Ryuji (CLOSED)

Restaurants offering home-cooked dishes are becoming more and more popular these days, and Ryuji is one of them. The only constant is the fact that the main dish here is rice and it comes served in a special cast-iron pan. However, every day the rice has new and is serves with different side dishes. Although the ingredients change on a daily basis, garlic, shrimp, semi-dried flounder and avocado are often found in the dishes and the plat du jour can be found on the restaurant’s Instagram (@ryuji.homemeal). The day that I visited the restaurant, there was half-cooked egg yolk placed in the center of the rice, which was topped with shrimp. Popping the egg yolk turned everything a bright yellow and later became the base sauce for the rice. The rice was mildly seasoned with a rucola and herb salad, a small soup, three different side dishes and a small fruit mix for dessert. The arrangement on the tray was also a nice touch. The meal itself takes about 15 to 20 minutes to come out (and can take up to half an hour) because the rice is cooked on the spot. Be sure to call them in advance as ingredients can run out and it’s definitely a hot place to go at the moment (and they don’t accept reservations).