[Tokyo/Town Chinese] A Journey to Find Japan's Best Fried Rice | 5 Legendary Shops
Hello, I'm a probably-broke guy who loves a good stir-fry.
This time, as the first installment of my ascetic journey in search of Japan's best fried rice, I will be visiting famous shops in Tokyo.
To give you the conclusion first, this journey might turn into a verification process of 'how many shops can come close to the absolute standards set by the first two?' I would like to start with these two shops, which are so overwhelming and unique that it would be no exaggeration to call them the Wind God and Thunder God of fried rice.
Chotoku (Hon-Komagome) Egg Fried Rice
A few minutes' walk from Hon-Komagome Station on the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, I visited around 12:15 PM on a weekday. While I felt relieved by the shop's usual chaotic atmosphere, I felt my heart racing as I faced the 'divine fried rice' for the first time in a while.
When I visited on a weekend before, there was an incredible line, but since this was a slightly earlier time on a weekday, there was only one group ahead of me. I was able to be seated in about 10 minutes.
Egg Fried Rice and 3 Fried Gyoza (1,100 yen)
What appeared before me was the same simple seasoning, stripped down to the absolute limit with only salt, and minimal ingredients consisting only of egg and green onions. And this time, I had a new discovery: when I took a sip of the accompanying Chinese soup and then took a bite of the fried rice, the flavor transformed into something even deeper and four-dimensional. Faced with the abyss of this simplicity, I felt a strange sense of omnipotence, as if I were being rolled around in the palm of Buddha's hand.
The beautifully wrapped gyoza also performed its task as a perfect supporting actor.
Perhaps we humans, long before we talk about AI or the singularity, have been nothing more than beings being rolled around in the woks of Chotoku.
Banraien (Oimachi) Shrimp Fried Rice
Less than a 5-minute walk from Oimachi Station, I was hurrying along the shopping street. It was a drizzly weekday, and I thought that such bad weather was the perfect chance to slip into that famous shop.
I arrived around 12:45 PM, and I was 7th in line. I joined the line thinking, 'The first group must have already gone in, and now they're waiting for the second round,' but even after 10 minutes, the line showed no signs of moving. Just as I was pondering whether the turnover was slow or if it was a total rotation system, a staff member slowly came out and flipped the sign to 'OPEN'. ...Wait, it wasn't open yet?! I thought to myself, while luckily managing to enter as part of the first group.
Inside the shop, while the aged wallpaper tells the history, the beautiful wood-grain counter and the perfectly organized kitchen have a pleasant tension, like a starred high-end restaurant.
Everyone who sat down ordered the 'Shrimp Fried Rice (1,000 yen)' as if they had planned it. When the tremendous art of fire began in the kitchen, all the customers stopped using their smartphones and stared blankly at the cooking process with bated breath, creating a truly strange and serene scene. What was particularly impressive was the amount of pepper added with such gusto. And then, after thoroughly stir-frying the base rice, they added the star, the shrimp, and a small amount of green onions to finish each plate one by one, a precise two-stage process.
The moment I took a bite of the fried rice that arrived, the flavor of the pepper was glaringly and obviously effective. The rice was quite firm and slightly small-grained, yet it had a strange, chewy texture when bitten, which was an unprecedented and unique experience. The large, plump shrimp were of the quality of high-end Chinese cuisine, and everyone, including myself, was treating this supreme shrimp like a treasure as we brought it to our mouths. Faced with such a wonderfully unique fried rice, I felt like my knees were going to give out the whole time.
On my way out, I told the kind lady who had been checking the level of my water throughout the meal, 'Thank you for the meal, it was delicious,' and left the sanctuary of Oimachi with this happy lingering feeling.
Chinchinken (Ueno) Fried Rice
A well-known town Chinese restaurant located in Ameyoko, Ueno. I arrived around 12:50 PM on a holiday, but there was a long line of about 15 groups in front of me. For a moment, I felt like backing out, but I made up my mind to wait, thinking: I will not retreat! I will not fawn! I will not reflect!! While waiting, I enjoyed the street atmosphere by looking at the graffiti under the tracks and watching the lady crush cabbage.
The turnover was better than expected, and I was seated in about 40 minutes. It is very smooth if you decide on your order before reaching the front of the line.
Fried Rice (850 yen)
What was brought before me was truly the ideal loose-grain texture. Each grain of rice was carefully coated in oil, and the saltiness and umami hit my brain with a powerful punch. It was as if the shop was showing off its overwhelming identity as "the taste of downtown." Furthermore, the Chinese soup served in a slightly large teacup was truly satisfying to drink, creating a profound, rich-flavored duet.
By the time I left the shop, the line was still just as long, if not longer. In any case, for those who love punchy, rich-flavored town Chinese fried rice, I think this is a taste that will definitely hit the spot.
Shinga (Edogawabashi) Fried Rice
About a 5-minute walk from Edogawabashi Station on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line,
I arrived around 12:15 PM on a weekday, and my prediction that "it would surely be crowded" was spot on, as I joined the 12th spot in line.
The staff manages the timing for purchasing and handing over meal tickets, but the turnover itself isn't that fast; I waited 35 minutes outside and another 10 minutes or so after being seated. Because each dish is made very carefully and they cook for several people at once, the order of service can vary slightly depending on the type of order and timing.
Fried Rice (850 yen)
This fried rice comes with Chinese soup and pickles by default.
The star of the show, the fried rice, is infused with the condensed umami of roast pork, and compared to the punchy downtown town Chinese style, the saltiness is actually quite restrained and truly elegant. The rice grains are slightly small, the balance of the loose texture is just right, and it is truly a textbook finish for delicious fried rice.
And what is worth mentioning is the soup; it was constructed with a surprisingly delicate and elegant flavor, which came as a fresh shock to me.
By pairing it with the pickles toward the end, I was able to finish it off refreshingly with a pleasant change of pace; it felt like a "Bodhisattva-style" fried rice.
By the time I left the shop, the line was still continuing without a break, so when visiting during lunchtime, you need to be prepared for a wait and have plenty of time, but it is a famous shop where you can definitely encounter reliable deliciousness.
Ryuho (Kagurazaka) Fried Rice Regular
The sacred ground is located on a steep back-alley slope near Kagurazaka Station on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line. I visited around 1:00 PM on a weekday. Perhaps because I slightly missed the lunch peak, I was only the 3rd group in line and was able to enter smoothly without waiting even 5 minutes.
The interior is neither too wide nor too narrow, and the somewhat retro and warm atmosphere gives a pleasant sense of security.
Fried Rice Regular (950 yen)
After ordering, I was surprised by the arrival speed, which exceeded my imagination and was as fast as a drum and bass beat... it was probably only about 3 minutes.
What surprised me even more was that it was accompanied by a cloudy soup that looked like miso soup at first glance, rather than the familiar clear Chinese soup. When I took a sip, the rich umami of bonito and fish powder rushed in. And the star of the show, the fried rice, made my brain instantly respond with "Oh, this is delicious" from the very first bite. Combined with the chunks of roast pork, I couldn't stop moving my spoon. At first, I thought it might be quite salty, but strangely, as I continued eating, I realized that the saltiness itself was actually more restrained than at other shops. As for the texture, it has a unique quality that could be described as "smooth and loose," with each grain of rice coated in oil. It is truly worthy of being called one of the best in Tokyo. If one were to say, "Fried rice among fried rice, come on out!", the answer might just be here in Kagurazaka.
This time, I visited famous shops including the golden top two mentioned at the beginning.
I plan to continue this not only in Tokyo but also in other areas in the future, so please look forward to it.
Thank you for staying with me until the end.