Tomoegata Chanko

In sumo town Ryogoku, you should eat as sumo wrestlers do. And that means you gotta try Chankonabe!

Chankonabe is a kind of protein-rich stew that sumo wrestlers eat in vast quantities in order to quickly bulk up in size. They usually contain an assortment of vegetables and various kinds of protein. It is therefore essentially a hotpot/shabu-shabu sort of meal and can therefore be considered relatively healthy, as long as you are not eating it in vast quantities, I suppose😂

Ryogoku is full of Chankonabe restaurants opened by retired sumo wrestlers, each with their own unique recipe and ingredients for that perfect broth.

But perhaps one of the best places to try this traditional sumo dish is at Tomoegata Chanko.
Despite the rather "Minas Morgul-ish" lighting of the entrance (lol), you will find that the interior is nice, warm and cozy.

You can choose from 4 different Chankonabe broth styles which differ in broth base and ingredients (and thus correspondingly price as well).
Seeing as I only had a short time in Japan, I tried the most expensive option (Tachiyama w Prime Japanese Beef) and was very impressed. The beef came in clean, large sheets and when cooked tasted very nice with a good amount of marbling. The other ingredients were great to complement the entire dish as well, especially the daikon radish and konjac.

Overall, made for a very hearty and satisfying meal👌🏻

I got a private room for my family and service was warm and amazing. Food was too good wasn't able to take a lot of photos. I think with the current exchange rate it's a reasonable portion. Suggestions. Order the premium beef course no meatballs. Add noodles. And get the chicken karaage. Five star food. Going back again just eat it. I think everything was stellar from service to food quality. Not sure what people meant they wouldn't be full? I am about 120 kgs and I was able to get full on the portions. I ended up paying around 70 USD.

We ordered the premium beef chanko nabe set and it came with vegetables, tofu, konjac and mushrooms in a soy sauce broth. We also added their house made fish balls, which were sooo flavoursome. Overall, it was delicious and great value for money. Highly recommend;

Literally the best food and service experience ever. (It also felt super special knowing that actual sumo wrestlers eat here.) We came to meet with an old friend who lives in Japan. This will be one for the books for me. Thank you for the warm hospitality!

We were glad to have tasted the hotpot here, love the decor and atmosphere.

My first chankonabe experience. Simply perfect....and filling.

One of the best places I've eaten in all Japan, the food is delicious and generous. The restaurant is really nice, but most of all the service was exceptional. One of those that can change your day. Forever grateful over this experience

Sumo and Chanko Nabe!! We came here for dinner after watching a sumo match. It was just around the corner from the stadium and the reviews looked good so we decided to give it a try! They seated us upstairs and on this particular evening we were very much the only westerners in the room. The service was very kind and considerate. We had 2 servers who each spoke a little English and the menu had plenty of photos so we made it work. Even with the explanation of how to cook the soup yourself on the burner in front of you they were kind using hand gestures and explaining. It was a ton of food so go hungry!! It was a fun experience as well as delicious. The music is particular as it’s the singing which happens after a sumo match, we had just been so we understood but that might be a surprise if you don’t know what the style of music is.

Great place to have authentic Sumo Food. Basically it's a hot pot in a nutshell. Great for cold days ! The hotpot charges based on per head basis. Fresh ingredients and friendly staff.

Brilliant traditional experience. You basically eat what sumo fighters eat! We had sashimi, tempura and a hot pot with niso soup and ramen.

Tip for the staff: please put different music. It is kind of tiresome and annoying to listen to the old man singing old Japanese music non-stop.

Arguably the best meal of our trip... Nabe flavor was just right, and upon adding of the vegetables and mest made it more flavouful... And the cold weather made it more enjoyable.

Beef quality was good, sashimi was good. Service was on point. You have to try the sardine balls.

Not forgetting to mention child friendly too, we had a 2yo with us and staff was very accommodating.

Situated in the sumo neighbourhood. A fantastic value and delicious set of small dishes to go with the lunch nabe set. Comes with a lemon sorbert dessert. Would definitely visit again.

Amazing chanko nabe lunch. Service is amazing with english menus. Staff could not have been nicer. Highly recommended.

You need to get the more expensive chanko kaiseki set (need to order two minimum) to get the hotpot in front of you. It's light and tasty with different variety of dishes. Food was fresh. We ordered 2 sets and it was just right for 4 people. The waiter was accommodating to us foreigners and walked us through.

Great soup, tasty meat and awesome service. Best of all, the lunch set menu was at a reasonable 1,300yen. Nice ambience and not too crowded. Try it if you're around the area!

Got the lunch set menu and it was very good. There were a bunch of locals eating there as well. Overall the chanko nabe soup was very good and the side dishes were yummy.

The best chanko nabe!! We loved it, highly recommended!!

Really liked this place. The premium beef was awesome and the service was amazing! Would go here again.

At first you might think it's a little bit expensive, but it's more than just the food you are paying for. The staff is very friendly and will show you the proper way to eat Chanko Nabe! Don't be afraid to ask for recommendations, and do ask for extra noodles at the end, to enjoy the delicious broth!

Amazing chankonabe and wonderful broth. While there are lunch specials, go for the full course with fresh fish, vegetables, beef slices and the yummiest fish balls (their specialty). It costs about ¥3,000 per person but totally worth it. End the meal with an order of rice that they mix into the broth with egg to make a hearty risotto. Awesome experience!