, there was only one branch there, which closed down after a few years. Since then, there have been no branches in Chiba. I have to go to Tokyo to eat, so I go about twice a year. I'm glad I stumbled upon it by chance. To be honest, the taste of the sauce and the menu have changed a lot in 37 years, so it doesn't evoke the same excitement as before. However, it is still the best yakiniku for my palate. I have always loved the Jyuban'en sirloin, and I still only order sirloin. I used to be too embarrassed to eat alone, but now, thanks to Jyuban'en, I have the courage to enjoy solo yakiniku, which I could never have done at a cafe or ramen shop. The gap between lunch and dinner was empty, and I was able to fully enjoy solo yakiniku while admiring the lovely view from the counter seat.