Ten Ren's: Nuts over Pie-Nuts (closed)

Area: Fushimi Station, Exit 10 伏見駅 (Intercity インターシティ Building)

Restaurant:  Ten Ren's Cha for Tea　チャ―フォティー

Website and Map: http://fiverecipe.cmsset.net/theme4.html

Hours: 7am-10:30pm (LO 10pm)

I was kind of excited when I came across this restaurant since I recognized the company's name, Ten Ren's.  It's a Taiwanese chain and I frequently visited a branch back home in Canada.  Although the menu is very different, I was still glad to see some unique items. 

The lunch menu is a great deal, and can be eaten late in the day as well.  I had the Ja-ja men set (only 690円 for the noodle bowl, dessert, salad and drink).  The noodles had a nice chewy texture; it's different than spaghetti pasta.  The meat sauce was salty, but if you mix it with the plain noodles, its spiciness is brought out and the flavors meld with the raw vegetables.  The dessert was an Oolong tea jelly, a nice, light palette cleanser.  The tea of the day was a Jasmine tea, but you can also choose coffee if you prefer.  

It wasn't part of the set, but I was interested in the meat pie (about 230円 each).  I think it was called a Pie-Nut (パイナッツ）.  It takes 7 min. (I love how the Japanese are so precise) for them to heat it up, but the wait is worth it!  The pastry is flakey, but has some density and the flavour goes so well with the simple ham and cheese filling.  There's also a ground meat pie, and a dessert red bean paste version.  I'd go back just to have the meat pie lunch set (if I remember correctly it's less than 500円), and maybe I'd add an extra on the side.  

It's a new restaurant in a relatively modern-looking building so it does have a clean elegance.  A good place to chat with friends or read a book, this reasonable cafe is a big recommendation.