The first place the three visited was KUSHI TEI, a kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers) specialty restaurant on 4F of COREDO Muromachi 1. They offer a variety of high-quality kushikatsu made with seasonal ingredients.

While the dinner menu is mainly omakase (chef's choice), the lunch menu offers a wide variety of affordable set meals. Today, I had the "Special Skewered Fried Food Set Meal."

Once an order is placed, the chef begins frying the skewers in the open kitchen behind the counter.

The batter uses coarse, fresh breadcrumbs that have been dried while retaining some moisture. Each ingredient is fried to a crisp in healthy vegetable oil, with the frying time carefully determined for each item. The result is a light and crispy texture that doesn't leave you feeling greasy!

The "Special Skewered Fried Food Set" includes 7 skewers of fried food, rice, miso soup, a small side dish, and a salad. Rice and miso soup are refillable!

The kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers) included shrimp, pork tenderloin, beef cutlet, seasonal fresh fish, octopus paste, and two kinds of seasonal vegetables. On this particular day, the fresh fish was horse mackerel, and the vegetables were domestically grown asparagus and snap peas.

You might not be familiar with takoshinjo, but it's made by mixing chunks of octopus into minced fish, and when you eat it with sauce, it tastes just like takoyaki!

Enjoy the harmonious blend of textures from the crispy batter, fluffy fish cake, and plump octopus.

And what's particularly noteworthy is the surprisingly large asparagus! They use a whole stalk instead of putting it on a skewer, and you can even eat the part wrapped in aluminum foil at the handle.

Salt or sauce is recommended, but it's also an exquisite dish that's delicious enough to enjoy on its own without any condiments.

In addition to kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers), KUSHI TEI 's lunch menu also includes tonkatsu (pork cutlet), gyukatsu (beef cutlet), and oyster fritters. It's sure to satisfy the craving for fried food for people of all ages!

Next, the three headed to "sauce-un" on the B1 floor of Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower.

This popular restaurant's signature dish is "Wase Katsu Don," a dish created as an homage to the sauce katsu don, which was developed by a Western-style restaurant in Waseda during the Taisho era and later became a specialty of Fukui Prefecture.

Now, let me introduce the recommended way to enjoy Wasekatsudon!

First up, let's look at pickled plums from Fukui. They are made using traditional methods and without any additives.

It's quite salty, but the moderate acidity stimulates the appetite. It's also said to have the effect of suppressing a rapid rise in blood sugar levels after meals.

Next up is the bowl itself. When you open the lid, you'll find two 8mm thick hot cutlets and three 4mm thick thin cutlets piled on top of each other.

If you leave it as is, you won't be able to get to the rice, and it's a little difficult to eat, so the Fukui way is to move one of the cutlets onto the lid before you start eating!

As the name "Sousu-an" suggests, the crispy fried cutlet is dipped in a special, carefully crafted Worcestershire sauce, resulting in an incredibly appetizing color.

The hot cutlet lets you really taste the flavor of the meat, while the thin cutlet emphasizes the crispy texture of the batter. The sauce has a strong punch, but when eaten with the cutlet, it's surprisingly easy to eat!

Enjoy with the included "Karashi Nube" (mustard condiment) if desired.

The mustard sauce, which is initially solidified into a foamy consistency, melts when placed on the cutlet due to the heat. It's not as spicy as regular mustard, but it adds a nice accent to the flavor, allowing you to enjoy the cutlet without getting tired of it.

Despite the generous portion size, the pork cutlet is thin and easy to eat, which is why it has many female fans.

The spacious interior makes it easy to drop in, and it's perfect for a quick meal alone. They also have a menu with Wasekatsu as a single item, so it's great as a snack with beer in the evening!

Still not satisfied with the party atmosphere, the three headed to "Gyukatsu Motomura" on B1 of COREDO Muromachi 2.

My target was the "Beef Mix Cutlet Set Meal," which includes their signature "Beef Cutlet" and "Beef Tongue Cutlet," which is only available at two locations nationwide.

