"While repeating loss and rebirth, filling my mouth with delicious food,
Let's move forward toward tomorrow one step at a time, circulating like metabolism.

“As long as there is a proper restaurant there, we will definitely be able to live well.”

The restaurant where the lonely gourmet Yutaka Matsushige worked part-time,
Long-established restaurants that have been quietly operating for 120 years, etc.
25 Tokyo restaurants that fill your stomachs with hearty meals.

What should I eat today? Which restaurant should I go to? It's a meal we eat every day, but nothing energizes me more than a delicious, carefully prepared meal.
"Ten-deun-ge, Tokyo's Set Meals" is a book that contains the stories of 25 set meals that have been around for a long time in Tokyo and have filled people's stomachs.
A set meal consisting of rice topped with a small bowl of miso soup, a large main dish of fish or meat, and several small side dishes is an indispensable part of the daily lives of people living in Tokyo.
This book is full of home-style restaurant dishes that you won't get tired of eating every day, such as karaage set menus, fried mackerel set menus, and soba sets.
However, this book is not simply about introducing delicious restaurants and food.


We trace the history and beginnings of restaurants that have been around for anywhere from 5 years to 120 years, delving into the stories of the people who have permeated the place: those who have overcome crises and continued to run the business for generations, regular customers who have a love for the place, and those who have provided ingredients and worked with the restaurant for a long time.
Customers come to the store for different reasons, but there they find a moment to slow down and find solace in a meal.
By capturing these moments, the author emphasizes that restaurants are not simply places to eat, but rather small communities that connect the lives and emotions of city dwellers.
And the small society formed in this way becomes the driving force that sustains small formal houses for a long time.
Reading this book, "Ten-deun-ge-ha-ge, Tokyo's Jeongsik Restaurant," not only tells stories of food, but also of restaurants and customers who put their heart into serving plentiful and delicious food to their guests, making you think again about the meaning of a warm meal.

This book tells the story of a restaurant that was beloved by the locals, but is now on the verge of extinction.
We follow the stories of restaurant owners overcoming all kinds of difficulties to keep their restaurants afloat, the customers who support them, and the exquisite dishes that shine with the spirit of craftsmanship.
This is a story of six years, including the completely unexpected COVID-19 pandemic, and it is also a record of the restaurant's rebirth as it lives on with pride and self-esteem.
The more I get to know Jeongsikjib, the more I feel like it's a neighborhood fixture that should never disappear.
Because it's delicious, can make you happy for a moment, and can give you energy.
--- p.13 From "Starting with Sankaku"

“There is a tuna seller at Tsukiji Fish Market who has a close relationship with us since generations ago.
“We import the same ingredients that go into sushi restaurants at a special price,” said Hatsune.
The vendor said he deeply sympathized with his predecessor's desire to provide delicious raw fish at a 1 yen discount to young people who find it a great pleasure to come here once a month to eat.
However, even if it is imported cheaply through wholesale, there are cases where it is sold at a high price in stores.
So one day, the fish market vendor suddenly stormed into the store to check if the fish was really being sold at a cheap price to the customer.
And in a store full of customers, you see people of all ages, men and women, happily eating tuna with their mouths full.
--- p.44-45 From "Mizuguchi Restaurant"

When asked about the reasonable price of around 1,000 yen, he said, “Many of the customers who come to our restaurant are office workers working nearby, people working in the field, and some come as families.
So I can't get it for a high price.
“There are regulars who come during the day and at night,” he said.
I'm still running with all my might.
The three people and the guest seemed to be trying hard not to think of Ryuji.
I am somehow sealing away the pain in my heart now.
It's easy to write down the phrase "a store loved by the neighborhood," but few stores are as supported by their customers as Shirashina.
--- p.109 From "Sarashina"

Any restaurant that turns its wall-mounted menus around or replaces them, or even adds them to a messy list on paper, a chalkboard, or a whiteboard, can be considered a good place.
There are more ways to judge a restaurant's quality than just its taste or low price.
Fresh seasonal ingredients are delicious on their own.
The same goes for vegetables.
A restaurant with messy walls is undoubtedly a delicious place, with a chef who knows the softness of mugwort leaves in spring, the sweetness of cherry tomatoes in summer, the taste of eggplants harvested in fall, and radishes in winter.
--- p.111 From “Observation of a Formal Restaurant 1”

Homemade radish kimchi and kimchi side dishes vary depending on the season.
Samgyetang, a traditional dish served in a large pot for one person, is a lunch menu item available on Mondays and costs 1,200 yen, served with rice, radish kimchi, and vegetables.
Most of the Tuesday lunch menu items, such as japchae bap or doenjang jjigae set menu, are 1,000 yen.
The stew set menu includes three options: tofu, kimchi, and soybean paste, and is served bubbling.
And of course, there are a lot of sheep.
“I want as many Japanese people as possible to taste Korean home cooking, which is healthy and full of nutrients.”
Mandu-guk, a dish made with flat rice cakes made from glutinous rice flour, is also a menu item that is not commonly found in other restaurants.
The white broth, like tofu, had a clean aftertaste but was rich and deep in flavor.
--- p.140 From "Korean Countryside Home Cooking Doko"

The katsudon, well-seasoned with salt and pepper, was very substantial, with the bowl filled with thick, large pork cutlets coated in egg.
As expected from a soba restaurant's katsudon, the broth was flavored with bonito flakes and kelp, and the soy sauce seasoning was well absorbed, making it soft.
This was the perfect katsudon, with an ideal golden color and quantity.
Even though the portion was huge, the seasoning was just right, so I was able to finish the white rice without getting tired of it.
“If there is too much broth, you will get tired of the taste, so I make it so that it doesn’t soak into the white rice.
Adjust the seasoning so that it is not too strong, imagining the satisfaction you will feel when you finish eating it all.
“I hope you enjoy it until the end.”
--- pp.202-203 From "Jojuan"

Bulldog's huge menchikatsu easily catches people's attention, but I recommend the 1,000 yen lunch of the day, available from 11:40 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.
Two dishes, rice and soybean paste soup are served together.
The day I went, they served a small portion of Hayashi Beef (ハヤシビ?フ), which is beef stewed in a demi-glace sauce, along with a pork cutlet made from sirloin called rosu katsu, and a side of tonjiru (pork soup) with lots of toppings.
Thanks to the cabbage piled high like a mountain, I was able to eat every last piece of the roast beef without getting tired of it.
The donjiru contained burdock, radish, carrot, and green onion.
Because the ingredients were cut into large pieces, the textures were varied.
We serve pork in soups and main dishes to ensure that customers do not get tired of it.
The Hayashi beef served in small portions feels like a service, so both adults and children can enjoy it.

--- pp.220-221 From "Bulldog"