2026年4月2日放送のテレビ東京系「タクうま」では、**“タクシー会社対抗グルメバトル～八王子VS相模原＆宇都宮の新グルメ開拓SP”が放送されます。番組公式の予告では、地元タクシー運転手が激推しする穴場グルメが続々登場し、相模原では「TV初取材のコスパ最強中華」**が発掘されると紹介されています。

この予告を見て気になっている人が多いのが、相模原市の麻婆豆腐系中華です。中でも検索されやすいのが「陳麻婆豆腐」というキーワード。四川らしいしびれと辛さ、そして白ご飯を止まらなくする濃厚な旨みを持つ一皿は、テレビで取り上げられると一気に話題化しやすいメニューでもあります。相模原はラーメンや定食の印象が強い街ですが、実は昔ながらの町中華の層が厚く、**“わざわざ食べに行く麻婆豆腐”**があるエリアとしても見逃せません。

今回の番組予告でまず注目したいのは、**“コスパ最強中華”**という言葉です。相模原の町中華は、都心の有名四川店のような高価格帯ではなく、日常使いできる価格で本格的な味を出す店が多いのが特徴です。だからこそ、タクシー運転手さんがすすめる“本当に通う店”として絵になるし、番組のテーマとも相性がいい。派手な観光地グルメではなく、地元の人が繰り返し通う実力店が出てきそうだという期待が高まります。

相模原で麻婆豆腐の店として名前が挙がりやすい一軒が、「中国料理 御食事処 道」です。地元メディアでは、同店は相模原市中央区千代田にあり、市役所や市民会館に近い立地の本格中華店として紹介されています。2022年に中央区青葉から移転し、現在の場所で営業。ランチ・ディナーともに使いやすい町の中華店で、地元客に親しまれていることが分かります。さらに、地域記事では人気メニューとして麻婆豆腐や牛バラあんかけごはんが挙げられており、食べログでも実店舗情報が確認できます。

この店が面白いのは、単に“辛い麻婆豆腐の店”ではないところです。過去には「タクうま」でとんかつラーメンが紹介されたこともあり、揚げ物と本格中華の二枚看板のような個性を持っています。番組系まとめ記事では、麻婆豆腐も定番メニューとして掲載されており、さらに別媒体では四川省から取り寄せた豆板醤と山椒が効いたスパイシーな味わいが特徴と紹介されています。つまり、町中華としての親しみやすさを持ちながら、麻婆豆腐にはしっかり四川の芯がある店だといえます。

一方で、“陳麻婆豆腐”という言葉そのもので相模原市内を探すと、別の有力候補として浮かぶのが**「中国料理 香林」です。相模原市中央区上溝エリアの店で、地域ブログでは1977年創業、親子2代で営む老舗中華として紹介されています。この店では通常の麻婆豆腐とは別に「陳麻婆豆腐」**が用意されており、普通の麻婆豆腐は先代、激辛寄りの陳麻婆豆腐は2代目が考案したというエピソードも紹介されています。辛さとしびれをしっかり感じられる一皿として評判で、相模原で“陳麻婆豆腐”を探す人の検索意図にはかなり近い存在です。

では、今回の「タクシーグルメバトル」で相模原が注目される理由は何なのでしょうか。最大のポイントは、相模原の中華が“派手さより実力”で勝負していることにあります。テレビ映えする巨大グルメやインパクト系メニューではなく、熱々の鉄鍋や土鍋で出てくる麻婆豆腐、ボリュームのある定食、しっかり辛いのに旨みが強い味づくり。こうした“地味に見えて忘れられない料理”こそ、地元タクシードライバーが本気で推しやすいジャンルです。予告の「コスパ最強中華」という言い回しも、その文脈で見ると非常にしっくりきます。

相模原の麻婆豆腐系中華の魅力は、専門店のように尖りすぎていないことにもあります。家族で行ってもよし、一人ランチでもよし、近くで用事を済ませたついでに立ち寄っても満足できる。しかも、町中華だからこそチャーハン、あんかけそば、餃子、定食メニューまで幅広く、同行者と好みが分かれても使いやすい。こうした“街のインフラ”としての強さがあるから、タクシー運転手さんの口コミとも相性がいいのです。観光客向けではなく、日常の中で鍛えられた名店という印象が、番組を通じて全国に伝わる可能性があります。