The beef cutlet uses premium sirloin. The tongue cutlet is shaped into a nice round shape and has a substantial thickness.

Both cross-sections are beautifully cooked to a perfect medium-rare, with the coating and meat adhering closely together for a harmonious, unified texture.

Before eating, sear the cut surface of the meat thoroughly on the hot stone provided at each table. This will bring out the aroma and flavor.

Since it's grilled each time you eat it, another advantage is that you can enjoy it warm until the very last bite.

The condiments include a special mountain wasabi sauce, rock salt, soy sauce, and wasabi.

First, enjoy the texture and aroma of the freshly fried meat without any seasoning. Next, add some salt and savor the sweetness of the fat and the flavor of the meat.

After that, feel free to add whatever you like. Combining salt or soy sauce with mountain wasabi is also recommended!

The beef cutlet is surprisingly tender and melts in your mouth. The tongue cutlet has a satisfying crunch that you can easily bite into, and you can enjoy its delightful crisp texture.

The rice is barley rice, and it comes with grated yam and mentaiko (spicy cod roe) in a flavorful broth, which of course goes perfectly with the beef cutlet!

You get one free refill, so please eat until you're full!

The fourth place we visited was "Oyster Bar Hokkaido Akkeshi" on the 1st floor of COREDO Muromachi 2.

Here, we serve fried oysters made with oysters delivered daily directly from the Akkeshi Fisheries Cooperative in Hokkaido.

A unique feature of Akkeshi oysters is that, unlike most oysters in Japan, they can be eaten raw all year round.

Our fried oysters use "Maruemon," a premium brand of oysters meant for raw consumption. This variety is plump and offers a rich, deep flavor and umami taste.

Since it's meant to be eaten raw, there's no need to overcook it!

By shortening the frying time, the batter becomes crispy and light, while the fish remains plump and juicy.

They also have Worcestershire sauce and tartar sauce, but I recommend the "oyster salt" which is sourced from Akkeshi.

This flavorful salt, made with generously portioned oysters from Hokkaido, enhances the oyster's natural taste. There's absolutely no fishy smell, so you can fully enjoy the authentic flavor of oysters!

And, I highly recommend pairing fried oysters with sake.

Each table is equipped with a "sake warmer" that allows you to warm sake on the tabletop, so you can place a tin sake carafe (sake vessel) containing sake inside and heat it in a water bath.

The sake we enjoyed that day was "Otokoyama" from Hokkaido. It's good served chilled or warm, and this crisp, dry sake, while allowing you to taste the deliciousness of the rice, complements the rich flavor of the oysters perfectly, leaving a clean finish!

The flavor of alcohol changes significantly with temperature, so it's fun to explore and find your preferred temperature range.

The last place the three visited was "Sobakichi" on the 1st floor of COREDO Muromachi Terrace.

This time, to conclude our fried food tour, we'll be having "Tenmori Soba," a set meal consisting of tempura and soba noodles.

At Sobakichi, we grind carefully selected domestic buckwheat grains in our stone mill every morning, and our skilled chefs prepare the soba noodles by hand.

Our soba noodles, made with freshly ground, freshly kneaded, and freshly boiled buckwheat flour, allow you to fully enjoy the authentic taste and aroma of soba.

The tempura platter includes five types: large shrimp, whiting, eggplant, pumpkin, and shishito pepper.

The batter is relatively thick, making it very satisfying. It pairs perfectly with soba noodles! Enjoy it with tempura dipping sauce or salt.

My top recommendation is the large shrimp.

Look at the size of this! Not only is the batter thick, but the inside is also packed with shrimp meat, allowing you to enjoy the rich flavor of shrimp.

Sobakichi's concept is "enjoying a drink at a soba restaurant," and one of its key features is its extensive selection of sake!

If you order tempura soba, it's a sophisticated idea to start by enjoying a drink while nibbling on the piping hot tempura, and then finish with the soba noodles.