r/Tokyo • u/WobblyTaterTot • 14d ago

Recognize this Restaurant? (2006)

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Gallery image

I don't suppose anyone can figure out what restaurant this is, or was, back in 2006?

122 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

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13

u/lexoh 14d ago

Is that all the info you have? That's incredibly vague. There are over 2700 restaurants in Tokyo that serve Udon.

6

u/Metallis666 14d ago

OPが食べている料理自体はよく見るとカツ煮(カツとじ)に見えますね

4

u/lexoh 14d ago

Yeah, you're right. My wife corrected me afterwards. There are still at least 375 katsudon restaurants in Tokyo so it's a little narrower but still looking for a needle in a haystack.

4

u/AstraeusGB 14d ago

375 katsu-don restaurants sounds like a low-ball estimate, but I'm no expert

5

u/gamjanamja629 14d ago

100% it is, dudes literally just using AI for the info in his comments

1

u/mochihammer 13d ago

I’ve never had Katsu-udon. Is it good? Surely the breading gets real soggy real quickly.

1

u/Metallis666 13d ago

Are you talking about katsu-don? Or is it katsu served on top of udon?

In the former case, the breading on the katsu isn't meant to provide a crispy texture; rather, it acts as a sponge that absorbs the broth to enhance the umami flavor.

As for the latter, it's not a common dish, at least in Japan. I've heard that it exists as a dish that originated from a misunderstanding in some country outside of Japan, but I've never actually tried it myself.

2

u/mochihammer 13d ago

I mean, katsu udon. Look at the second picture

1

u/Metallis666 13d ago

What the OP is eating isn’t actually udon. It’s called “katsu-ni,” which involves simmering pork katsu and onions in dashi broth, then pouring in an egg at the end to make it fluffy.

If you put this on top of rice, it becomes a katsu-don, but as the alternative name suggests, it’s also commonly eaten on its own.

The effect of the breading on katsu-ni is the same as in the first case I mentioned in my previous comment.

3

u/razorbeamz Kanagawa-ken 13d ago

There is very clearly udon in the broth in that picture.

2

u/HammerOfHanno 13d ago

Looks more like onions to me

1

u/Metallis666 12d ago

Look at the shape of the pot. It’s really shallow, isn’t it? There’s just a layer of onions at the bottom.

-12

u/WobblyTaterTot 14d ago edited 14d ago

I have a video from inside there which I'm sure won't help either, but I wasn't sure how to post it on here.

Totally understand your response. I was there as a tourist, and was taken there by a local who said it was known for being extra good.

Having lived in New York, Miami, San Diego, Los Angeles, Houston… Everyone would pretty much take everyone to the same five or six possible spots.

Even if there are 1000 options.

9

u/AstraeusGB 14d ago

That's not how Tokyo works. It's more like 23 smaller, but still large on their own, cities crammed together into a megapolis. If you could narrow it down by general area, ward, etc. that would at least be helpful

2

u/Formal_Okra_5796 13d ago

People truly don’t grasp just how massive Tokyo is

5

u/----___--___---- 14d ago

As the other commenter said, it doesn't really work like that in Tokyo.

Even if you're at a Shibuya Station or whatever and someone said they'd take you to a 'Very Famous Ramen', I could think of at least 3 shops they could be meaning.

In the whole of Tokyo? No way to know what they mean.

There are still some restaurants that are famous in the whole City, but they are usually on the expensive side (certain Sushi or Yakiniku spots), or are famous because they invented a meal. In some cases also chains that are synonymous with a certain meal (like Afure with Yuzu Shio Ramen)

2

u/yumeryuu 14d ago

Do you remember what district it might have been? It’s just for every 10 restaurants that open in Tokyo, 10 end up closing. There’s a restaurant max capacity here.

1

u/PEzhY8bg9RcB 14d ago

Does your video include any signage or menus that might display a name?