Taste of Tokyo: Cheap and delicious Chinese lunch at Nanaban in Roppongi

(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

In the center of Tokyo, Roppongi and neighboring Nishi-Azabu are home to skyscrapers, embassies and many fancy shops, bars and restaurants. In the busy and flashy district, cheap eats are usually hard to find.

But if you wander into the backstreets, you’re likely to find some of the hidden gems nestled among residential areas serving tasty and affordable meals to the office worker lunch bunch. Nanaban, a stone’s throw from Hardy Barracks, is one of these gems dishing out Chinese lunch sets for an unbelievable 600 yen (about $4).

(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

You’ll find this lunch unicorn down an unsuspecting road lined with small residences and grey office buildings. Just across the Ghanaian Embassy, you’ll see a plastic sign with the restaurant name in kanji.

Nanaban is on the first floor of a two-story residence and the tiny joint only has a counter accommodating no more than 15 guests at a time.

The restaurant is only open for lunch on weekdays, and because it is a good deal, regulars line up early to get in. Plan accordingly because last order is at 2:30 p.m. Closing time is 3:30 p.m.

For such an inexpensive lunch and such a small kitchen, the size of Nanaban’s menu is surprising. The menu includes shogayaki ginger fried pork, chicken cutlet, pork cutlet, karaage fried chicken, curry rice, yakiniku don (grilled meat over rice) and more, all for the baffling price of 600 yen.

(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

Prior to COVID-19, Nanaban had served most of its homemade dishes for “one-coin,” or 500 yen, which has since been adjusted for inflation to the current price.

During my visit, I stuck with my usual, mapotofu-don, spicy tofu over rice. I was seated, placed my order, then the chef prepared my meal. The ginger pork and cutlet sets are Nanaban’s most popular options, but my favorite is the mapotofu.

(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

Soon, a massive rice bowl topped with a scrumptious layer of tofu, ground meat, onions and brown sauce was set before me. I paid the chef over the counter then dug in. The piping-hot and spicy meal was a generous serving for such a small price and a great way to reenergize before returning to the office to finish off the rest of the day.

The restaurant is not fancy, but the modest meal is well beyond the expectations one might have about paid so little. Nanaban is the reward for those willing to stray off Roppongi’s main roads on the hunt for a truly delicious meal that won’t break the bank. You’ll definitely want to bookmark this one for lunch!

Nanaban (Chinese restaurant)