Hayashiya Restaurant — Restaurant in Tokyo

2 Stars – Disappointing, but Not Terrible

I had heard mixed things about Hayashiya, so I went in with modest expectations — unfortunately, even those weren’t really met.

The food was... fine. Not awful, but definitely nothing to write home about. Everything tasted a bit flat, like the kitchen was playing it too safe. I tried a few dishes that were supposedly house specials, but they lacked the freshness and bold flavor you’d hope for. Just very average.

What really dragged the whole experience down was the atmosphere. The place felt oddly tense and uninviting. The lighting was harsh in some spots and too dim in others, and the layout made it feel cramped even though it wasn’t crowded. There was also a strange silence — no music, no buzz — which made the room feel cold and awkward.

The service was okay, though not particularly warm or attentive.

In short, Hayashiya isn’t terrible, but it’s also not a place I’d go back to. With so many great options out there, this one just doesn’t...

This is a loveable, even nostalgic, Yoshoku (Japanese-Western plate dishes) restaurant which has been surviving over a half century with a reasonable prices and good view of Kabukicho. So, since the level of taste was, too, pretty good, this place should have got my 5 or 4 stars... However, they offered some special lunch menu and services which seemed very nice and I took one, but they wrongly tried to overcharge me with "too" new price list. They had a nice "smart" automatic drink dispenser which recognises glasses and cups for chilled and hot drinks properly, but that took me 3 mins to get a cup of coffee since they gave me a wrong plastic cup for it. All those mistakes were properly addressed and corrected with apologies, but in the end, I looked as if I'm an unhappy-faced complaint seeker. I really hope I can add a star or two if there...

One star – never again! From the very first bite of my chicken, I felt sick. The meat was limp, riddled with huge, wobbly chunks of fat that squished disgustingly with every chew, coating my mouth with a slimy, greasy film. It felt like chewing lukewarm lumps of lard that spread a nauseating slickness over my tongue and throat. The taste was a vile mix of stale oil, soggy cardboard, and a whiff of dirty chicken coop.

The entire dish was drowning in a glossy pool of grease that looked as heavy and shiny as motor oil. The stench alone was so overpowering and rancid that I lost my appetite instantly. Hours later, I still felt like a slick, fatty blob was stuck in my stomach, churning unpleasantly.

The most revolting meal I’ve ever been served in a so-called Japanese-American restaurant. Absolutely horrible – one star...