Ōyama is famed for its shōtengai (if little else), which is almost as fine a specimen as those offered in Nakano, Asagaya or Kawagoe, but just a little wearier looking. Indeed, I read somewhere that it’s the longest in Japan, although the validity of the claim is uncertain. Two things, at least, are certain; said shopping street had its day a couple of decades ago, and Manakamana - a Nepali/ Indian restaurant named after a temple situated in the Gorkha district of Nepal - is a gem situated just a couple of minutes from Ōyama station, Tokyo, Japan, and is well worth visiting.
Despite being housed within a pretty dodgy, rundown looking building and accessed via an equally shabby lift that would be enough to deter many would be diners, Manakamana is by all accounts a popular, well-liked restaurant featured in various magazines, websites and blogs. It seems best known for its excellent “all you can eat” buffet lunch, which is widely respected for its quality and low price.
I happened to visit on a weekend evening and so was not afforded the chance to check out the buffet. Still, the evening menu provided a satisfying, flavorsome meal in unexpectedly pleasant surroundings and at a gratifying price. As soon as my dining partner and I exited the lift we were immediately struck by the intense, spicy aromas filling the air. Once inside the restaurant itself, some of my fears were allayed, as the interior decor was far more comfortable than the building might have suggested. Nothing fancy, and yet clean, bright, warm and welcoming with various Nepalese items providing highlights among all the wood panels, whicker blinds and tapestries.
Service - provided by a young women we shall assume was the daughter of the house - was okay, but could have come across in a friendlier manner. The menu was packed full of delicious sounding dishes and set menus, many of which were enticingly illustrated with vibrant photographs. Prices were good, certainly several hundred yen cheaper than Nepali Kitchen Jau Hai!.
While checking out the menu we quaffed much needed beers and munched on a small dish of lightly spiced cashew nuts with a faintly buttery texture underlying the spice. Inevitably, I went for the chicken saag, while my dining partner kept to form with a pedestrian chicken curry. As the curries are accompanied by either naan or rice, we had one of each to share. The saffron rice was a little on the small side and I’d have preferred it to be a tad drier, but it did the job. In all honesty, it was probably unnecessary anyway, as the naan - fresh, fluffy and delightfully “just out of the oven warm” - was huge. Immense even. No, gargantuan. Bigger than that at Jau Hai! (which is saying something) and possibly tastier. To provide a more balanced comparison I’d have to base it on their respective garlic naan, rather than plain vs. garlic, which at the least provides an excuse to return for more of Manakamana’s delicious curry.
Talking of which, the chicken saag was excellent, although perhaps smoother than I might have liked, being almost creamy to the taste, although the actual texture was visibly less smooth than Jau Hai!’s or Mumbai’s. For a pure, relentless hit of rough hewn spinach Priya’s is still the one to beat, but overall this was an excellent curry, with nice succulent pieces of chicken to boot, that deserved praise for being a little different from those I’ve had elsewhere. The chicken curry was good, too. Not particularly spicy, it was creamy with a rich tomato-y taste permeating throughout. Obviously catering to “Japanese tastes,” and probably popular with the ladies, it provided a safe middle ground from which to explore further - I hope.
Better than Sapana and Mumbai, on a par with Nepalese Kitchen Jau Hai!, and quirkier than Priya, dinner at Manakamana is charmingly unpretentious, delicious and excellent value for money.
Update 24/1/11: Couldn't stay away, and by the looks of it several other customers couldn't either - some familiar faces from our first visit. In the name of "research" my dining partner and I decided to order something different this time.
So as to compare with above mentioned establishments, we tucked in to an AWESOME garlic naan. Truly wonderous, especially in terms of fluffy centre and fresh warmth when tearing. Not quite as garlicky as Jau Hai!'s but very, very, good all the same. Probably the winner if topped with a little more garlic...
The keema was okay, the flavour of the lamb mildly annoying.
I had a kind of special. Special in that it took twice as long (20 minutes) as everything else to cook (the staff do warn you) and cost a little, not twice, more than every other dish. Known as the Manakamana Chicken Curry, it's not bad, and has a full, rich flavour thanks to the chicken on the bone. Tasty as it was, I resented the presence of the bones. Back to the saag next time.
Update: 12/3/11: Following yesterday's tremulous events, and a sleepless night punctuated by further earthquakes and aftershocks, this morning Tokyoeater drove us across Tokyo and a little closer to home. Happily, as my dining partner and I passed Manakamana, we realised they were just about to start serving the lunch buffet. Having wanted to try it for some time now, I'm happy to report that it is excellent. Great value at ¥980, and delicious, too. Four curries; keemer, chicken, daal and vegetable, supplemented by rice, naan, potato wedges, salad, fried chicken, spaghetti salad and yohurt for dessert. Coffee to finish off the meal also included in the price. This buffet is, of course, "all you can eat."
Tel: 03-5375-6555
Web: http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1322/A132203/13009228/
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 7:35PM | 
For some reason I’d got it into my head that Toritetsu was a local affair. Actually it’s a sprawling chain covering much of the archipelago. It seems somehow less formulaic than many of the better known, much reviled chains that spring to mind. 
On the night my dining partner and I ventured in, it was packed. “Must be good,” said I. Turns out that the crowd had gathered to take advantage of an “everything for ¥100 night,” the menu’s specials included. 
Truth be told, Toritestu does a lot of “special” nights. There’s ladies’ night, men’s night, pensioners’ night, Thursday night, Friday night, etc. You get the picture. 
Bubbly staff and a cozy atmosphere went a long way to making the evening an enjoyable one, despite the length of time between orders placed and orders served... 
The food - for the most part yakitori standards - isn’t going to win any awards, but it’s not going to put you off the stuff either. I should know. After a month or so of almost nothing but yakitori I should be sick of the stuff. 
The otoshi, a very soft, creamy dollop of tofu, was quite tasty but almost impossible to eat with chopsticks. On the verge of punching someone after five minutes with it, spoons seemed in order. 
Many of the skewered morsels were on the teeny side. The ginko nuts especially so. The liver was tender, but pretty tasteless, too.
As far as budget yakitori goes, the sasami - plum and wasabi-topped - wasn’t bad. The tsukune was reasonable, and the slices of raw chicken flesh safe but a little bland. 
Better than Watami, not a patch on Kappa-chan.
