GYUKATSU and WATEISHOKU Kyoto katsugyu Ikebukuro Tobu — Restaurant in Tokyo

Our return to Dining City Spice is a testament to how many nice restaurants are in the area. Below the premier dining space, you have another few levels of restaurants, Gyukatsu and Wateishoku being one of them.

We picked this place as our last dinner in Ikebukuro before heading to the last leg of our Tokyo 2024 trip. Walked right in on a Monday at 730pm.

My mum had the unagi and gyukatsu set (for namesake) while I went for an albeit healthier choice of yuba niku udon.

I would like to highlight my discovery of the 順菜 found in their miso soup. On the same day we had it at Imahan, I couldn't figure out what this mesmerising slimy vegetable is. I love nameko by the way, the stickiness!

I took a video of how the 順菜 floats in the miso soup 😍

I love the fancy details of the dining ware. My yuba niku udon came with its own plate of condiments, allowing me to eat however I like with each spoonful. The teishoku came with a delightful serving of onsen tamago, dipping sauce, rice and the junsai miso soup!

I recommend just slurping up the onsen egg right into the mouth, or you could just use it as another dipping sauce. But why?

To pique my curiosity, I scrutinised the junsai for a while. Taking photos, using Google lens and capturing the motion.

Date of visit:...

I came here with my family for dinner. Since we were early we did not have to wait, but, we had a stroller and a 28” luggage with us which they accommodated and that came as a surprise since most would just ask us to leave them outside. They also went out of their way to afford us some leeway with the menu due to dietary reasons. The server was very quick and efficient even though she was alone in working the floor at that time. She made us feel that she actually likes having us there. I also noticed that she was liked by nearby tables as well, a testament to her cheerful demeanour and how customers appreciate her. Service is very good.

The food was delicious. We were in Kyoto just two days before we came here and the quality of food was comparable. The kid’s meal set is big enough to feed an adult and our daughter loved her Anpanman plate! The food was served promptly and the experience was pleasant altogether.

Tl/dr; good food,...

Service: Horrendous

Waited an hour with our names at the top of the list on the 2nd page. They skipped us and let the Japanese couple behind us go first. When we asked them, the server apologized and told us to wait. We waited for 3 groups to leave before finally being shown to the table.

Food: Bad

You can get better gyukatsu else where for cheaper. Meat was tough, couldnt bite through though I ordered the more pricey set. The warabimochi that came to the set was the oddest I’ve tasted. Their kinako had no flavor, it was like eating cardboard powder on a sweet jelly. It wasn’t the usual warabimochi consistency.

My advice, take your money and time elsewhere. Don’t let their bad service also ruin it for foreigners...