The top spot goes to Yakiniku Miyabi. It's right in front of the Balleggs headquarters, and 9 out of 50 people chose this place.
Yakiniku Miyabi serves lunch only on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Since there's no lunch service on weekends and holidays, it's a rare and premium lunch opportunity. The menu offers just three options:
・Special Tender Pork Loin Ginger Pork: ¥950
・A5 Wagyu Homemade Hamburger (Special Demi-Glace Sauce or Homemade Grated Ponzu): ¥1,000
・A5 Wagyu Kalbi Stamina Yaki: ¥1,100
All dishes are delicious, but the ginger pork lunch is especially recommended! The tender and juicy ginger pork pairs perfectly with rice. All lunch menus come with rice, miso soup, and salad.
"Everything is delicious, but the ginger pork is amazing!" (Female in her 20s)
"Ginger pork with salad is the taste of happiness. The finishing touch with TKG (Tamago Kake Gohan) is also fantastic." (Male in his 20s)
"I love Miyabi's hamburger lunch! Both the grated ponzu and demi-glace are highly recommended." (Female in her 20s)
Links:
Official Website
Official Social Media
Tabelog
Gurunavi
Hot Pepper Gourmet
The second spot goes to Omura. Although it’s a bit far from Gakugei-Daigaku Station, we often get delivery from here! Out of 50 employees, 8 chose Omura.
Omura's menu is extensive, with everyone having their own favorite. Whether it's the vegetable stir-fry set meal, curry nanban soba, or others, everything is delicious. Among the popular choices are the Maguro Katsu lunch and the premium Katsu Don.
However, the standout recommendation is the Katsu Curry Don. This dish is a hidden menu item, not listed on the menu. The difference between Katsu Curry and Katsu Curry Don is that instead of curry roux, it uses curry nanban. As a soba restaurant specialty, both are infused with rich dashi (broth) flavors. The curry nanban intensifies the umami, keeping the rice from becoming soggy and the katsu crispy. It's incredibly delicious, and you should definitely try it!
"The freshly fried crispy katsu and the dashi-infused curry don make it much better than regular katsu curry rice. Omura's Katsu Curry Don is particularly amazing!" (Male in his 20s)
"The crispiness of the katsu, the dashi flavor in the roux, and how well it pairs with the rice is phenomenal. Hats off to Omura’s Katsu Curry Don!" (Male in his 30s)
"Indescribably delicious. It’s not just katsu curry rice; it’s katsu curry don." (Female in her 20s)
"The freshly fried crispy katsu and the dashi-infused curry don make it much better than regular katsu curry rice. Omura's Katsu Curry Don is particularly amazing!" (Male in his 20s)
"The crispiness of the katsu, the dashi flavor in the roux, and how well it pairs with the rice is phenomenal. Hats off to Omura’s Katsu Curry Don!" (Male in his 30s)
"Indescribably delicious. It’s not just katsu curry rice; it’s katsu curry don." (Female in her 20s)
Links:
Tabelog
Gurunavi
Hot Pepper Gourmet
Ranking third is Sanuki Udon Onya, chosen by 7 out of 50 employees.
Onya is famous for its cost-effective bukkake udon. You can get bukkake udon with mentaiko for just 600 yen! It's incredibly affordable. The tempura, starting at 100 yen per piece, is freshly fried and pairs perfectly with the udon. The half-boiled egg tempura is especially delicious when placed on top of the udon. Although the restaurant is small and often has a queue, the turnover is quite fast, so you won’t have to wait too long.
"The udon and dashi are delicious, and the tempura always impresses me. The aroma of maitake mushrooms and the tempura of goya, which I tried for the first time, were amazing." (Female in her 20s)
"As the weather warmed up, I opted for bukkake udon. The tempura was also delightful." (Female in her 20s)
"I had never tried half-boiled egg tempura before! It was incredibly delicious!" (Female in her 20s)
Ranking fourth is Men Dokoro Bigiya, chosen by 6 out of 50 employees.
A particularly popular choice at Bigiya is the set of "Yuzu-infused Shiro Shoyu Ramen" for 900 yen and "Shirasu Rice" for 300 yen. To order the Yuzu-infused Shiro Shoyu Ramen, you purchase the regular Shoyu Ramen for 700 yen from the ticket machine and then inform the staff with phrases like "Shiro Yuzu!" or simply "Shiro!", handing them an additional 100 yen, and they will prepare it for you. It has become quite a mainstream item but still retains an air of a secret menu, which adds to its appeal.
The Yuzu-infused Shiro Shoyu Ramen pairs perfectly with the Shirasu Rice for 300 yen. The mini rice bowl, topped with fluffy shirasu, is seasoned with a mildly sweet and flavorful soy sauce that complements the ramen excellently. Since the Shiro Shoyu Ramen has a relatively light flavor, adding the Shirasu Rice provides just the right balance.
"It's always delicious whenever I come here! Everything in the bowl is delicious!" (Female in her 20s)
"It's been a while since I had such delicious soy sauce ramen. It's always tasty!" (Female in her 20s)
"It's refreshing yet packs a punch, really delicious!" (Male in his 20s)
Links:
Official Website
Official Social Media
Tabelog
Gurunavi
Hot Pepper Gourmet
Ranked fifth is Nakatsu Karaage MoriYama, chosen by 5 out of 50 employees.
MoriYama is a shop where you can enjoy delicious karaage made only from chicken sourced from Kyushu. Since there is no eat-in option, you can either purchase a bento or buy individual pieces à la carte. One appealing aspect of MoriYama's karaage is that it's not greasy and has a refreshing taste. However, it still retains a rich flavor. While the boneless chicken breast is popular, the bone-in karaage and cartilage pieces are also excellent!
