Banri at Go Akihabara

Old-school Chinese cafeteria in Akihabara, famed for jumbo Kagoshima black pork gyoza and generous portion set meals.

Banri - formally Chinese Cafeteria Banri - is a long-running Chinese diner in the basement of the Kimura Building at Sotokanda 1-9-8, a five-minute walk from Akihabara Station Electric Town Exit and six from Suehirocho. The shop has built its reputation on a single iconic dish: the Ooban Banri Gyoza, a hand-made jumbo gyoza filled with Kagoshima black pork. It is the kind of unpretentious, portion-forward mach-chuka neighbourhood Chinese spot that Akihabara regulars quietly rely on. Beyond the signature gyoza, the menu runs through ramen, tsukemen, tantanmen, champon, yakisoba, mapo tofu set meals, hui-ko-ro set meals, chu-don and fried rice - most available in generous deca-mori large portions for a small surcharge. The gyoza can be ordered as a set with almost any main, and the shop is open Monday to Saturday 11:00 to 20:00, Sundays and holidays 11:00 to 19:00, with no scheduled closing day. Counter and table seating keep the room intimate and quick-turnover. For a hearty, affordable Chinese lunch between rounds of the arcades, Banri is exactly what an Akihabara backstreet should serve. Order the gyoza set, take a counter seat, and let the black pork do the talking.