Minari

At 中華 飲み処・食い処 味菜里, the pan-fried gyoza are an appealing first order: thick wrappers give way to a juicy filling whose savoury flavour comes through clearly. They are seasoned enough to enjoy without dipping sauce, and go comfortably with a first beer or highball.

Noodles and Set Meals for a Hearty Meal

There is plenty of choice for a substantial main, from gomoku yakisoba, with its toppings and sauce clinging to the noodles, to tanmen, a lighter salt-seasoned noodle dish with vegetables, as well as spicy knife-cut noodles and kata yakisoba, made with crisp-fried noodles. For a meal centred on a generous serving of white rice, the set meals offer another direction: nira-reba, with thick-cut liver, mapo tofu seasoned with fragrant sansho pepper, or nasu miso with eggplant and miso.

Share a Few Small Plates—or Dine on Your Own

Smaller plates include steamed chicken, fried gizzards and fried burdock root, making it easy to put together a few dishes for a leisurely evening drink. The restaurant is on the ground floor of the Toei Korakuen Daiichi Apartments in Kasuga, Bunkyo City. Its casual setting suits a solo meal as well as a table shared with friends.