ミヤマヤ
I went to Ueno to see the Picasso exhibition. For lunch, I decided to try a Chinese restaurant I had researched and took the subway to Inaricho, one stop away. Upon exiting the station, I walked across Asakusa Street and a little ways down Kiyosu Bridge Street to a building on the corner of the intersection. The restaurant was on the second floor, accessible via a narrow staircase that was a bit hard to find. Inside, the atmosphere was bright and clean with white walls. As soon as I entered, I was greeted and asked if I was okay with having only the B lunch today. I agreed, and was handed a glass of water by the entrance. Although the restaurant usually opens at 11:30, today it opened at noon, and when I checked the time, it was exactly noon, so I thought I was one of the first customers. However, there were already two other groups of diners seated. Perhaps they had been waiting in line. There were five tables and four seats at the counter, accommodating about 20 people in total. When asked if I had a reservation, I felt a bit anxious, but it turned out reservations weren't necessary. Nonetheless, I was relieved to be seated. The menu offered three types of lunch sets: A, B, and C, but today only the 2,000 yen B set was available. I had planned to have the B set anyway, so it wasn't an issue. The B lunch included appetizers, medicinal soup, dim sum, and a main course (choose from three options). The three options were: succulent steamed chicken, aged black vinegar sweet and sour pork, and Sichuan mapo tofu. I ordered the succulent steamed chicken while my companion ordered the sweet and sour pork. As we were deciding, more customers continued to arrive. In a short span of time, all tables and counter seats were filled. The customers at the table were all couples, and it seemed like everyone arrived at the same time, with cooking starting simultaneously. There was only one young male staff member. I didn't know if it was always like this, but perhaps today he was running the restaurant alone. It must be tough to handle everything alone, I thought to myself. There was a special drink available, and I went to pour it myself. The drink, resembling red wine, was sweet and delicious. Eventually, the appetizers were served. Each dish was accompanied by an explanation, but I forgot the details. There were two small dishes for the appetizers: one with mackerel and the other with taro. Both were delicious and it was evident that they were meticulously prepared. The small plates they were served on were lovely, each with a unique pattern. Next came the dim sum: a large dumpling with a fantastic dipping sauce. The dumpling was generously filled with a delicious filling wrapped in a chewy skin, so tasty that one was not enough. Then came the soup, served in a blue ceramic bowl with a lid that resembled a Buddha's image. It was quite an elaborate bowl. The medicinal soup featured burdock as the main ingredient, with a subtle herbal flavor and a very light taste. It felt nourishing and truly delicious. Finally, the rice and succulent steamed chicken arrived. It was my first time trying succulent steamed chicken. The steamed chicken was soaked in its own sauce, and it was tender and flavorful. The rice was excellent as well, cooked to perfection, and you could tell they put effort into it. The sweet and sour pork arrived, and I tried a piece. It was tender, coated in a sticky sauce, and incredibly delicious. I hadn't ordered the sweet and sour pork because I wanted to try the succulent steamed chicken, but now I realized the sweet and sour pork suited me better. I had never tasted such delicious sweet and sour pork before. The flavor of the sauce coating the fried pork was superb. If there's a next time, I'll definitely choose the sweet and sour pork without hesitation. I was completely satisfied and would love to come back someday. Coming to Inaricho was definitely the right decision.