Daihachi — Restaurant in Kawagoe

Though I am giving this place three stars, I don't really recommend it. It is just that it was not bad enough to warrant anything less.

I was drawn by the idea of the sweet potato gyoza. A unique combination for sure, but one ripe with possibilities and promise. As for the actual execution, underwhelming and a tad bit disappointing. Apart from being purple, the gyoza is stuffed with a small piece of sweet potato, broccoli and a couple of other ingredients. I honestly think that the broccoli did it a disservice, as it really watered down what could have been an impactful flavor, filled with sweetness, from the sweet potato. Even after dipping it into vinegar and raayu (chili oil) it did little to spice up the toned down taste of the gyoza. This was not only because the gyoza themselves were light on the flavor department, but the chili oil at the table was also a bit bland. No matter how much I added, it barely made a difference.

For the main entry I ordered the katsu curry. This was just okay. I really do not have anything more to say as it was not memorable, in either a bad or good way.

The place is cheap and is situated very close to the Time Bell Tower, but I honestly think there are other places that provide a much better dining experience and more memorable flavors...

I ordered their curry rice and mixed gyoza (veggies and purple sweet potato). The former comes with pork and onions, and was way too salty. The latter was too oily though the filling was generous enough. I paid 750 JPY for the curry rice and 400 JPY for the gyoza. The interior walls of the restaurant are messy and plastered with screen shots of a couple of TV programmes they were featured in. But I personally will not recommend. Menu has limited English...

Though I normally don't go for soy sauce-based ramen, this Kawagoe-style ramen is an exception. It's just SOOOOOO GOOD. Especially the sweet potato topping. The purple yam gyoza was also SOOOO GOOD, especially topped with their chili oil. Recommend 10/10. (And even more so for HSJ fans like me. Hehehe) I also noticed they gave out lollipops to kids. It was so cute!! Very...