There aren't many restaurants that have been around for 250 years. But Tamahide in Tokyo has—and customers are still lining up for hours to get a taste of chef Yamada Kosuke's oyako-don : two kinds of chicken simmered in a sweet-and-salty soy sauce-based sukiyaki broth, sealed with custard-y egg, and served in a bowl over rice.

The restaurant invented this dish 130 years ago, when royalty dined at Tamahide more often than everyday people. Now, anyone can taste the legendary oyako-don, and the heart of the place hasn't changed. The family that opened it still runs it, and Kosuke, the 8th generation owner, has been perfecting his recipe for the signature dish since he was a little boy. He knew the restaurant, and its legacy, would one day be his to carry on.

Decades later, Kosuke has devoted regulars, including one couple who spent their first date waiting four hours to be seated at the restaurant. (Talk about a meet cute.) Fifteen years and three kids later, the couple can't get enough of the oyako-don (which means "parent and child donburi"), and the close friendship they've developed with Kosuke and his staff. It's all about those bonds for Kosuke, who says, "As long as family stays at the center of the restaurant, it will live on." Watch the video below to see for yourself.

Can't make it to Japan just yet? Start at home with this guide to easy Japanese home cooking .