The WORST episodes of Solitary Gourmet

#1 - Episode 8: Taiwanese Ramen and Boiled Gyoza in Hasuda City, Saitama Prefecture

Season 11 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/23/2026

#2 - Ema Datshi and Phagshapa of Yoyogi-Uehara, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/21/2015

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) visits a client in Yoyogi-Uehara referred to him by his associate Takiyama. The client who owns a sign shop is not at home so Goro meets with the wife instead (Yokoyama Megumi). Alone with the wife, Goro looks at her eyes and senses a strange atmosphere. Unnerved, he hurries up and finishes the meeting and leaves. Before he goes, the wife hands him a letter in a pink envelope. Fearing that it is a love letter, Goro nervously opens the envelope and reads it... Later, in a foul mood, Goro goes in search of another client, a tatami shop owned by Ozaki (Ishii Kenichi) who was looking for a foreign-made bike. After the meeting, the smell of dried rush used for the tatami relaxes him and soon, he feels hungry. He walks down a narrow alley and finds a shop with dried chilies in front. At the entrance, the signboard says "Gatemo Tabun, Bhutanese cuisine". Without any idea what kind of dishes are being served, Goro takes a plunge and goes inside. Goro reads the menu and is confronted with strange names like Hoge, Momo, Ema datshi, Phagshapa... But one thing he knows for sure, the meals are certainly going to be spicy!

#3 - Jun (Chicken) Liver Bowl of Kameido, Koto Ward, Tokyo

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/5/2015

At a time when Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) is busy, his lower back hurts once again. The doctor (Kitamura Yukiya) suggests he be hospitalized so he could make thorough examinationof his health. Goro hesitantly obliges. Three days later, Goro is in his hospital bed being served dinner by a nurse (Sudou Atsuko). Goro is looking forward to the hospital meals, which he deemed "has improved considerably lately". However, his meal this time was disappointing, and describes the flavor as "thin". Then, the doctor comes to check on his progress. He says Goro is ready to be discharged the next day. However, for no particular reason, he nonchalantly asks Goro about gyoza. As a result, Goro who is yearning to eat something salty and savory, cannot stop thinking about gyoza, and had trouble sleeping. The next day, he gets discharged and decides to reward himself with a hearty meal. He chooses a ramen shop called "Saien", which of course serves his much longed-for gyoza. His wish is granted, and along with it, he orders the shop's famous dish, Jun Liver Bowl...

#4 - Omelet with American Sauce and Oysters Meuniere of Sengendai, Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture

Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/12/2015

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) arrives in Sengendai, Saitama Prefecture where he notices there are plenty of bicycles around. He is supposed to go to his next client, but gets lost temporarily in a residential complex area. Along the way, he spots a stew shop located in a building with a very nondescript facade. Finally, he has found his client (You), a proprietress of a karaoke/snack bar. It was a strange meeting. The proprietress, boasting that she has sharp intuition, correctly guesses Goro's thoughts and even his state of health... After the meeting, Goro feels famished. He remembers the stew shop he spotted a while ago, and goes back to it. It is called, "Kuriya Sawa", a restaurant that serves warm, western-style meals. Goro goes in and is greeted by the mother and son owners (Shigeta Chihoko, Maena Tomoya). Goro looks at the menu, and licks his lips at the delectable choices of rich and hearty stews, omurice, doria, and other sauce-based dishes...

#5 - Okonomiyaki Set Meal and Plain Kushikatsu of Bishoen, Osaka

Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/8/2017

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) arrives in Osaka City for some business appointments. He is immediately invited by a barker (Namioka Kazuki) to try and have lunch at a kushikatsu shop. However, Goro has to regretfully decline for he has to leave for his appointment. During his meeting with real estate agent Shimazaki (Rokkaku Seiji), Goro cannot help but be amazed at how his Hokkaido-born friend/client sounded like a true-blooded Osaka native. After his meeting, Goro eats at an okonomiyaki/yakisoba shop called "Amakaraya". Although he is reluctant to eat okonomiyaki with rice (the Osaka way), he tries it out in the end, and was not disappointed... Later in the day, after another meeting with a client, Goro passes by a stall called "Kushikatsu/Doteyaki, Takeda" along a street. He finally can have the skewered goods that he had left behind earlier in the day...

