01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
At Shokudou Debeko in Koenji, choosing a main dish is only part of the decision: the small sides deserve a look, too. The lunch menu pairs garlic-and-salt-koji marinated chicken thigh karaage with either three obanzai sides in set A, or four obanzai sides and the day’s sashimi in set B. One diner who ordered B was struck by the crisp yet yielding coating, juicy chicken and seasoning that went well with rice, and enjoyed trying each side in turn. A keeps the focus on the karaage; B adds sashimi and another side for a more varied meal.
When the sides are what you’re after, there’s also an assorted obanzai selection. One day’s three-piece assortment included potato salad with mackerel and aosa seaweed, beef-brisket-and-burdock simmered in a sweet-savoury sauce, and iburigakko smoked-pickled radish with cream cheese dressed with shuto fermented fish innards. The Japanese-style potato salad with mackerel and the simmered beef and burdock, which one diner found suited both rice and drinks, each brought a different note to the meal.
In the evening, alongside set meals, the menu includes à la carte dishes such as whole bone-in grilled chicken and a motsuni stew inspired by Hakata motsunabe. You can come for a set meal at lunch, or start with obanzai and other small plates in the evening before finishing with a rice dish. The restaurant has both a shokudo, or casual dining hall, and an izakaya character.
