After setting out on our journey to find the best gyoza in Kantou area, we decided to make our way to a place called “Sosan No Mise”. Notorious for their size and packed to the seams with meat juice gyoza, it comes to no surprise that this would be our first stop.
Located just on the outskirts of Shinjuku, right next to Yoyogi station, Sosan no Mise escapes the hustle and bustle that you might find in the inner parts of the city.
However, because of the shops fame and reputation, you can find people from all over the country making the trek to sink their teeth into these luscious delights.
Some of the many magazine clips praising the restaurant
From around 2011 to 2014, this place was featured in all kinds of magazines and all over T.V. However, in the last couple years it seems the hype has calmed down. What used to be lines out the door, now is a more quiet atmosphere in this Showa style restaurant.
After using getting our food ticket through the vending machine outside, we made our way in to the restaurant. There were many different items on the menu including things like ramen, and bar snacks, but let’s be real. We are here for the gyoza and that’s exactly what we did.
First up, boiled gyoza
From the steaming pork aroma wafting through the air, our taste buds were at their peak of excitement. However, after just about 2 minutes these babies were ready to be chowed down. The dumplings were quite plump and after the cooks’s discretion to be careful of the flying juice, it was quite evident that there wouldn’t be a lack of flavor.
Taking the first bite I can confirm I was right. This gyoza may pack more flavor than any I have ever tried before. One could argue if the dipping sauce should even be relevant. What really stands out is the thickness of the skin. With the boiled dumplings, you get more of a chew out of them. That and the thickness provides a nice barrier to trap the liquid inside, so even after biting in and having some juice escape, the dumpling overall stays in tact.
Let’s not forget the pan-fried gyoza though
Have you ever received a present that was so great just to realize at the bottom of the box was like keys to a new car? That is the same feeling with the grilled gyoza.
The grilled gyoza while having a crunchy layer, managed to retain a chewiness similar to the steamed ones. Although both have a hint of ginger in the flavor, the grilled ones really accented this.
Of course it goes without saying that the juice and pork was delicious like the boiled gyoza but the boiled probably had a better balanced in flavors since the ginger flavor is more mild.
Overall I felt like this particular restaurant puts it’s emphasis on the skin and that is really what made it for me in the end. Since I don’t generally eat boiled gyoza, I felt this Sosan no Mise’s is very rememberable because of the minced meat, vegetables and the explosion of flavor in the juice. However, all in all that light crunch before you get to the chewiness in the pan-fried gyoza sealed the deal.
As of recent, Sosan no Mise hasn’t been getting the stage light it deserves, which is why we felt the need to bring it to your attention. Make sure if you are in Yoyogi area in Tokyo you give this place a shot. You won’t regret it.
