Thank you very much for always visiting my reviews m(_ _)m If you think it's good, I would be very happy if you could bookmark it by clicking the 【Save this restaurant】 button m(_ _)m This year, I am actively challenging hard-to-reserve restaurants! After applying several times on Instagram, I was lucky enough to win a reservation at Chinese Sai Naramachi Kuko. Chinese Sai Naramachi Kuko is a reservation-only restaurant with a non-disclosed address, relocated just a few minutes from the old location. Before the move, it was ranked No. 1 on Tabelog in Nara Prefecture! The score has steadily increased to 4.03 at the time of my visit. Continuing to evolve with the philosophy of "food as medicine," this is a top Chinese restaurant in Japan. Currently, reservations for the following month are accepted via Instagram DM on the 1st of each month at 9 PM. You need to send your name, phone number, number of guests, desired date, and whether you want any additions (lunch only) via DM. You will receive a reply later, and your reservation will be confirmed within three days after understanding the 【Important Notes】. The day before your visit, you will receive a DM with information about the meeting time and the restaurant's location. I arrived at the restaurant just after 11 AM. Closed on Sundays, holidays, Mondays, Thursdays, and other irregular days. Business hours for lunch and dinner are noted during the Instagram reservation announcement. It's a reservation-only restaurant that starts at the same time for everyone. Ten minutes before the start time, the staff welcomed us. The restaurant has been renovated from an old house, and like the previous location, you need to take off your shoes. Entering barefoot is not allowed; wearing socks or similar is mandatory. Soft sunlight streams in, creating a beautiful atmosphere with historical furnishings in the entrance area. When the time came, we were seated at a table. The entire restaurant is non-smoking, with a total of 12 seats. The menu includes photography guidelines, allowing photos of dishes, drinks, and the interior (excluding the kitchen), but prohibits photos of printed materials like the menu and people, including customers and staff. The lunch menu consists of only the Kuko Dim Sum Course for JPY 7,000. You can only order additional Mapo Tofu and Dandan Noodles at the time of reservation. The drink menu includes beer, wine, champagne, Chinese liquor, Japanese sake, and soft drinks. I ordered a Black Label beer to start off with a refreshing cold drink. The dishes arrived one by one. Let’s eat! There is no menu provided; the staff explains each dish upon serving. ◆ Assorted Appetizers - Yamato Chicken "Yodare Chicken" - Spicy Sichuan Cashew Nuts - German Sauce Octopus from Hokkaido - Chinese-style Braised Eggplant and String Peppers - Fresh Black Fungus from Asuka Village, Nara The first dish is a selection of five appetizers. Beautifully plated, each item is delicately prepared! Each dish stands out with its unique flavor and texture. ◆ Today's Nourishing Soup (Yunnan Herbal Mix, Job's Tears, Dried Scallops, Dried Shiitake, Dried Shrimp) *All dishes are free from chemical seasonings. The second dish is the restaurant's specialty soup. This specialty features organic Chinese vegetables, Job's Tears, and dried ingredients that change daily! With various health benefits, it embodies the essence of food as medicine. ◆ Steamed Dim Sum (Yamato Pork Soup Dumplings, Sticky Rice Shumai, Shrimp Dumplings, Yamato Pork and Chive Dumplings) The third dish is steamed dim sum! Black vinegar is served on the side. The Yamato Pork Soup Dumplings are served on a spoon with black vinegar to prevent the soup from spilling. The broth is rich with the flavor of Yamato Pork, bringing a blissful smile. The texture of the skin and filling harmonizes beautifully in these steamed dim sum. ◆ Fried Dim Sum (Fried Dumplings with Sticky Rice, Hatoshi) The fourth dish is fried dim sum, served with homemade doubanjiang. Hatoshi is a Nagasaki local dish reimagined with Chinese techniques. The ultra-thin dough wraps around shrimp, creating a light texture with shrimp flavor. The fried dumplings are made with sticky rice dough filled with Yamato Pork, dried shrimp, shiitake, and bamboo shoots, then deep-fried. Both pair excellently with the homemade doubanjiang. ◆ Steamed Sea Bream from Ehime Prefecture with Homemade XO Sauce and Zucchini The fifth dish is a main course of fish and vegetables. The sea bream, rich in fat from the currents of the Seto Inland Sea, is paired with fresh summer vegetables from the garden, seasoned with homemade XO sauce, and steamed to perfection. This dish highlights the quality of the ingredients with its moist and tender texture. ◆ Yamato Chicken Char Siu Bao The sixth dish is a meat bao. Using the brand chicken from Nara, Yamato Chicken, the char siu is wrapped in homemade dough and steamed. The special sauce enhances the concentrated flavor of the char siu! The chewy dough brings a smile to your face. ◆ Cantonese Sticky Rice The seventh dish is a rice dish. This Cantonese sticky rice is wrapped in large lotus leaves and steamed with rice and ingredients. Using ancient rice from Asuka Village, black rice, red rice, salted duck egg, chicken, and shiitake, it is full of flavor! A wonderful rice dish to conclude the course before dessert. ◆ Mapo Tofu (additional) Using Asuka Village's Wang Tetsubo soybeans, tofu, Yamato Beef ground meat, and garlic leaves, this Mapo Tofu is a masterpiece! The richness and flavor of the ground meat combined with the smoothness of the tofu create a superb dish with a moderate level of spiciness. ◆ Dandan Noodles without Soup (additional) This Dandan Noodle features thin noodles topped with Yamato Beef meat sauce! Mixing it well brings out the rich homemade sesame sauce, chili oil, and nutty textures in perfect balance! While I thought I could only have the Mapo Tofu, I found myself wanting both dishes. ◆ Dessert (Homemade Almond Tofu, Coconut Dumplings) A dessert with just the right amount of sweetness, perfect for enjoying the aftertaste. I finished the meal feeling happy until the very end. As expected, this is a renowned Chinese restaurant representing Nara Prefecture. After settling the bill and expressing my gratitude, I left Chinese Sai Naramachi Kuko. Thank you for the wonderful meal! I will definitely come back! _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Thank you very much for reading until the end m(_ _)m I hope this information can be of some reference for your gourmet adventures. "Fishing Katsuo and Eating Katsuo" Instagram ⇒ https://www.instagram.com/turisurukatsuo_ni_taberukatsuo/ Fishing and Eating Blog ⇒ https://釣りするカツオに食べるカツオ.net/ The blog has photos and is appropriately organized.