In Japan, you can find a tasty food anywhere and everywhere. During my visit in June, I discovered this spot that offers Japanese-style Western dishes at very affordable prices. I heard this spot used to be a sushi restaurant in the past. They had some parking spots right in front, very convenient.
We arrived before the lunch rush hour, so it was rather quiet. They had a counter seats to the left, and some table seating to the right. It seemed a bit smaller than it looked from outside, but the, a staff took us to the back of this dining area.
Through a patrician and a couple of steps above, we found more seating in the back. It was more relaxing here, quiet and cozy. They had hangers on a wall at each table, very considerate! Another thing that they had at each table was a silver bell, like the one found at a front desk at an older hotel. When you are ready to order, or need something, just ring the bell and a staff will be right over.
I liked the simple décor of this restaurant, no frills, nothing fancy. And yet, if you look up, you will see some impressive wooden beams in the ceiling. You can feel a bit of history from these beams…
Now, let’s talk about their food! As I mentioned, they offer Japanese-style Western food, such as Omurice, Curry Rice, Hamburg Steaks, etc., etc… Since I couldn’t choose among all the tasty sounding items, I went with Daily Lunch Set (800 yen/about $8). On this day, the lunch set came with Beef Hamburg Steak, Shrimp Tempura, and Sautéed Chicken Thigh. The set also comes with Salad, Rice, Pickles, and Miso Soup. The soup was kind of funny, it looks like some kind of consommé soup in that cup, until you take a sip…then you realize it is a miso soup!
The chicken was plump and juicy, it had great seasoning. Hamburg steak looked small, but it was meaty, packed with comforting flavor. It was somehow fluffy and light. Shrimp had nice, light batter, lightly fried so it was not greasy. Super crispy outside and juicy and plump in the inside. Salad was fresh and crispy. I did enjoy my lunch set!
Here is what my hubby had. Hamburg Steak and Fried Oyster (800 yen). It only comes with salad, but you can add rice, bread, or rice set. He added the Rice Set (190 yen extra), which comes with Rice, Pickles, and Miso Soup. The fried oysters were so good! Not fishy at all, lightly fried, and simply delicious!
Another person at our table also ordered the Hamburg Steak and Fried Oyster (800 yen), but decided to do something interesting… She added Mini Oyako Donburi (290 yen extra) instead of white rice or bread. Looks good! It had a good amount of large, plump pieces of chicken, cuddled in fluffy egg over white rice. It was very comforting and tasty!
Last but not least, Ginger Pork (600 yen). He added the Rice Set (190 yen extra). I am amazed that all of these for less than $8…! This dish was tasty, but not so much “ginger” anywhere to be found… If you are a true ginger lover, you might get a bit disappointed.
Each dish was prepared with care, and the portion was pretty good too. We decided to push our luck with desserts… Two of us ordered a Chocolate Parfait (500 yen), and the other two ordered Special Deluxe Pudding (300 yen).
The Chocolate Parfait (500 yen) came with banana slices and two chocolate Pocky sticks, which was a plus. It had corn flakes under the vanilla ice cream, adding some crunchy texture. It had some chocolate beans on top, which was fun! This is not some kind of gourmet parfait, but still was a really good desserts, especially for the price.
Special Deluxe Pudding (300 yen) was a typical Japanese custard pudding, with whipped cream on top. I assume this one is bigger than their other offering, “Special Pudding” since it was indicated as “jumbo” flavor on their menu. As soon as you started to eat it, you starts to feel the size. After a bite another bite, the pudding didn’t disappear… It was actually a pretty big size! Creamy and velvety, a perfect dessert for a pudding lover!
Their bathroom is near the entrance, behind curtains. They only have one uni-sex bathroom. Right behind the curtain is a sink, and then a door to the bathroom. The bathroom was clean and well-lit.
They had a photo on the wall in the bathroom, which showed the exact location of this restaurant back in 1969! How cool!
I liked this place so much, I went back one more time during my short trip! I had Omurice (650 yen). It was huge, and looked really good! Under the golden egg was mostly ketchup rice, nothing fancy… The ketchup flavor was quite strong… But I still enjoyed it.
The staffs were very polite and efficient. Each food items are made to order, so it takes a little time for the food to come out. But, it is so good to have freshly cooked meal… This find was awesome, tasty home-made type dishes, each around $8 or less! Very affordable, and on that note, they are CASH ONLY, so don’t forget to bring some cash. A true hidden gem!
Restaurant Kamahei – 350-1 Wakashiba, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0871, Japan
レストラン カマヘイ – 千葉県柏市若柴350-1