Honoji Shibuya — Restaurant in Tokyo

I was drawn to this place because it’s one of the few spots that offers not only pork gyoza but also gyoza made with other meats. I opted for lamb and beef gyoza. You can choose how you want them prepared—boiled, fried, or deep-fried—but I forgot to specify my preference when placing my order. It made me wonder what they would default to if I hadn’t remembered to ask later.

As for the gyoza themselves, both the deep-fried lamb and boiled beef were really good. I appreciated that they offered a variety of sauces to customize the flavor, which added to the experience.

One thing I liked was that they didn’t enforce a one-drink minimum, though they did have an "otoshi" (a table charge that comes with a small dish). However, when the bill arrived, it was much higher than I expected. I asked the staff about it, and initially, I was told the table charge was 1,700 yen. That seemed unusually high, so I questioned it further. The staff member recalculated and returned with a corrected bill of 1,550 yen. It felt like they were trying to overcharge me, possibly hoping I wouldn’t notice or understand the Japanese on the bill. This left a bad impression, and I doubt I’ll...

I first tried to visit Honoji Shibuya on a Friday, but it was packed—so we ended up leaving. Weekdays, though, are ideal: much fewer people and faster service.

The staff is very kind and helpful. Waiters can speak English They offer both Japanese and English menus, and if you show them a photo from Google Reviews, they’ll easily understand what dish you want to order.

Most of the diners were locals—we were the only foreigner there—which made the experience feel even more authentic. It can get a bit noisy when the crowd is lively, but I actually enjoyed the cheerful, relaxed vibe. It feels like a happy, down-to-earth spot.

The portions are a little on the smaller side, but everything I had was incredibly fresh and full of flavor. Definitely a great place to drop by if you’re in Shibuya...

An izakaya with an attractive creative Japanese menu. The food tends to be too salty overall, so people with hypertension need to be careful when choosing a menu. Original gyoza is an interesting challenge. This...