"If asked where to get the best karaage bento, it's definitely here!" (Male in his 20s)
"MoriYama's karaage is the best! It was delicious~" (Female in her 20s)
"When it comes to karaage, it's Nakatsu! It's a joy to enjoy the distant taste up close." (Female in her 20s)
Links:
Official Website
Official Social Media
Tabelog
Demae-can
Uber Eats
Ranked fifth is Thai Cafe Pee Mai, chosen by 5 out of 50 employees. Located in the Gakugei University Higashi-guchi Shotengai, it's easily accessible from Balleggs.
While Pee Mai's interior is stylish and lovely for dining in, Balleggs employees often opt for Pee Mai's bento boxes. A particularly popular choice is the Ga-Pao and Curry Set. You can choose between Massaman Curry or Green Curry for the curry option in the bento. Although the Green Curry set is not available for dining in, you can order it separately (and it's not served in a mini portion at all). Pee Mai also offers Singha draft beer, making it a popular spot for post-work visits as well. Be sure to try their delicious Thai cuisine!
"The speed at which the orders come out is amazing!" (Male in his 20s)
"Both the restaurant and the dishes are cute, and they are committed to authentic ethnic cuisine." (Female in her 20s)
"The Massaman & Ga-Pao combo is the best!" (Male in his 20s)
Links:
Official Website
Official Social Media
Tabelog
Gurunavi
Ranked seventh is Futaba. Located in front of the Gakugei-Daigaku Higashi-guchi Station, Futaba was chosen by 4 out of 50 people. Futaba is famous for being selected as a dirty, popular restaurant on the TV show "Tunnels' Kitanotran." While it exudes a nostalgic vibe from the outside, the interior is actually quite clean, so rest assured. Futaba offers a wide range of menu items, and each person has their own favorites. Popular choices include the typical town Chinese dishes like omurice and shrimp fried rice. Lunchtime is always bustling, but evenings are relatively quieter, so on days when you get off work early, be sure to enjoy town Chinese cuisine with beer!
"A trendy town Chinese spot. Cheap, plentiful, and delicious!" (Male in his 20s)
"Cheers with beer and Chinese snacks from noon!" (Female in her 20s)
"Ketchup rice with the aroma of a Chinese wok and thin omelet topped with red Fukujin pickles. This is the essence of town Chinese omurice!" (Male in his 20s)
Links:
Tabelog
Gurunavi
Hot Pepper Gourmet
Ranked tied for 7th place is Tsukemen Susuru. Located in the Gakugei-Daigaku Higashi-guchi Shopping Street, it's also easy to access from Valleggs. Four out of 50 people chose Tsukemen Susuru.
Susuru is a seafood-based dipping noodle shop, and their Special Rich Seafood Dipping Noodles priced at 1200 yen were quite popular.
What sets Susuru apart is its stylish presentation both in the store and in the dishes. In the evenings, the ambiance is soft and moody with downlights. Many solo female customers frequent the place.
Another delightful point is that you can increase your portion up to 250g for free!
"This is the spot for my favorite seafood-based dipping noodles! The spacious interior doesn't feel like a typical ramen shop, making it great for dining alone or with friends." (Female in her 20s)
"The presentation is beautiful, and the noodles have a good firmness. The dipping sauce, although not overly rich, is still delicious. The chashu, maybe due to the slight searing, releases a nice aroma. The spacious and calm interior is also perfect for dining." (Female in her 20s)
"A rich seafood soup in the dipping noodles! The presentation of the noodles with yuzu is also beautiful!" (Male in his 20s)
Links:
Official Website
Official Social Media
Tabelog
Gurunavi
Hot Pepper Gourmet
Ranked 9th is Hibunya Bakery. This is quite an expert choice. Only one out of 50 people selected it. Hibunya Bakery is located about a 14-minute walk from Gakugei-Daigaku Station, past the Meguro Post Office, making it a somewhat inconvenient place to drop by casually. It's a bakery loved by the locals. Situated next to the Meguro Honcho Library, they sell nostalgic deli-style bread and bento boxes. Hibunya Bakery opens as early as 5:00 in the morning! It seems like the artisans heading to their workplaces also buy breakfast or bento boxes before they leave. A recommended item from Hibunya Bakery is the "White Fish Bread." It's a sandwich with fried white fish sandwiched between a mysterious sauce that tastes like tomato sauce, mayonnaise, and margarine. It's incredibly delicious. It tastes somewhat like a Mos Burger but goes a full circle? The white fish bread tends to sell out quickly, so try to aim for the first thing in the morning to buy it! (5:00 is tough).
"Old-fashioned deli-style bread! Can't resist this kind of stuff!" (Male in his 20s)
Ranked 9th is Kōki Sichuan Menjō Gakugei-daigaku Branch. One out of 50 people selected Kōki Sichuan Menjō Gakugei-daigaku Branch. The recommended point of Kōki is that they offer delicious Tan Tan Men originally seasoned with spices, but the best part is you can customize it to your taste with the spices lined up on the table, including "aromatic vinegar, Sichuan peppercorns (Hua Jiao), and green peppercorns." Even adding a little bit of Sichuan peppercorn and green peppercorn can significantly change the flavor. Especially recommended is the aromatic vinegar. Their original vinegar, made by soaking orange peel and Sichuan peppercorns (Szechuan chili peppers) for several days, provides a mild acidity and sweetness, dramatically enhancing the taste of Tan Tan Men! Also, the Qingdao beer bottle for 390 yen is quite a delightful menu item!
"Even if you're not good with spicy food, you can enjoy the normal Tan Tan Men. Add plenty of Sichuan peppercorn and green peppercorn from the table, and after eating about half, add aromatic vinegar. That's the recommended way to eat!" (Female in her 20s)
Links:
Official Website
Official Social Media
Tabelog
Gurunavi
