Does the taste match its simple appearance?
Being too busy, lacking energy, the store having a fantastic campaign going on, or having the last time you set foot in the kitchen being known as “the day the frying pan begged for mercy”…there are a multitude of reasons why you would pick up a meal to-go from a nearby store. For students in particular, these ready-to-eat meals can be a lifesaver, so when there’s also an option that comes in at a low price point, it could very well be anointed as a divine blessing.
Our Japanese-language reporter Seiji Nakazawa has long been a fan of takeout bento, but prices have risen considerably since his days as a sprightly young lad. He used to be able to regularly find simple, no-frills boxed lunches for as little as 300 yen (US$1.89), but now even the cheapest options at many major chains start above 500. So when Seiji heard there exists a store selling a 200-yen bento, off he went to pay a visit to the ultra-budget bento shop known as Sandaime Kacchan in Osaka.
Seiji strolled through the Kyobashi Chuo Shopping District, also known as Rib Street, and about a five-minute walk north of both JR and Keihan Kyobashi Stations (and a couple more minutes from Kyobashi Station on the Nagahoritsurumiryokuchi Subway Line) he soon spotted the store front’s sign with a menu of its products displayed outside.
Perusing the bento for sale, Seiji was impressed with how many different varieties come in under the cheapest boxed lunches available at major chains. Seiji noticed that Sandaime Kacchan’s menu also includes a statement about how the store has been featured on television as “Osaka’s cheapest bento shop,” so now he was really keen to try it out.
As if the menu wasn’t indication enough of Sandaime Kacchan’s low prices, they have also pasted an announcement of the rumored “200-yen bento” on the glass next to the entrance, so any visitor will know they have come to the right place.
Entering inside, Seiji took in the scene of various bento lined up before him, with his 200-yen bento goal on the far left, and the options increasing in price the further right they’re placed. Seiji picked up on the fact that the “200 yen” claim was accurate, although it indicates the pre-tax price, so a customer would actually be handing over 216 yen to dine on the store’s offerings.
Scanning over the rest of the bento, they all looked pretty appetizing, such as the pork fillet cutlet bento (432 yen), grilled fish bento (486 yen), and special hamburger steak bento (540 yen). The most expensive item in the store was the Mega Serving DX Hamburger Steak Set for 842 yen, containing a hamburger steak and two fried shrimp, which looked like it would be a great deal.
The other customers in the store came in, picked up various bento, and appeared to leave happily, but Seiji was here for one reason: the 200-yen bento, so, here it is.
Rice with chinjao rosu (Japanese-style pepper steak made with pork and green peppers), macaroni salad, and pink pickled radish. The lack of volume and color in the ensemble was very much evocative of its price of 216 yen, especially when compared to its more impressive-looking siblings being sold alongside it.
However, when Seiji took a bite, he was struck by how delicious it was. A sweet and savory taste with a sharp, spicy kick that went well with the peppers and meat. Considering that the bento cost 216 yen to begin with, Seiji was simply impressed by the fact that the chinjao rosu actually contained meat to begin with.
Despite its lackluster looks, the bento did not taste like a 216-yen meal. It tasted far beyond that. In fact, there were some among the customers that Seiji saw that bought it as an add-on item for something like the pork fillet cutlet bento, and seeing as how the two items together costs 648 yen, it now seemed like a really smart option to get a delicious and filling meal for a low cost. Combining this with the atmosphere of the shopping district where Sandaime Kacchan is located, which Seiji thought felt like a run-down back alley, he feels that just from this little outing alone he got a taste of whole other side of Osaka’s food culture.
Store information
Sandaime Kacchan / 三代目かっちゃん
Address: Osaka-fu, Osaka-shi, Miyakojima-ku, Miyakojimaminamidori 2-4-22
大阪府大阪市都島区都島南通2-4-22
Open 24 hours
Photos ©SoraNews24
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