#6 - Chilled Dandan Noodles and Twice Cooked Pork of Myogadani, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo

Season 6 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/24/2017

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutake) was reluctant at first to take on a request from a client to accept a magazine interview on European interior design trends. In the end, he agreed and went to Myogadani in Bunkyo Ward to meet with editor Kawashima Hideki. The interview began right away at a cafe. However, he did not expect them to take his picture as well, so an awkward and stiff Goro had a difficult time posing for the camera... Afterwards, apart from feeling hot on a humid day, Goro also felt suddenly tired and hungry. He searched around downtown until he found "Houei" which serves Chinese cuisine. After he was greeted by clerk Hamada (Mizusawa Erena), Goro immediately ordered chilled dandan noodles which was perfect for the early summer heat. He also scanned the menu, and saw a number of unusual, unheard of items. After much pondering, he decided on twice cooked pork, chawanmushi, and steamed avocado to make up his one-man Chinese midday banquet...

#7 - One-Person Buffet of Kondo, Setagaya Ward, Tokyo

Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/14/2018

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) was in Setagaya waiting at a tennis court for a client (Owada Baku) to finish playing a match with friends. Much to his chagrin, Goro who is not much into ball-based sports, obliged the client's request to practice swinging the racket... After their meeting, Goro managed to follow a somewhat vaguely drawn map towards Kyodo station. He felt hungry after experiencing relief from reaching the endpoint of the map. However, he was at a residential area with no shop within sight. By chance, he saw a sign outside a usual looking detached house. It read "Macina Mecina", a shop that offers buffet meals. Out of his "hunger's curiosity", he entered and got ushered in by the proprietress (Ishino Yoko). Goro began to enjoy the real pleasure of a buffet feast, determined to go over and taste each and every dish...

#8 - Queso Fundido and Pipian Verde of Minami-Azabu, Minato Ward, Tokyo

Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/21/2018

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) was in Minato Ward to visit an international school center where many foreign children were playing. Client Yamamoto Catherine (Toyota Ellie) wants Goro's services in looking for antique toys as gifts for the kids from their home countries. When the topic of lunch was brought up, Goro heard the word "lasagna". It made Goro hungry so he immediately set out to look for an eatery. But Goro was picturing something Western in mind, so a basement Mexican restaurant, "Salsita" caught his eye. The menu was literally foreign and strange to him but he decided to try it anyway. He was welcomed by a staff (Watabe Gota). Goro tried to visualize the dishes described in the menu but couldn't imagine them at all. But he left it to luck, and went for the items he never tried before: sopes, Yucatan style chicken-lime soup, zucchini pudding, queso fundido, pipian verde...

#9 - Green and Red Mapo Tofu of Mikawashima, Arakawa Ward, Tokyo

Season 7 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/5/2018

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) is walking at a shopping street near Mikawashima Station. He looks at wares sold by the shops. He next meets with Sugiyama (Nakayama Shinobu), a soon to be shopowner of a sweets store. She wants Goro to come up with decors and accessories for her shop. Before Goro leaves, she gives him some kimchi and even directions on where to find the shop that sells it. Goro goes to the shop and buys more kimchi for himself. Then, he suddenly feels the pangs of hunger, and searches for a restaurant to eat within the area. He tries a Chinese shop called "Shinjitsuichiro" thatspecializes in mapo tofu. Inside, he finds it is run by a young chef (Okada Yoshinori). The shop also has many versions of mapo tofu and tea, with designated colors like, "white", "red", "black", etc...

#10 - Natto Pizza and Spicy Pasta of Higashi-Mukojima, Sumida Ward, Tokyo

Season 7 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/19/2018

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) visits the owner of a fish dish shop near Higashi-Mukojima Station. The client (Ito Katsunobu) wishes Goro to find an antique chest drawer he found on the internet. Goro is not confident he can find it but asks help from all his colleagues through email. When work was over, he wanders around town looking for a place to eat. He tries a cozy, snug-looking Italian-themed shop that has a kiln oven. The menu offers pizza and pasta dishes with broad, unspecific names: Natto Pizza, Ham and Egg Pizza, Spicy Pasta, Salty Pasta, etc. Goro wishes to order one pizza with two kinds of flavor but the proprietor (Nakahara Takeo) who is blunt and gruff-looking says: "There are requests I can and cannot do"...

