As I start to wrap up my Tokyo content I had to make sure I share my review on this restaurant which happens to be my favourite food spot in Tokyo! In this review, I will explain why it is my favourite and what you can expect if you ever visit. Before reading below please consider giving me a follow on Tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook as I’ll be posting more Japanese food (vegetarian) and travel content! See the video below for a visual teaser of what to expect!
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Klook.comLocation
The exact location of this restaurant is 〒150-0042 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Udagawacho, １５−1 渋谷PARCO B1. If it sounds familiar, that’s because this is in the basement of Shibuya Parco, where the Pokemon Center Shibuya is. To get here, it is near the elevators when coming from outside. In the basement are a lot of different restaurants (chaos kitchen is what it is called) and small shops including Union Record. The mall is only a 7-9 minute walk from Shibuya Sky and a 4-minute walk from Shibuya station. You can dine in or do take-out, however, keep in mind the seating is limited and I don’t think they take reservations.
Price
The price was amazing in my opinion. The total for everything came up to ¥2,250 ($23.42 CAD at the time, and tipping is not allowed). It was interesting that you have to order by scanning a QR code and then pay for your meal later up at the front. The dumplings were ¥600, the mapo tofu meal (part of the lunch menu) was ¥1,000 and the karaage was ¥650! For the portion and taste, I think these prices are a great deal.
Taste
The karaage here was hands down the best thing I have ever eaten on my trip to Japan. The karaage has a lot of flavour with the sauce. You will appreciate the great texture inside and out, as every bite has a hardy feel to it with a crispy exterior. The cabbage on the side had a nice kick to it since it was a bit tangy. I didn’t realize it at first, but they did have macaroni in that side salad which also complemented the karaage. You can choose between different flavours and seasonal sauces, we chose the sesame sauce.
The Gyoza was not bad at all as it had a decent amount of stuffing in each piece with a satisfying crispy exterior. The soybean skin on the side was part of the mapo tofu meal and although tiny, was tasty and did have a meaty texture. However, I did find the gyoza sauce very bitter and sour so be mindful of that but it did provide an interesting taste.
Lastly, the mapo tofu meal was great as well, it just melts in your mouth which is always a good feeling. The sauce is so warm and aromatic which is a great pairing with the tofu and rice. This does come with soup as well but we opted out of it. Since we were a bit sick, we were even more appreciative of this sauce.
Overall
As you can tell, I loved eating here and if I am ever back in Tokyo, I need to visit Izakaya Masaka again! In terms of customer service, they were amazing! Both my sister and I had a bad cough so we were asking for hot water. This was not common but they did what they can to provide this to us and make sure everything was going well. I truly appreciate how nice and accommodating the staff was. Also, their food was amazing, I would recommend these items, especially the karaage and the mapo tofu! I am curious to try more items off the menu and to know if you have ever been here or plan on going! Let me know your thoughts on this blog post or via social media post by following me on Tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook! Stay tuned for more Japan food content coming soon!
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