もし放送を見て実際に行ってみたくなったら、ひとつ注意しておきたいのは、テレビ放送直後は混雑しやすいということです。特に麻婆豆腐のような看板料理は注文が集中しやすく、売り切れや待ち時間が発生することもあります。また、地域記事ベースでは、店の営業時間や提供メニューが時期によって変わるケースもあるため、訪問前には最新情報の確認がおすすめです。地元の人気店ほど、テレビで急に全国区になったあともしばらくは“いつもの常連さん”で回っていることが多く、無理なく行ける時間帯を狙うのが良さそうです。

今回の「タクシーグルメバトル」は、八王子との対決という構図もあって、相模原の地元メシ力が改めて試される回になりそうです。番組公式が事前に明かしているのは、4月2日18時25分から放送される対決企画で、相模原側に“TV初取材のコスパ最強中華”が登場するということ。店名は放送でのお楽しみですが、相模原にはすでに麻婆豆腐や陳麻婆豆腐で実力を見せている町中華が複数あり、どこが出ても不思議ではない土壌があります。

相模原市で「陳麻婆豆腐」や麻婆豆腐系中華を探しているなら、今回の放送は絶好のきっかけです。単なるテレビネタで終わらず、**“相模原にはこんなに強い町中華文化があるのか”**と気づかせてくれる回になるかもしれません。辛さだけではなく、旨み、ボリューム、価格、そして地元に愛される空気感まで含めて、相模原の麻婆豆腐は一度チェックする価値あり。放送後は、紹介店の詳細がさらに注目を集めそうです。

Sagamihara’s “Chen Mapo Tofu” in the Taxi Gourmet Battle: What Is the “Best Value Chinese Restaurant” Everyone Is Talking About?

On April 2, 2026, TV Tokyo’s Taku Uma will air a special episode titled “Taxi Company Gourmet Battle – Hachioji vs. Sagamihara & Utsunomiya’s New Gourmet Discovery SP.” According to the official preview, local taxi drivers will introduce some of their favorite hidden food spots, and in Sagamihara, viewers can expect the debut of a “best value Chinese restaurant making its first-ever TV appearance.”

That teaser has already sparked interest in Sagamihara’s mapo tofu scene. One search term in particular keeps coming up: “Chen Mapo Tofu.” With its signature Sichuan-style numbing heat, deep savory flavor, and the kind of rich sauce that makes you keep eating rice, mapo tofu is exactly the kind of dish that can explode in popularity once it appears on television. Sagamihara may be better known for ramen and hearty set meals, but the city actually has a strong old-school Chinese restaurant culture, making it a place where you can still find mapo tofu worth making a special trip for.

The key phrase in the preview is “best value Chinese restaurant.” In Sagamihara, many neighborhood Chinese restaurants are not high-end specialty Sichuan spots like those in central Tokyo. Instead, they offer impressively authentic flavors at prices that still feel approachable for everyday dining. That is exactly why they are such a good fit for a taxi-driver recommendation show: these are not flashy tourist traps, but real local favorites people return to again and again. It creates the expectation that the featured restaurant will be a genuinely strong everyday spot rather than a one-time novelty.

One restaurant that often comes up when talking about mapo tofu in Sagamihara is Chinese Restaurant / Dining Place Michi. Local media describe it as an authentic Chinese restaurant located in Chuo Ward near Sagamihara City Hall and the civic hall area. The restaurant moved from Aoba in 2022 and is now operating in Chiyoda, where it continues to serve both lunch and dinner as a friendly neighborhood favorite. Local articles also list mapo tofu and beef rib ankake rice among its popular dishes, and its real-world store information can also be confirmed through restaurant listings.

