The employee cafeteria at Tokyo Station, which you can't usually see, is open to the public !?
There aren't many opportunities to enter the employee cafeteria, which is not normally open to the public. So, I also tried to infiltrate on Sunday during the Golden Week holidays. If you have abandoned the schedule this time, please enjoy this report.
What kind of menu is waiting for you?
The employee cafeteria is located on the first floor of the building further back in the rental car shop when you turn left just before entering the Sapia Tower from the Yaesu North Exit of Tokyo Station.
When I arrived at the entrance, the usher told me, "I'm waiting for an hour." Eh! Wait for an hour for a company meal ...! After all, everyone will be wondering what the people working at Tokyo Station usually eat.
A long line extending around the building
There are roughly 30 to 40 people in line. There are many families because of the consecutive holidays. The author also starts lining up at 12:45.
The little ones are lined up side by side
After a while, the tired children cry. You know ... I'm tired. My aunt is tired too. But that's what it means to be an adult.
Waiting 55 minutes , I was able to enter the cafeteria at 13:40.
Four kinds of menus are exhibited at the entrance
First, buy a meal ticket at the cash register. An adult who visited alone was a little lacking in courage to order a children's lunch, so he ordered the "fried chicken set meal" (600 yen including tax), which is said to be the most popular in the cafeteria.
By the way, here is the children's lunch
Goodwill with the words "small bowl / shinko", "set meal", and "udon / soba / ramen" is hanging on the counter. At each counter, you will receive one small bowl and one side dish.
I'll pick up a small bowl and side dishes and proceed
We have fried chicken set meal
Looking around the store, it has a capacity of roughly 100 people. The wall is decorated with a picture of a retro railroad in a frame. Railroad lovers will love it.
Large store! I wonder if there are always a lot of station staff
Paintings on the wall that feel the romance of the railway
Now that I enjoyed the atmosphere inside the store, I also tried the fried chicken set meal at the Tokyo Station employee cafeteria, which was the first time (and probably the last) in my life.
5 pieces of fried chicken
The chicken wrapped in crispy batter is full of umami and juicy. It's the deliciousness of fried chicken made by my mother. Warm rice progresses endlessly. The shredded cabbage and potato salad served with the fried chicken also have a simple taste and feel good.
It tastes like a nostalgic home ...
Miso soup and yuzu scented citrus are somehow nostalgic "flavors of the bath".
Occasionally, I felt shaking at my feet. Since it is directly connected to Tokyo Station, the company food building seems to shake a little when the train passes. Eating while feeling the heartbeat of the railroad ... Isn't it Otsu?
Suddenly, when I looked sideways, I was tired of waiting and kneaded my body, and the kid finished eating the kid's lunch and said to my father, "There are people waiting outside, so let's get out early." How dignified that expression was ... You are the one who will be responsible for the next generation of Tokyo Station. Next time, let's become an employee and come to eat fried chicken set meal instead of children's lunch.
