Hello, this is Dojo from the Creative Club.
In this edition of the Yoyogi Walking Map, we visit Shougatei, a restaurant frequented by Handa, a new recruit in the creative operations team who joined Monosus about five months ago and loves old shops.
According to Handa, he happened to come across the restaurant while strolling around the Yoyogi area, dropped in, and was drawn in by the homey, old-fashioned Showa-era atmosphere, and before he knew it, he had become a regular customer.
Handa told us that the names on the menu items had changed and were interesting, which piqued our curiosity about what the set meals were like, so we all decided to go and check it out.
The four of us - Handa, Yamanaka, who is also from the creative department's operations team, and Omura from the editorial department - headed out together.
"Shoga-tei" is about a 5-minute walk from Monosas.
The exterior has the feel of a local diner, and the font on the sign and the menu posted in the window give off a homey atmosphere.
The sign and door say "Yoyogi Specialty University Set Meal." What exactly is a university set meal?
Now, let's go inside.
Upon entering, you're greeted by the cheerful voice of the woman who runs the store and a number of menus plastered all over the wall.
As written on the sign, their specialty is university set meals, and the menu features the names of universities, mainly from the six major universities, including the University of Tokyo, Keio University, and Sophia University.
On the other hand, there is also a lineup aimed at young ladies, such as Shirayuri Women's University and Sacred Heart Women's University.
Since it's a university set meal restaurant, one would think that the customers would only be students, but it was surprisingly bustling with office workers and OLs from the surrounding area, and even though I visited a little after lunchtime, there was a constant stream of customers.
This time, Handa ordered "University of Tokyo," Omura ordered "Meiji University," Yamanaka ordered "Gakushuin University," and I ordered "Keio University."
This is also the case when I order, but when I hear the customers around me ordering like, "I'll go with Tokyo University!" or "I'll go with Meiji University," I can't help but grin.
All of the university set meal menus with photos look delicious, so it's hard to decide which one to choose.
Don't you get nostalgic when you see your alma mater on the menu? Unfortunately, my alma mater wasn't on the lineup.
Looking at the large portion of rice ordered at a separate table, it was as good as a Japanese folktale portion!
The portions are just right for hungry students taking entrance exams, and are a delight for working men too.
After waiting and chatting for a while, our university set meals arrived.
The main dish is shredded cabbage, pork soup and rice, a standard set meal sure to whet your appetite.
The university set meal stands out against the red gingham tablecloths.
Now, let's introduce each university set meal in order.
University of Tokyo - Get straight to University of Tokyo with "Katsu"! -
With plenty of side dishes, you're sure to pass! Tokyo University set meal: 850 yen (tax included)
As expected (?), in addition to the main dish of pork fillet cutlet, Tokyo University also serves luxurious side dishes such as stewed pork and boiled eggs.
I feel like this reflects the owner's wish that the student do his best and get accepted into Tokyo University.
This is a popular set meal that may be sold out if you go later in the day.
The main dish of pork fillet cutlet is served with demi-glace sauce, giving it a mild flavor.
Not only is the cutlet coating crispy, but the fillet meat inside is tender yet not greasy, creating an exquisite balance.
In addition, the simmered pork has a comforting atmosphere that reminds you of your grandmother's home cooking, and its rich flavor goes perfectly with white rice.
Eating this will definitely give you the strength to fight for your entrance exam to Tokyo University!
Also recommended for salesmen who have a presentation tomorrow!
Keio University ~Do Keio boys like croquettes?~
A croquette set meal that seems familiar but is hard to find. Keio University Set Meal 750 yen (tax included)
The main dishes at Keio University are curry croquettes and potato croquettes.
It's hard to imagine the connection between Keio University, which has an image of being a university with many trend-conscious young people, and croquettes, but I'm sure there are many students at Keio who love croquettes.
When I tried it, the croquette was freshly fried, and the batter crunched with every bite.
The potatoes inside are soft and fluffy, and the mellow curry flavor goes perfectly with the white rice.
Also, the amount of rice and side dishes was just right, and although I thought I might not be able to finish it before I started eating, I ended up munching it all down in no time.
The accompanying pork soup has a gentle taste, reminiscent of a warm, homely dish that will surely be comforting to students living alone in Tokyo who have come to study for entrance exams.
Meiji University ~Meiji University students enjoy fried chicken set meals, but their hearts are "Bunkara"!?~
The Meiji University set meal, packed with fried chicken and especially popular with women, costs 650 yen (tax included) and is cheap!
The main dish at Meiji University is fried chicken.
When I tried one, the chicken itself was slightly sweet and very tender and delicious!
It's fried chicken, but not quite fried chicken, yet it's delicious and addictive. It was also very well received by the other members.
I secretly decide that next time I'll order the Meiji Dai so I can fully enjoy this fried chicken.
By the way, the reason why the main dish at Meiji University is fried chicken is that in the past, Meiji University was often said to have an image of being "bankara," so the name was chosen as a pun on that.
There seems to be no clear reason behind the combination of university name and the contents of the set meal for the other set meals, but it's fun to eat and wonder what image was in mind when deciding on the contents of this set meal.
Gakushuin University ~Earnest and clean Gakushuin University students and standard ginger pork~
An exciting set of fried chicken and ginger pork Gakushuin University set meal 950 yen (tax included)
The last one is Gakushuin University. Gakushuin is a university that is often attended by the sons and daughters of the Imperial family, so it has an image of being serious, well-behaved, and standard.
Perhaps for that reason (?), the main dish is pork ginger, a standard dish at Shougatei, as the restaurant's name "Shougatei" suggests.
In addition, the set also includes fried chicken, which is popular among Monosus members.
This is truly a set that takes the best of everything; if you eat this, you'll surely be able to get into Gakushuin.
As for the taste of the ginger pork, the meat is soft and the flavor of ginger is well-infused, so you will definitely not be able to stop eating rice. If you alternate between the slightly sweet fried chicken and the slightly spicy ginger pork, you will be able to keep eating endlessly.
This is a highly recommended set meal for both those who are applying to Gakushuin and those who are not!
Why University Set Meals? Shougatei Konjaku Monogatari
Finally, we spoke to the owner of the restaurant about why he started offering the university set meal service.
Apparently the owner is the second generation owner of this shop, which was established in Yoyogi during his father's time.
The owner of Shougatei kindly took time out of his busy schedule to talk to us.
It has been about 45 years since the restaurant opened, and originally started as an ordinary Western restaurant, but around 1980 it changed course to become a restaurant that specializes in university-style meals.
Even today, Yoyogi brings to mind the image of Yoyogi Seminar, but in the 1980s, the intersection in front of Yoyogi Station was so crowded with repeat university entrance exam students that security guards had to direct traffic.
So, to show support to the students, they started offering set meals named after the university.
I thought it was very unique and interesting that they started offering set meals named after universities to support and cater to the local people, and it was a wonderful story that shows the kind personality of the restaurant owner.
Of course, not only the name of the set meal but the set meal itself is very delicious and filling, so this restaurant is especially recommended not only for students taking exams, but also for any time you need to get pumped up or when you're starving.
Thanks to this Yoyogi Walking Map, Shougatei has now become a regular part of my lunch lineup, so I would like to try all of the university set meals one day.
bonus
It seems they also sell bento lunches, and here there is a sign with information on how to continue on to higher education. For some reason, "Waseda University" and "Medical School" are closed. (lol)
I'm curious about the legendary Waseda University and medical school bento.
Ginger Tei
1-42-5 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
03-3370-3941
Business hours [Monday to Friday]
11:00-15:00/17:00-21:00
[Saturday, Sunday and public holidays]
holiday
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