Hyperlocal Tokyo

We arrived at 11:15 AM on a scorching hot Sunday, and there were about 14 or 15 people in line ahead of us. They opened at 11:20 AM! They checked the number of people and assigned us to either the second floor or the first floor. We were able to snag a seat at the counter on the first floor for the first rotation! I wish I had ordered the well-done dumplings, but even so, dumplings and beer 🍺 in the morning were the best! By the way, the dumplings have a chewy skin and a light, cabbage-based filling. We also ordered the limited-edition water spinach stir-fry and a small portion of shrimp with chili sauce. Both were amazing! I had to resist the urge to order rice. The restroom is at the very back of the second floor, so it might be a bit inconvenient to get to.

It felt like a classic Chinese restaurant, and the food was so good I just had to keep going back. The dumplings were absolutely delicious. I took a huge bite out of the enormous dumplings and washed them down with a bottle of beer. It blew away all my daily stress. The shrimp fried rice was also super delicious with plump shrimp! This place instantly became one of my favorites. I'll definitely be back.

Shoryu^_^ Located under the guardrail one street over from Ameya-Yokocho, Shoryu is a ramen shop that has been around for 50 years. It's famous for its gyoza, being listed in the "100 Best Gyoza" guide, so I decided to give it a try! I waited in line for a bit and was led to a counter seat on the second floor. I ordered the gyoza and rice. After a while, my gyoza and rice arrived. There were four large gyoza. When I took a bite, they were incredibly juicy, and I understood why they were listed in the "100 Best Gyoza" guide. I finished it all in a flash. I was full. I said goodbye to the very energetic mother and left the shop. I'll definitely be back for more gyoza. Thank you for the delicious meal!^_^

Located about a 3-minute walk from Ueno Station's exit, parallel to Ameya-Yokocho. The surrounding area is filled with drinking establishments open from midday. Apparently famous for its jumbo gyoza, this restaurant was featured on the TV program "Chuka de Nomou Ze." The first floor counter seats were almost full, so I was guided to the second floor. The second floor has counter and table seating. I was seated at the counter (the second floor was also almost full). The staff on the second floor were very kind and welcoming (they prepared chopsticks and a plate in front of me). I ordered a lemon sour (¥580), a serving of the famous gyoza (4 pieces, ¥540), and fried rice (¥840), for a total of ¥1,960. The lemon sour was quite generous in size. The Chinese soup that came with the fried rice had green onions floating in it and was slightly bland. It had a strong ginger flavor. The gyoza, as you can see, were jumbo gyoza. The exterior was crispy, and the inside was juicy. It was mostly meat with a little bit of cabbage. There was a faint ginger flavor, and the seasoning was light. Personally, I would have preferred a bit more vegetables like chives or garlic in the gyoza. However, it would be perfect for customers who prefer gyoza with only meat and no vegetables. The fried rice was somewhere between fluffy and sticky. It was quite salty. In addition to eggs and green peas, there was a lot of ham. It tasted more like a home-style fried rice than a typical Chinese restaurant fried rice. Customers were constantly coming in and out, replacing those who had finished their meals. It's a very popular restaurant. Payment is made on the first floor. PayPay is not accepted, and there are no receipts. The only downside was the bald-headed staff member on the first floor. He had an old-fashioned way of serving customers, which came across as arrogant in a negative way. I was full and satisfied. Thank you for the meal.

The dumplings are incredibly large! I tried to convey their size by placing them on a plate of fried rice. Personally, I was full after just two dumplings and the fried rice. The first floor seems cramped, but there's a second floor with plenty of counter seating, so it feels spacious. There's a reason why the 'dumpling rice' menu item only comes with four dumplings instead of six. You should think of one of their dumplings as being equivalent to 2.5 dumplings at other places. Two dumplings were enough for me. Honestly, I found the dumplings to be just average. The filling was quite bland. I prefer dumplings with stronger garlic and chives, so I gave it a 3-star rating. The fried rice was also just okay. I think it would be even better if the meat wasn't ham or sausage, but rather char siu pork. The prices have gone up a bit recently, so I've included a picture of the current menu.