Kagonoya

For a lunch that lets you sample several small dishes, the basket-style bento is a tempting choice. One diner ordered the Nadeshiko Bento, which comes with six small side dishes, tempura, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), rice, soup, pickles and coffee. They also reported choosing between a small hot pot of sea bream broth with clams and chicken meatballs, and Hojyo pork steamed in a bamboo basket. It is a meal that lets you make one dish the centrepiece while trying a little of everything. The same diner chose Rikyu, which pairs matcha tiramisu with matcha warabi mochi. It could suit anyone looking to sample a couple of sweets after lunch or find something to enjoy with coffee.

For something a little lighter, there are rice-bowl-and-noodle combinations. The menu includes a shrimp tempura rice bowl or a seared chicken and egg rice bowl, each served with a choice of noodles in a small portion. A diner who tried the shrimp tempura rice bowl with hot udon praised the noodles’ springy texture and noted that the bowl came with two shrimp, as well as eggplant and lotus-root tempura. They also appreciated that the tempura dipping sauce was served separately, so they could add as much as they liked.

For a meal centred on hot pot, options include Hojyo pork shabu-shabu with dipping broth and Japanese Black Beef sukiyaki. The reservation-only Nigiwai Plan includes all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu or sukiyaki, along with sashimi, tempura, small side dishes and a finishing dish for the hot pot. It offers a different way to gather around meat and vegetables than ordering an individual hot-pot set meal.

Private rooms are available, and children’s options include curry, hot udon and a lunch with a toy. One diner used a private room for an okuizome ceremony, a traditional celebration for a baby, making the restaurant an option for family meals and special occasions.