Author: Saki A.
Editor: Theo F.
After a long day of classes, as students, we do deserve to feast well from time to time and appreciate the food near our area. Definitely, you can go to Kawagoe or even Tokyo to find a good restaurant, and most likely, you will find quite a few of those. However, you do not need to go that far to get great meals as the TIU neighborhood itself offers culturally-diverse, delicious and filling food!
After almost two years of being a TIU student, I have been to a lot of restaurants near the TIU campus so let me introduce you to my top 5 restaurants around TIU!
As a sushi and sashimi lover, one of my favorites would definitely be Marudon which is located near the gate of Campus 1. Under 1000 yen, you are able to pick from a wide variety of kaisendon, or seafood on a bowl of rice. Counting all options from their menu, they actually offer 84+ different kaisendon! The menu varies with the topping so if you only like salmon, they have that exact option for you. If you want everything in one, their most popular kaisendon is for you. My personal pick would be their normal kaisendon, not because I do not have personality, but because you just get the best of everything in one rice bowl. While they allow a few to dine-in, it is usually better to buy take-outs and eat together with your friends on campus.
There are those days when one would crave for fried food. Located just beside Marudon, Momokara offers you high-quality and tasty karaage! On top of that, it is quite affordable as all options are only under 900 yen. Most of their bentos range from 500yen to 600yen, including a big bowl of rice, and freshly-fried, beautiful-looking karaage. I would personally recommend the Egg Bomber bento. From the name itself, you can already imagine how the half-boiled egg just goes so well with the karaages. Momokara does not however have an eat-in area so make sure to find somewhere to feast on these delicate bentos.
The next recommendation would probably be my favorite among the list as I love anything spicy, so spicy food lovers out there, I got you! Juntara, an Indian restaurant, offers not only curry and naan, but also rice, noodles, and lots of salads. For those who cannot handle spicy food, you can customize your curry with how much spice you can handle. If you are however up for a challenge, you can try making it a bit spicier than of your liking, and pair your meal with lassi, a traditional yogurt drink popular in India. The serving size may also be too big for those who have a small appetite, but nevertheless, it is still worth a try!
After introducing meals rich in taste and spices, naturally, we check out some simple and homey tastes. I personally would go for Chinese cuisine, and just around TIU, we have Ryuushouhanten, a Chinese restaurant that offers a wide variety of dishes ranging from fried rice and mapo tofu to fried dumplings and sweet-and-spicy prawns. The only problem whenever I look at their menu is to make a decision. But you can never go wrong with their 野菜あん, or vegetable ankake, which is basically stir-fried vegetables in thick sauce. It has always reminded me of my mother’s cooking, which is quite nostalgic.
Of course, this list would not be complete without a ramen place. Just a few semesters ago, this ramen place did not exist. Ebi Tonkotsu Ramen in front of the Kasumigaseki Station opened just last year. Since its opening, they have gained a lot of loyal customers such as me. Their most popular dish – as you might have guessed – is the Ebi Tonkotsu Ramen, a dish composed of prawn-based broth and different spices. Not only is the broth heavenly, the noodles are thinner than your usual ramen which makes it special and easy to eat. What’s more? They offer you unlimited rice bowls to eat with your leftover soup. Indeed, you cannot leave the restaurant without filling up your stomach.
As a part of an international community, we as students get to enjoy culturally-diverse cuisines that are just right around the corner. Especially for freshmen, explore our neighborhood and check out these great restaurants! For those who have tried all of the restaurants on this list, would you agree with my choices?
Times Of TIU 