Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan｜Sato

Good and fresh Kaisendon lunch set. Friendly staff.

After passing through the narrow shopping street at the north exit of Bubaigawara Station, turn right and you'll find this shop on the second floor of a flashy izakaya, at the top of a narrow staircase that you might easily overlook. The lunch menu for that day is posted halfway up the stairs. I'm glad they have lunch on Saturdays too. When you enter the restaurant, the aroma of vinegared rice whets your appetite. I was seated at a table near the back of the store, but the chef was casually watching me through a cut-out in the wall, and ordering went smoothly. The lady at the hall often comes by to refill the tea. Deep seats like this tend to be neglected, but there doesn't seem to be any need for that to happen here. On this day, I ordered the salt-grilled sweetfish set meal, and my companion ordered the exquisite Kasago set meal. The first thing that surprised me was the ara soup. The double soup stock of white fish and clams is very delicious and elegant. There are quite a lot of large pieces of fish in there, and on the contrary, there are no parts that are difficult to eat. And rice! Recently, there are many places that serve soft and chewy types, but the ones here are firmer and less sticky, and strong like sushi rice. My companion from Niigata highly praised it. Both fish are truly professional! Done well. The flesh is plump, and the skin and fins are crispy. The amount of salt is moderate, so if you don't have enough salt, use the soy sauce on the table. The sweet potato miso that accompanied the sweetfish was so delicious that I wanted to buy it. It still retains the crunchiness of the butterbur, and the balance between sweetness and bitterness is perfect. If you just want to eat grilled fish, chain restaurants like Ootoya and Shinpachi Shokudo are delicious, but the soup, rice, and accompaniments...the overall quality and attention to detail of the work is different. I was like, ``Wow, I ate something delicious!'' Thank you for the treat.

I had heard that the seafood dishes were delicious, so I went here for lunch on a holiday. When I arrived 15 minutes before the store opened, there were already more than 10 customers in line, but I was able to get in at the very first turn. When I ordered the half seafood bowl, which was limited to 10 servings, I was surprised at how much seafood it was. It includes high-quality ingredients, is fresh and delicious, and is filling even though it's half-sized, so it's no wonder people line up before the store opens. It's also nice that it comes with dessert at the end.