01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Strolling through Taito Ward's Satake Shopping Street, Seikoen stands out as a dependable stop whenever the craving strikes for hearty, unpretentious Chinese cooking day or night. Behind its modest neighborhood diner facade lies a relaxed seating area that accommodates solo diners dropping in for a swift lunch just as naturally as small groups gathering for a meal.
Midday staples revolve around hearty combination sets matching noodles with rice. Options include generous pairings of vegetable-laden tanmen-style soup noodles with fried rice, or sizable wontons in a gentle broth served alongside a rice bowl. Flecked with crimson diced char siu, the fried rice comes with mild soup, and the inclusion of a little cup of almond jelly at the finish makes for a welcome touch.
The à la carte menu is just as broad, spotlighting an array of noodle plates from piping-hot gomoku soba draped in starchy sauce to paiko sparerib noodles and fried rice vermicelli. Evening visits naturally lend themselves to a cold beer beside plates of pan-fried gyoza, chili shrimp, or stir-fried pork with wood ear mushrooms and scrambled egg. With warming comforts like pork or pork liver congee also on hand, the kitchen readily flexes to match whatever you might be in the mood for.
