This restaurant is truly difficult to book unless you are a regular customer. For newcomers, there are limited openings announced on Instagram about once a month, but the chances of winning a reservation are low.This time, I received an invitation from a friend and visited for the first time. Every dish was a home run, exceeding my expectations and... More
This restaurant is truly difficult to book unless you are a regular customer. For newcomers, there are limited openings announced on Instagram about once a month, but the chances of winning a reservation are low.This time, I received an invitation from a friend and visited for the first time. Every dish was a home run, exceeding my expectations and delivering flavors beyond what I could imagine. It truly provided an unforgettable experience.【Pricing】Dinner course: JPY 43,000Drinks ordered:1. Shaoxing wine tasting of three types: Tower Brand Chen 10 years, 20 years, and 30 years - JPY 4,3002. Gan Jun 18 years - JPY 1,800Compared to the Tower Brand Chen 10, 20, and 30 years, this one has a drier taste.Until now, I hadn’t encountered many delicious Shaoxing wines, but I fell in love with it after trying the recommended one here. I was surprised to discover how well it pairs with Chinese cuisine, given my limited experience with Shaoxing wine.【Dishes】The menu for the day was presented in Chinese, so I had no idea what it said... I could only guess based on the characters and eagerly awaited the dishes.1. Steamed soup with whelk and jujube No seasonings or salt were used. The soup was made with Jinhua ham and dried scallops, resulting in an exquisite broth. You can truly taste the depth and umami of the ingredients.2. First round of appetizers (served three times):From left to right:• Jellyfish• Sweet and sour pickled tomatoes, egg rolls with napa cabbage, and salted fava beans• Honeycomb• Steamed chicken3. Second round of appetizers (meat theme):From left to right:• Char siu pork spare ribs, marinated in honey and black pepper for tenderness• Pork belly with skin• Duck and shrimp wrapped together• Cashews and pecans cooked in brown sugar with a hint of spice4. Third round of appetizers (fish theme):From left to right:• Sliced squid dressed with salt and scallion oil• Grilled Isaki paired with citrus and XO sauce• Fried scallops marinated in Shaoxing wine5. Assorted dim sum:• Pork dumplings (shaped like dumplings, but the chef says they are xiao long bao; they change flavor when eaten with the sauce in the center)• Xiao long bao with edamame and Jinhua ham• Shrimp dumplings with plum and shiso• Cantonese shao mai with dried shiitake, shrimp, and pork shoulder• Fried dumplings with squid ink and squid6. Stir-fried Japanese rockfish with asparagus and yellow garlic chives, seasoned with fermented lemon and XO sauce7. Steamed and grilled shark fin Shantang soup with sea urchin melted into it. Simply exquisite! The richness of the sea urchin harmonized beautifully with the shark fin in the Shantang soup, creating a dish that remains unforgettable.8. Cantonese-style roasted pigeon9. Chicken drumsticks stuffed with sticky rice, also containing abalone.10. Homemade almond tofu styled as snow flowers, topped with homemade chocolate crispies, and a pineapple egg tart.Additionally, the spiced cashews and pecans from the third round can be taken home for JPY 1,000 per bag for those interested. I was so impressed while eating that I was thinking about how I could get a second helping, so I was thrilled to be able to take some home.I would love to revisit this restaurant at the earliest opportunity. I also want to try the highly-rated dried abalone and whole roasted suckling pig recommended by regulars. Less
