Chanko Tomoegata Ryogoku Restaurant is one of the top-rated Chanko nabe restaurants in Ryogoku Sumo Town, founded nearly 50 years ago. If you’re nearby, head over to the Tomoegata and enjoy Sumo wrestlers’ cuisine, which offers an authentic sumo food menu in tourists friendly environment.
What’s Chanko Nabe?
Generally, the Chanko nabe recipe is one kind of traditional Japanese famous hot pot cuisine known for Sumo wrestler food. Chanko nabe hot pot has a deep Japanese meaning that maintains a good relationship between master and disciples.
‘Nabe’ simply means ‘hot pot food.’
Chanko may imply ‘Master and disciple.’ Chanko nabe is a food that the Master and disciples at Sumo Stable eat together—eating together from the same pot refers to a good relationship between the Master and the disciples. But Chanko nabe has become a favorite food for ordinary people nowadays.
However, this authentic Japanese food is usually on the daily menu of sumo wrestlers in Japan. So, Chanko nabe is known for sumo wrestlers’ food.
Sumo wrestlers are bigger and taller than usual people. Therefore, they need to eat well-balanced food to be healthy and strong. But maintaining well-balanced food daily is time-consuming. So, this easy-making hot pot cuisine saves their time; on the other hand, this menu provides a good balance of vitamins to their body.
Chanko nabe contains meat, fish, and vegetables, providing a balanced meal. This intense body making food helps to gain body weight.
Why choose Tomoegata?
- It’s traditional
- Good service
- It has a long history
- Friendly
- Daily fresh fish from Toyosu Fish Market
A famous former sumo wrestler Chanko Tomoegata founded Tomoegata Ryogoku Restaurant in 1976 after his retirement. He got a rewarded name ‘Bullet’ because of his fast speed technic in sumo.
It’s suitable for both curiosities about sumo food Chanko nabe with good taste and for experiencing how it feels to eat.
Considering offering good food and the cultural importance of experiences to international tourists, real sumo wrestlers found Chanko Tomoegata Ryogoku is at the top among local restaurants, no doubt.
Which floor is the best?
Chanko Tomoegata Ryogoku is a four-story restaurant with different types of seating facilities. Therefore, it depends on which seating facilities are suitable for you.
The first floor has chair seats for up to 28 people, reception, and a cash counter.
The second floor is the usual joint seating facility, like other table seating seats with several partitions. People with family or friends can sit at separate tables or partitions.
The third floor is with a Japanese tatami matted chair seating facility, divided into two significant sections where 20-30 people can sit. It’s the perfect place for parties who need more room together.
Finally, the fourth floor is more likely for private room facilities with the Japanese-style foot heating facility, known as Hori-gotatsu, where 2-6 people can sit together, but it has a small extra room charge.
So, you can choose which is the best for you. The restaurant is trendy. No matter which seating facility is better for you, I recommend booking in advance.
Note: check with the official website that I linked below the article.
4 Chanko lunch Special:
Tachiyama Chanko, Kuniminyama Chanko, Tomoegata Chanko and Yahazuyama Chanko. Every Chanko Menu has a different flavor. Besides, every menu has a different meaning.
If you’re new, you may wonder which is the better menu. Keeping in mind the better menu, I want to mention something meaningful for your information.
The foundation of the restaurant is sumo and sumo-related food. So, what you see and eat is all sumo-related, which is why Chanko Tomoegata Ryogoku is unique. Even the four most recommended Chanko menus came after famous sumo wrestlers’ names.
Tachiyama Chanko came from the 22nd Yokozuna, ‘Tachiyama,’ which contains sweetness soy sauce flavor.
Kunimiyama Chanko came from Ozeki’ Kunimiyama,’ which contains a salt flavor.
Tomoegat Chanko came from the founder of the restaurant ‘Chanko Tomoegata,’ a secret miso flavor blended with the famous Japanese branded miso.
Yahazuyama Chanko came from sumo wrestler ‘Yahazuyama,’ a clear soup made from seafood with a unique ponzu sauce flavor (citrus juice).
What to choose?
Let’s see what Chanko is the best!
Actually, there’s no best here. All 4 types of Chanko are excellent and incomparable to each other. All these items are amazing food, and it only depends on personal choice.
However, as a first-timer, it’s the best choice to try Tomoegata Chanko for many reasons. Besides being a menu after the founder, it has a famous Japanese branded miso specialty flavor that tastes amazing, such as Hokkaido red miso, Sendai white miso, and Kyoto white miso, made from seafood.
So, as seafood lovers, we chose Tamoegata Chanko. The taste was fantastic.
This genuine Japanese lunch special contains (4 kinds of branded miso) miso soup, fish balls, shiitake mushrooms, Napa Cabbages, Sardine fish cakes, scallops, mizuna, green onions, fried tofu, burdock root, clams, etc.
For your information, no Chanko nabe set includes rice, noodles, and ramen. However, you can order extra if you need, which goes well with the leftover soup of your nabe.
This traditional Japanese restaurant is famous for its taste and for serving traditional sumo small dishes on the table. For example, chopsticks to green teacups are all marked with Sumo wrestlers’ images.
Additional menu:
Chanko Tomoegata Ryogoku Restaurant has three kinds of courses Lunch Yokozuna course, Lunch Ozeki course, and Lunch Sekiwake course. The restaurant also has many other small menus, including desserts and drinks.
Pro-tips:
Book in advance if you want to experience real sumo wrestlers’ food. The best way is when you book a Tokyo Sumo Ticket book Chanko Tomoegata Restaurant according to your suitable seating facilities. You can come from Sumo Stadium during your lunch time because you have re-entry.
Read about re-entry and Tokyo Sumo Ticket.
Business hours:
Saturday: 11:30–14:00, 16:30–21:00
Sunday: 11:30–14:00, 16:30–21:00
Tuesday: 11:30–14:00, 17:00–21:30
Wednesday:11:30–14:00, 17:00–21:30
Thursday: 11:30–14:00, 17:00–21:30
Friday: 11:30–14:00, 17:00–21:30
Closed: Mondays and New Year’s holidays. However, the restaurant is open on Mondays when Sumo Tournament is held at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Phone: 03-3632-5600
Access:
Nearest Station: Ryogoku Station
(JR Sobu Line)
Via East Exit
Walk 3 min (270 m)
Toei Odeo Line
Via Exit A4
Walk 10 min (750 m)