Bamiyan Jindaiji

(3.5÷5 stars)
Unilocal 100 Challenge 2015 — ⁸⁸⁄₁₀₀
OK, here’s another Bamyan Chinese themed family restaurant review for the locals. This one is located right off Musashi Sakai Dori (avenue) shortly after you turn the corner to go south from Tohachi Doro.
The interesting thing about a lot of Japanese family restaurants in suburban areas is, because of real estate being such a premium, you find the restaurant elevated above the parking lot, yes, literally on stilts. This means you’ll often need to climb a flight of stairs to the entrance. Few places have an elevator or escalator.
Moving right along, the menu here is usually divided into three types: Standard base menu of items available year around; Special seasonal specials currently being promoted; and Lunch menu — special sets and items offered a slight discount to encourage quick and easy decision for your rushed mealtime. The waitperson will always tell you what the daily special is, just to «remind» you, of course.
Hightlights:
+ Value: ⁴⁄₅: Although not top notch that you would pay twice to three times more at prime Chinese restaurants in Yokohama or elsewhere, they do succeed in presenting well-​balanced taste, quality and presentation with very reasonable prices. After all, it’s a family restaurant and this is a top priority for the majority of customers)
+ Menu: ⁴⁄₅ stars (the sheer variety plus balance of regular and seasonal items is pretty good; all items can be ordered ala carte or in sets, for example, with rice and soup; good selection of appetizers, main dishes (stir fry, noodles, rice-​based) and desserts)
+ Service: ³⁄₅ (definitely YMMV by restaurant, hour of the day, and waitperson; fairly consistent with Japanese family restaurant standards; nothing fancy or overly friendly or accommodating)
+ Facilities: ³⁄₅ (the above ground construction means lots of parking spaces underneath, but the access off the main road is a bit tricky; parking spaces in the side lot are on the narrow side so if you’ve got a big, fat car, better choose a space underneath the restaurant or try the separate Lot #2; restrooms/​seating area are fairly standard here as well)
So when you are in a cost-​saver mood but want decent value for your hard-​earned bucks (or yen here), Bamyan is a good choice that will most likely have at least a few items to satisfy your hunger or thirst. Like other chain restaurants, they aim for convenience and consistency, and since they are part of the huge Skylark restaurant group, you know what to expect.
This particular location gets REALLY crowded during mealtimes on weekends — lots of young families and groups hitting the place before/​after their weekend activities. On weekdays and slightly off hours, it’s quiet but you get the added advantage of weekday specials.
Finally, you’ll often find Bamyan near major train stations, so their other locations in suburban areas are more relaxed and less crowded (except on weekends). Not a purely local one-​man shop, but very good for a national chain.
P. S. They often run seasonal campaigns. Right now, there’s a (paper) coupon book that gets you some items like a plate of six fried gyoza for about ¥150 — good deal!
P. P. S. You can earn/​use points here on your T-​Point card — signing up for their email magazine will get you additional discounts, promo info and often a free drink or dessert.