Nestled in Minami-Aoyama, "4000 Chinese Restaurant" is a reservation-only Sichuan restaurant helmed by the renowned chef Kinya Komoda, a leading figure in Japan's Chinese culinary scene. The name "4000" is a playful nod to Sichuan cuisine (pronounced "shisen" in Japanese), rather than a reference to China's 4000-year history.Chef Komoda began his career in 1988 under the mentorship of Kenichi Chen, the pioneer of Sichuan cuisine in Japan, at "Akasaka Sichuan Restaurant." He supported Chef Chen as a sous-chef on the television show "Iron Chef" and won the gold medal in the individual hot dish category at the 2004 World Chinese Cuisine Competition, becoming the first Japanese to do so. After serving as the executive chef for the entire group, he became independent in 2017, successfully launching his own hot pot restaurant before opening the prestigious "4000 Chinese Restaurant" in December 2018.Today’s meal began with a dish featuring squid topped with caviar and gold leaf, followed by a reimagined Yunbai Rou, a soup simmered with meat and dried fruits, fried sweetfish with mullet roe, and the signature 青椒肉絲 (Chinjao Rosu) that is mixed to perfection. We also enjoyed shark fin soup, Peking duck that took two days to prepare (one served with sweet and spicy miso, the other with homemade orange jam), simmered red snapper, lobster with mayonnaise sauce, spicy yakisoba, and dessert.The 青椒肉絲, developed during his time at the Cerulean Tower, was a standout dish, featuring perfectly rare meat and a delightful contrast with the seasoned bitterness of the bell peppers.It seems that a collaboration with a supplier has led to the release of a new shrimp broth salt ramen infused with green chili, marking the fourth iteration after previous soy and miso versions.In January, the white roe mapo tofu sold at Isetan drew long lines, and it appears they plan to set up shop again soon. I can't wait to see what’s next!It was a great meal.
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