Hello, this is the staff of THE GATE HOTEL Ryogoku. Today, we would like to introduce our staff’s favorite Chanko restaurant, “Chanko Tomoegata”(ちゃんこ巴潟).

What is Chanko?

Chanko is known as a food for Sumo wrestlers to make their big and strong body. It is a Japanese style hot pot and it can say very health and well-balanced food because it contains a lot of vegetables and proteins with rich flavored chicken and fish broth. So if you are interested in the athlete body making, you must try this food!

First time Chanko? Do not worry!

Ryogoku Kokugikan, which holds the Grand Sumo tournament, is located in Ryogoku area and there are a lot of Sumo stables around the Ryogoku Kokugikan. That is why there are a lot of Chanko restaurants in this area and everybody can try and enjoy the same Sumo wrestler’s meal.

But if you are not sure where to go, we recommend “Chanko Tomoegata”! Chanko Tomoegata offers a reasonably priced lunch menu, and although it is a long-established restaurant, the atmosphere is friendly and easy to enter, even for a solo traveler, and it is one of THE GATE HOTEL Ryogoku staff’s favorite lunch restaurants!

Access to the restaurant

It is a 6-minute walk from THE GATE HOTEL Ryogoku. Coming by train, it is a 2-minute walk from the West Exit of Ryogoku Station on the JR Sobu Line or an 8-minute walk from Exit A4 of Ryogoku Station on the Toei Oedo Line.

Former sumo wrestler opened Chanko Tomoegata

Chanko Tomoegata is founded by Tomoegata, a former sumo wrestler. He was a pretty popular wrestler, nicknamed “Bullet”. After his retirement in 1976, he opened his chanko restauratnt at his own home/ Sumo stable by encouraged by the enthusiasm of his second son, Kenji. While preserving the traditional taste of the his stable, the restaurant continues to seek out newness, and its uncompromisingly particular taste continues to attract many people today.

Seating in restaurant, for solo traveler to a small group

The restaurant is located across the street in two buildings, the new building and the main building.　Here we introduce the seating available in the new building.

On the 4th floor, there are several private rooms with Hori-gotatsu ( a foot heating system for winter season.) and low table seating. Available for 4 to 6 persons. (a room charge of 1,000 yen per person is required).

The 3rd floor has tatami matted chair seating and is divided into two rooms, one for 30 people and the other for 26 people, which can be connected to accommodate a large group for a banquet.

The second floor is all table seating with plenty of seats and partitions to prevent infection.

Flavor of a long-established restaurant

The delicately prepared soup is the secret of deliciousness

The soup, the most important base of chanko, is made with the greatest care imaginable. Over 40 kg of fresh domestic chicken broth is delivered every morning, cleaned and whole, and simmered for over eight hours starting at 6:00 a.m. every morning. The broth, which has been repeatedly skim off the scum to make it clearer, is not simply made according to a set recipe, but is seasoned slightly differently depending on the day’s ingredients and weather conditions.

Specialty: a soft and juicy Tsumire (sardine fishballs)

One of the main ingredients is a “Tsumire”, a fishball made from chopped sardine. This food is good for health since sardine is a bluefish with high health benefits. It is also good luck food for sumo wrestlers. Because “Tsumire” reminds people of the “white star” that represents victory in sumo wrestling, that is why it is included in chanko as a good luck charm.

The chef purchases the best fresh fish from the Toyosu market every morning. Only the fresh sashimi quality sardines are carefully selected and the chef takes their time to carefully cut each fish into three pieces, chop them, and then gently knead them with a unique binding technique to produce the fluffy “Tsumire”.

4 recommended chanko menu

Chanko Tomoegata offers four main types of chanko, a secret recipe filled with deep, rich, and elegant flavors. Order according to your mood of the day.

Tachiyama Chanko: Named after “Tachiyama,” the 22nd Yokozuna of the Tomozuna stable, this soy sauce-flavored chanko has an exquisite sweetness that is irresistible.

Kunimiyama Chanko: Named after Kunimiyama, the former ozeki (grand champion) of the Tomotsuna stable, this salt-flavored chanko is richly flavored with the famous sardine fishballs.

Yatozan Chanko: Named after Yatozan, a minor wrestler in the Tomotsuna stable, this chanko is made with mackerel fishballs with clear soup and seafood, served in a special ponzu (citrus juice) sauce.

Tomoegata Chanko: A secret miso flavor that has been a staple of the Tomozuna family for 40 years. It is a blend of Kyoto white miso, Sendai red miso, Hokkaido red miso, and Shinshu sweet white miso selected from all over Japan. It is also made with a variety of fish and shellfish as ingredients.

We had a set meal with daily special chanko.

This time, we had the “Dangan Gozen” ( 2,310 yen) with daily special chanko. This set includes 5 seasonal colorful dishes, sashimi, seasonal dishes, seasonal mixed rice, and mizugashi (Japanese sweets).

Since it was Tuesday, the chanko of the day was the most popular “pork miso chanko. It was filled with slow-cooked Chinese cabbage and tender pork, and the aroma of four different kinds of miso paste whetted my appetite and warmed me from the bottom of my heart.

This daily special is always a must-have. The volume is large, but the gentle flavor allows you to enjoy it all the way through without feeling heavy.

And not only the chanko, but also other Japanese dishes such as sashimi, tempura, and chicken balls are excellent. You will know that each dish is carefully handmade once you tasted.

You may also bring some chanko ingredients to your home as souvenirs, such as original miso and frozen chanko set. It is available for purchase near the entrance.

We hope you will visit Chanko Tomoegata to taste our recommended chanko! Enjoy!

*Please contact the restaurant directly for the latest information on business hours, holidays, etc.

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