What makes this place interesting is that it is not just “the spicy mapo tofu place.” In the past, it was also featured on Taku Uma for its unusual tonkatsu ramen, showing that the shop has a unique personality that blends substantial fried dishes with more traditional Chinese cooking. Entertainment recap articles also mention mapo tofu as one of its standard menu items, while another source describes it as featuring spicy doubanjiang and Sichuan peppercorns sourced from Sichuan Province. In other words, it is the kind of neighborhood Chinese restaurant that feels familiar and accessible, while still serving a mapo tofu with a distinctly Sichuan backbone.

At the same time, when you search specifically for the phrase “Chen Mapo Tofu” in Sagamihara, another strong candidate appears: Chinese Restaurant Korin. Located in the Kamimizo area of Chuo Ward, this restaurant is introduced in local blog coverage as a long-established Chinese restaurant founded in 1977 and now run by a second generation. What makes it especially relevant is that the menu reportedly includes not just ordinary mapo tofu, but also a dish specifically called “Chen Mapo Tofu.” According to local coverage, the standard mapo tofu was created by the previous generation, while the spicier Chen-style version was developed by the current owner. It has a reputation for delivering both strong heat and a satisfying numbing kick, making it highly relevant for anyone searching Sagamihara specifically for “Chen Mapo Tofu.”

So why is Sagamihara drawing attention in this Taxi Gourmet Battle? The biggest reason is that the city’s Chinese food culture is built more on substance than on showiness. Instead of oversized social-media bait or gimmicky dishes, Sagamihara’s appeal lies in piping hot mapo tofu served in iron pots or clay dishes, generous set meals, and flavors that are seriously spicy yet rich with depth. These are exactly the kinds of dishes local taxi drivers are likely to recommend with real conviction. Seen in that light, the teaser phrase “best value Chinese restaurant” makes perfect sense.

Another reason Sagamihara’s mapo tofu culture is so appealing is that it does not feel overly niche or intimidating. These are not ultra-specialized restaurants that only hardcore spice fans would visit. They are places where families can dine together, where solo diners can enjoy lunch comfortably, and where people can stop by casually while running errands nearby. Because they are neighborhood Chinese restaurants, they also offer a broad menu beyond mapo tofu: fried rice, ankake noodles, dumplings, and various set meals. That makes them easy to enjoy even if everyone at the table wants something different. This kind of everyday usefulness gives them the strength of true local infrastructure, and that is exactly why taxi-driver recommendations fit them so well. They are not designed for tourists. They are restaurants refined by everyday local demand.

If the show makes you want to visit one of these places yourself, there is one thing worth keeping in mind: restaurants featured on TV often get crowded quickly after the broadcast. Signature items like mapo tofu are especially likely to attract concentrated attention, which can lead to long waits or even temporary sell-outs. In addition, local media-based information suggests that menus and hours can sometimes change depending on the season or store operations, so it is always smart to check the latest information before visiting. Particularly with beloved neighborhood spots, even after national exposure they often continue to operate around their regular local customer base, so going at a less busy time may be the best strategy.

This Taxi Gourmet Battle is also especially interesting because it frames Sagamihara in direct competition with Hachioji, putting the city’s local food culture in the spotlight. What the official preview makes clear is this: the episode airs on April 2 at 6:25 p.m., and Sagamihara’s side will feature a “best value Chinese restaurant” making its first TV appearance. The shop name is being saved for the broadcast itself, but Sagamihara already has multiple neighborhood Chinese restaurants with strong reputations for mapo tofu and even Chen-style mapo tofu. In that sense, whichever restaurant ends up appearing, it will not feel out of place.

For anyone searching Sagamihara for Chen Mapo Tofu or standout mapo tofu restaurants in general, this episode could be the perfect starting point. Rather than being just another piece of TV hype, it may end up revealing something more important: Sagamihara has a much deeper neighborhood Chinese food culture than many people realize. It is not only about heat. It is also about depth of flavor, portion size, price, and the comforting atmosphere of restaurants that are genuinely loved by the community. Sagamihara’s mapo tofu scene is well worth checking out, and after this broadcast, the featured restaurant is likely to attract even more attention.