"Machi-Chuka", SHORYU.
I think Chinese food can be broadly divided into three types.
Chinese food in China.
Chinese food in Japan.
Chinese food in America.
They're all Chinese food, but they're not all the same.
I've tried authentic Chinese food in both China and America, but since I'm Japanese, I prefer Japanese Chinese food the best. Haha.
In Japan, there are both authentic Chinese Chinese restaurants and Japanese Chinese restaurants.
Chinese restaurants in Japan are called "machi-chuka" (local Chinese restaurants), and many of them are cheap and delicious.
I have many favorite restaurants, but this time I went to Shoryu near Sangubashi Station.
Their specialty is fried dumplings.
The filling, made with finely chopped vegetables and meat, is packed with the umami of vegetables and a punch of garlic, and is very delicious.
The dumpling skin is thick and chewy, with a great texture.
If you don't mind garlic, you should definitely try it.
But personally, my top recommendation at this restaurant is the fried rice.
You can tell just from the photo that this is delicious, right? Haha.
The rice, fried in lard over high heat, is infused with the flavors of the oil and ingredients, making it incredibly tasty.
I've been to several famous high-end Chinese restaurants in Japan, but I've never found fried rice as delicious as Shoryu's.
Just because something is expensive doesn't mean it's good, which makes the food so interesting and complex.
Sangubashi Station is not in Shimokitazawa, nor is it a famous station like Shinjuku or Shibuya.
But no matter which station you go to, it's very difficult to find a restaurant better than the fried rice and pork noodles served here.
There are still many delicious local restaurants in Japan that aren't listed in the Michelin guide.
In fact, there are many restaurants that are listed in the Michelin guide but aren't that great. Haha.
If you're coming to Japan, I want you to try some truly delicious food.
I want to introduce local restaurants as well.
That's why I'm writing this blog. Haha.
Please take a look.
However, there's one thing I'd like to warn you about.
Small local shops like these often don't understand English.
If you try to speak to them in English and they don't understand, try translating it on your smartphone or something.