Hyperlocal Tokyo

A dining establishment in Shibuya. It's located a little over 10 minutes on foot from Shibuya Station. It was also selected as one of the "100 Best Restaurants for Set Meals" in 2021. It's a rare establishment that specializes in bonito flakes and serves set meals. They are open from morning and close in the early afternoon. I usually wake up late, so I haven't been able to go there often. I was able to wake up early that day, so I went. (laughs) I went there around 11:30 am on a weekday, and it was about 70% full. It was a sweltering day, and the air conditioning wasn't working inside, so I ended up eating in a sweat. (There is an air conditioner, but it wasn't working.) I ordered the following items that day. Miso soup comes with the rice. ✔ Bonito Flake Rice (¥1100) ✔ Raw Egg (¥330) The bonito flakes were shaved in front of me and piled high on the rice. It's great to see this live performance! (*ﾟ▽ﾟ*) First, I ate it plain. The bonito flakes were so fluffy. Then, I added salt and soy sauce to change the flavor, and finally, I topped it with a raw egg from free-range chickens to make a TKG (raw egg on rice). The yolk was a pale yellow color. The female owner, Katsuo-chan, who is quite famous on Instagram, was there! She was very bright and chatty. (°▽°) It seems like the menu will be renewed in the fall. The shop is extremely hot in the summer, so I'll go again when it's cooler. I wish the prices were a little lower, considering the simple menu. Thank you for the meal!!

The freshly shaved bonito flakes on rice are undeniably delicious. They must be using high-quality bonito flakes. I understand their aim to revive and contribute to the bonito culture. However, the price of 1,600 yen is difficult to justify. Similar establishments like AKOMEYA charge 2,000 yen for a clay pot rice meal with side dishes and soup, and similar offerings can be found at izakayas in office buildings. But this place only offers small dishes, bonito flakes, rice, and soup, with no main dish. You have to order the 660 yen bonito karaage separately. The bonito karaage itself is excellent, but it's still expensive for the amount, and while it's called a "set meal" at a "restaurant," I don't feel any respect for the restaurant and set meal culture. Is there enough quantity and nutrition there? The mayonnaise-dressed side dish lacks flavor, and the miso soup is bland. The raw egg is good, but 330 yen is expensive. On the other hand, lowering the price would probably lead to even longer lines. The benefits and drawbacks of social media marketing are evident. The pricing seems to rely on inbound tourism, which, to put it positively, could be considered a sustainable, future-oriented approach. The energetic and talkative owner seems more like someone who enjoys talking about their passions than a service-oriented person. They appear to be dedicated to research and improvement. Perhaps they will eventually expand beyond set meals and open a bar. If they could find a skilled chef as a partner, it would become a truly amazing restaurant. I have high hopes for the future.

The shop has a very nice atmosphere and the staff are wonderful. The food itself is amazing. The bonito flakes were the best I've ever tasted. They melted in my mouth, the aroma was incredible, and the flavor was exquisite. The miso soup was a bit underwhelming, perhaps I had too high of expectations. It was a bit too mild. The salt and soy sauce condiments were good. The egg wasn't worth the 300 yen. It lacked both aroma and richness.

I arrived around 7:50 AM on Wednesday, August 14th. There were three groups of one person each ahead of me in line. By 8:30 AM, when the shop opened, I estimate there were 10 to 15 groups waiting, including us. So, if you want to be in the first round, you should probably arrive about 45 minutes before opening. (On weekends, you might need to arrive even earlier.) I had freshly shaved bonito flakes for the first time in my life, and I was amazed by how different the aroma and flavor were! Personally, I thought the bonito karaage (fried bonito) was insanely delicious (laughs). They use carefully selected ingredients, not just for the bonito flakes, but also for the soy sauce, salt, eggs, and more. It was a meal that made me feel proud to be Japanese!

I had been wanting to visit after seeing it on TV and YouTube, and finally made my way here. I followed Google Maps from Shibuya, sweating as I climbed the hill. I arrived around 10:30 am on a weekday and was lucky enough to get in without waiting. I immediately ordered the bonito flakes rice set with an added egg. I watched as they shaved the bonito flakes while I waited. It arrived after a while, and the first bite was delicious. The fluffy, large bonito flakes, seasoned rice, and the combination were simply the best. The miso soup was also delicious with its gentle flavor. From there, I ate the three side dishes, then the bonito flakes rice, and repeated the cycle. When the rice was about a third gone, I cracked the egg into the rice and mixed it in, creating a bonito flakes rice with egg. I took a bite of the bonito flakes rice with egg, and it was another incredibly delicious dish. All the food was incredibly satisfying, and I had a truly blissful experience. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.