#11 - Bone-In Pork Ribs Galbi and a Cluster of Side Dishes of Seoul, South Korea

Season 7 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/16/2018

It was Inogashira Goro's (Matsushige Yutaka) second day in Seoul, South Korea. On his way to his client's office, he spots and tries a food stall that sells tteok-bokki and Korean tempura. Afterwards, he attends a meeting with President Im (Sung Si Kyung), and his assistants, including Park Soo-Young (Park Jung-ah). Goro says his goodbye as his consultation ends, and is headed back home to Japan. However, he feels hungry, and looks around for a shop to eat. He decides to try a charcoal grill shop called "Jongjeom Sutbul Galbi". He was able to order by indicating that he'll be having what the other customers were eating. What he ordered was delicious pork galbi. What he didn't expect was it was accompanied by all sorts of banchan, or side dishes, as well as doenjang jjigae...

#12 - Garlic Soup and Salmon Butter of Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture

Season 7 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/22/2018

Inogashira Goro is having a busy day, visiting clients in Chiba City. He comes to Mihama Ward via Nishi-Nobuto Station to negotiate with the manager of an Indian restaurant (Ueno Yukio) who has a thick Kansai accent. But Goro feeling tired from the day's work, cannot focus well. The scent of curry is also driving him wild with hunger. He ends the meeting immediately to look for a shop. Fortunately, he finds it right away. It was "Ebisuya", a cafe and restaurant that offers Western style food. He is greeted by senior proprietress (Fujita Yumiko) and the junior proprietress (Kobayashi Asako). The smell of garlic immediately hits him. It was from the shop's specialty item: Special Garlic Soup. Goro chooses it from the menu, as well as Crab Pilaf, Garlic Toast, Salmon Sauteed in Butter...

#13 - Tongue Steak and Meat Patra of Takaido, Suginami Ward, Tokyo

Season 8 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/12/2019

Goro Inokashira (Yutaka Matsushige) came to Takaido in a business talk with Madoka Sawamura (Moone Kamishiroishi), who hosts a marriage hunting party. Sawamura decides to make a decision on the product with a cute smile and starts bargaining. With a spear that Goro bitterly smiles. On his way to the station, Goro encounters a Western-style restaurant that looks like an office building. However, there is no menu on the table, and the signboard is only a cow mark. Hungry for the delicious food in the restaurant I looked into at once and went inside quickly.

#14 - Tripe Stew and Ham-Katsu of Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture

Season 9 - Episode 10 - Aired 9/11/2021

#15 - Salt Boiled Mutton and Lamb Zhajiangmian of Sugamo, Toshima Ward, Tokyo

Season 9 - Episode 11 - Aired 9/18/2021

#16 - Stir-fried Beef Stamina and Negitama of Hashimoto, Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Season 10 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/8/2022

#17 - Sautéed Sea Bream with Aurora Sauce and Tuna Yukhoe Bowl of Sakuragicho, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Season 10 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/22/2022

#18 - Episode 7: Swordfish Meunière with Spinach Cream Sauce in Higashi-Jujo, Kita Ward, Tokyo

Season 11 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/16/2026

#19 - Episode 6: Thinly-Sliced Pork Teppanyaki in Ikejiri, Meguro Ward, Tokyo

Season 11 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/9/2026

#20 - Episode 4: Bagna Cauda and Spleen Panini in Hon-Atsugi

Season 11 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/25/2026

#21 - Episode 2: Tandoori Chicken and Mutton Masala in Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Season 11 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/11/2026

#22 - Italian Restaurant Meatloaf of Kojimachi, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo

Season 10 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/24/2022

#23 - Salt-Wasabi Pork Rosu Saute of Asahi City, Chiba Prefecture

Season 10 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/17/2022

#24 - Pork Steamed Rice Rolls and Wonton Noodles of Nakahara Ward, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Season 10 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/10/2022

#25 - Sweet and Sour Pork and Jamja Noodles of Nippori, Arakawa Ward, Tokyo

Season 10 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/3/2022