Yayoiken
I wish to dispel the myth that Japan is a very expensive country. Don’t get me wrong - there are certainly things there that will cost you an arm and a leg. However, as with most countries, if you do as the locals do, things like eating out can become very affordable.
Yayoiken is one such example. Recommended to us by our friendly ryokan owner in Kyoto, and previously visited by other food bloggers like Helen from grabyourfork, Yayoiken is a chain of teishoku-ya, located in numerous places in Japan, and all serving simple, homely and cheap lunch and dinner sets. How cheap? Try around 700 yen (AUD$7) for a set that will contain a meat/fish dish, miso soup, side dish, pickles, and bottomless bowls of rice from a huge help-yourself rice cooker. The chain is also opened 24 hours!
Cheapness in the prices certainly doesn’t mean cheap and drab surrounds: Yayoiken is a clean and very pleasant space to dine. Key in your food choices from the vending machine, insert money, then hand your ticket to the waitress, who will show you to a table. Menu choices are vast - everything from tonkatsu and yakitori to healthy grilled whole fish, stir-frys and desserts. They even have breakfast sets!
Over the course of two dinners, we enjoyed some very tasty food:
A simple and healthy stir-fry of pork and veggies was full of flavour, nicely accompanied by a tofu side dish. I had three bowls of rice with this dish!!
The tonkatsu here was obviously not as good as some of Japan’s speciality tonkatsu restaurants but it was nevertheless crunchy and yummy. Can you believe that the set above costs less than AUD$10?!
The classic Oyako Don was a no nonsense rendition of this moreish chicken and egg dish. Look how lovely that miso soup is!
What I really love about Japanese eateries is that you can always get fish at very cheap prices. Here, a beautifully grilled and butterflied piece of fresh white fish (we couldn’t identify what type) went wonderfully with a wedge of lemon.
For me, Yayoiken debunks the myth that eating out is expensive in Japan. It is a simple chain that serves delicious, straightforward food that is a cut above your normal fast food places, and is certainly cheaper than similar Japanese cafes here in Melbourne.
Written by ElegantGourmand on
March 1st, 2008 | Tags: Japan, Japanese | Category: Uncategorized
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