LocalEatsJapan

Yet another hidden gem located near Waseda University’s main campus (there are just so many), kitchen bun serves more hearty, meat focused dishes.

It is a small shop (maybe 4 or 5 tables max) and it is really only just a 1 or 2 minute walk from the campus, so naturally it gets quite busy. But let me tell you, it is highly worth the wait.

This was another restaurant introduced to me by my friend who came here practically every week, so he was pretty close with the owners. Because of this we may or may not have gotten some extra food as a bit of courtesy to that , but this is just a testament to how great the service is in Japan, and how much the staff appreciate their customers. 

Anyways, they market themselves as a “western style diner” and while I guess this is the case (at least in the sense that they use beef patties and fried eggs in a lot of their dishes), I would say that this is the extent of what makes them western lol. I would actually say it is more Japanese than anything. 

Omurice, serving hamburger steaks on a teppanyaki plate still sizzling, a plate of rice because you always need a plate of rice, these are things that  could not be more Japanese. But I like it this way.

I mean you see it a lot throughout the country, with a very famous example being “American Village” In Okinawa, but it is essentially Japan’s idealized version of the states. 

You see this again with this restaurant here (at least in how they market themselves) and other places like steak shops who play country music. 

While I might have times where I think that just because you serve a certain kind of food doesn’t mean you can’t get creative when it comes to the vibe of the restaurant, one thing is always always for certain, and that the food is to be great (topping actual western restaurants easily…!) 

After coming to Japan and falling in love with hamburger steaks at “Gold Rush” In Shibuya, I find myself craving them from time to time. So when I saw that they had it on the menu, It was an easy decision for me. 

So I got the “Salisbury steak triple” which comes with three meat patties, a fried egg, wedged potatoes, a bit of corn, a salad, rice, and soup for only 1050 yen. Like what is even going on lol. It fathoms me at the price of some of these places and how cheap it is. 

The salad comes out first and while it is just greens really, it is nice because vegetables are something few and far between when eating out in Japan if I am being honest.

The soup I recall was a consome-base soup with a gentle taste and was a nice pairing in between big pieces of meat. 

The meat itself was so incredibly tender that you didn’t need a fork and knife – you just cut through with your chopsticks. 

The brown sauce they have poured over is similar to a gravy but I would say a little bit sweeter. Because they pour it over the skillet while still hot, the sauce actually begins to caramelise which enhances the taste even more I find. 

The egg is good. Who doesn’t want an extra fried egg on top?

You can really see just how much these shops around universities especially cater to their customers (primarily students). 

Check it out if you are in the area – you won’t regret it.

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More about me

Different types of ordering systems in Japan explained

Purchasing an onigiri to keep me fuelled throughout my journey 🍙

Planning a trip to Japan? These may help: 

🗺 Find a food tour near this restaurant — Viator

🏨 Find a hotel in the area — Booking.com