スミス英会話相模原校

“相模原で一番のレストラン”は、実はJR相模原駅のすぐ近くのスミス英会話相模原校の真横にあります。“鳥忠さがみの亭”はおそらく相模原唯一のレストランです。初めてこのレストランを訪れたのはスミス英会話相模原校を橋本から相模原市中央区に移転した数日後です。私はすぐにこのレストランの虜になりました。

The Best Restaurant in Sagamihara- Just Steps From Smith’s School of English

“The best restaurant in Sagamihara” is in fact right next to Smith’s School of English in front of Sagamihara Station! “Torichu Sagami No Tei” is probably the most unique restaurant in Sagamihara. The first time I went to this restaurant was just a few days after relocating my English school from Hashimoto to Chuo-ku Sagamihara. I was immediately fascinated with this restaurant.

This restaurant in Sagamihara is historic. I have been living in Sagamihara for a long time and remember seeing it at least 30 years ago, but I never went in until it became so convenient to my English school. I bet it is the longest sustaining restaurant of its kind in Sagamihara. This restaurant served deep-fried chicken long before it became a Japanese staple (karage).

The decor and atmosphere of this Sagamihara restaurant is what strikes its patrons first, and is one of the reasons customers continue to return. It is a very large restaurant, offering a large dining area with big tables, private rooms large and small,and even a room with sofas. There is also a large counter that I sometimes sit myself down at after an evening of teaching English at Smith’s School of English Sagamihara.

The decor in this Sagamihara restaurant is hard to describe. The walls and ceiling are loaded with bright colors-  plants, lanterns, small trees, paintings, etc. Much of the experience is looking at the decor and trying to figure out what it all means. It is very “Asian.” It seems to be a mix of Japan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, etc. One must see it for themselves in order to try to understand it.

What really keeps me going back to this great restaurant in Sagamihara is the food! Torichu is not just about deep-fried chicken. There is just about anything on the menu- all kinds of chicken, seafood, sushi, salads, etc. The menu is huge. Everything is cooked and displayed to perfection.

The chefs are not young, which explains a bit about why the food is so good. They are well-experienced and have been running this restaurant next to my English school in Sagamihara for decades. They are set in their ways. I often see them outside when I arrive at my English school. They are preparing for opening-  cleaning the sidewalk, washing windows, and running to the supermarket at Sagamihara Station. They open for lunch, close for a couple of hours, and reopen for dinner.

One of my English students, Keiko, practices English conversation with me on Fridays at 6pm. She works at the Sagamihara City Hall and sometimes meets her colleagues there for dinner and drinks after her English lesson. I’m always a bit envious when she says “I’m going to Torichu after this English lesson.”

Last Saturday evening (August 2025) I invited my last scheduled English student to go to Torichu Sagami No Tei. He takes a man to man (private) English lesson at 6pm. He was very happy to speak English with me for another 2 hours and enjoy the food and ambience of this Sagamihara restaurant, so close to my English school. It was his first time going there. I’m sure he will go again.

If you have never been to this restaurant in Sagamihara, I highly recommend it. It’s about a 10 second walk from Smith’s School of English! And if you have never tried a trial English lesson, it’s always free, fun, and no stress! Thank you for reading.

Jim