About 8min walk from Chitose-karasuyama station on Keio line. The place is not that big but they serve pretty good Chinese with Japanese organic ingredients. Reservation is highly recommended, it was packed Sunday noon.

Superb!

Winter 2024: Delicious! To get straight to the point, the food, including the ingredients, feels like somewhat upscale creative Chinese cuisine. If I can enjoy ingredients like these cooked this deliciously at this price point, that alone satisfies the food lover in me. Here's what I had: ・Meat-wrapped pear prepared sweet-and-sour pork style ・Stir-fried lily bulbs and ginkgo nuts ・Annin tofu ・Lychee black tea All this for a little over 3000円. The pear was crisp and not too sweet, making it perfect for sweet-and-sour pork. The pickles on the side weren't sweet either, but properly tangy, just how I like them. By the time I'd eaten the potatoes too, I was surprised: it looks like a small portion, but it's actually quite satisfying…!? The lily bulbs and ginkgo nuts came with flat green beans, and the three together had a perfect texture. I got to taste this year's far-too-short autumn in one dish, so I have no complaints. The annin tofu was thick and rich, but not excessively runny, with a slight wobble. The apricot-kernel aroma spreading through my mouth and the faint powderiness afterward were interesting. They apparently add seasonal fruit. Since I visited at the beginning of winter, it was European pear🍐, and that was another perfect match. The lychee black tea came in a pot, with hot water added several times, for 450円+tax. Sweet and fragrant, yet reluctant to turn astringent, it had me wondering, is this really black tea???🤔 About the interior For a neighborhood Chinese restaurant in town, they've made quite an effort. Actually, if you only look to the left when you enter, it's really lovely. The right side (I'm addressing this because some reviews mention a lack of cleanliness) is by no means dirty, but assorted restaurant equipment is crammed into every available space and covered with various fabrics. Does it match the upscale, delicious food? Well…… it may feel more like your parents' house! (I felt that if the right side also became stylish and they got good at social media, the place would become incredibly busy…… I visited at 18 on a weekday evening, and there were only about three parties including me. I feel bad saying this, but the quiet was a blessing.) But! The plates and cutlery came out gleaming, and neither the tables nor the floor were at all sticky. The floor had a matte black stone finish (maybe actual stone?), meaning dust should really stand out, but it was clean. I have allergies to house dust and mold, but the air conditioner didn't make me sneeze,,, When I looked up, the filter was clean and new, and I thought they were very thorough about cleaning. Even at stylish upscale restaurants, if they don't clean the air conditioner I sneeze constantly and can't stay🥲 Honestly, I felt there were no hygiene issues whatsoever. Slightly old furnishings are part of the charm. I suspect the folding-screen-like thing is an antique. The dirt on the hallway carpet does stand out, so it makes you go, hmm…… but a passage where all kinds of people walk in outdoor shoes every day, honestly…… give them a break…… The food was delicious, so I looked through the reviews for everyone's recommendations, only to find people expecting neighborhood Chinese food complaining that it lacked punch, people calling it poor value while completely ignoring ingredient costs and labor, and people looking for upscale Chinese food dissing things other than the taste🤦🏻 It's so delicious, though…… I got worked up and wrote this. I think it's fine if only those who get it get it! The tea is incredibly delicious and cheap, so coming for that and having dessert on the side would be great too! (Early summer 2025 update: I know how vast China is in terms of regional cooking methods and food cultures, so when I see things like “disappointing when you're craving ‘Chinese’ food,” I think, “…isn't that ‘Chinese’ just your own stereotype of Chinese food?😂” lol I don't think using your limited knowledge to put something down is very cool. Wouldn't “Not suited to people looking for punchy, stereotypical Chinese food” be enough? People who want stereotypical Chinese food should go to a stereotypical Chinese restaurant in the first place. That has its own deliciousness too!)

+1

An upscale-looking Chinese restaurant in 千歳烏山. We ordered the weekly set meal (回鍋肉) for 1375円 and 八宝菜麺 for 1595円. The 回鍋肉 wasn't spicy, with a sweeter seasoning, and was reasonably tasty. It came with soup, salad, and dessert. (The portion was modest.) The 八宝菜麺 looked luxurious right away, with shrimp, scallops, and other ingredients that seemed high quality, and it really was very delicious. Completely different from the roughly 1000円 gomoku soba at an ordinary neighborhood Chinese restaurant. This also comes with salad and dessert. The weekly set wasn't something I'd particularly want again, but I thought I'd like to return for the 八宝菜麺 someday. If it were a little cheaper, both my rating and likelihood of returning would go up.

+3

An elegant Chinese restaurant a little way from the station. I visited after a long time, and the flavor was unchanged: above average and delicious. The 八宝菜麺 was tasty. The Hong Kong-style fried chicken had a rather strong, distinctive flavor. Has the seafood fried rice portion shrunk a little since before?