I'd always wanted to try Shanghai crab, so I made a reservation through a friend's introduction. A 10,000-yen course. The steamed Shanghai crab was delicious. The proprietress shelled it for me so it was easier to eat. The roe was rich. The kuruma prawns were also delicious, half-raw and plump. The Shanghai crab fried rice was amazing too. This time there was a group of customers, so unfortunately we didn't get a window seat with a view of the night scenery, but I appreciated all their thoughtful touches.

I visited around 1 pm on a weekday, and there were no customers other than me. You have to take the elevator up to the 8th floor of the building, so it seems to be a hidden spot. The curtains, which were closed last time, were open, and the view was nice. From the lunch menu, I ordered the spicy stir-fried chicken set meal for 850 yen. The moment it came out, I thought, 'That's not much…, especially not much chicken.' Partway through, they came to ask if I wanted a rice refill, but since there wasn't much of the main dish, sadly I never made it to a refill. As I was nearly finished and thinking '850 yen is expensive for this,' the almond jelly dessert appeared. No, even so, this time it wasn't satisfying enough. ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊ On the 8th floor of a building a short way along Shinjuku-dori from Yotsuya Station toward Shinjuku. The view should be good, but unfortunately the curtains were closed. Even for a solo lunch customer, they served tea in a pot. That's nice. The lunch menu ranges from daily specials to courses. The cheapest lunch, at 750 yen, was an unusual dish, 'Ita-harusame and Takana Stir-Fry', so I ordered that. Rice (refills available), soup, zha cai, and finally almond jelly are served. The ita-harusame is transparent, cut into strips, and slippery and floppy. An interesting texture. It came with takana and finely minced chicken in a thickened sauce. Since it's takana, I imagined it would be salty, but the seasoning was gentle and it was fine.

A Chinese restaurant on the 8th floor of a building facing Shinjuku-dori near Yotsuya Station. I dropped in on a whim after work on a Friday. Found a hidden gem! That day there were no customers except me and my coworker, and the moment we walked in I sensed trouble, but the owner-head chef spoke fluent Japanese and had a kindness that radiated good nature, so we went ahead and ordered. I think the prices are in the normal range for this location, but it makes me worry whether they're making a profit. That said, we ordered beer and a few cheap small dishes to snack on, and to wrap up, finished with fried rice and dandan noodles. The owner advised that the spring rolls and shumai taste better eaten just as they're served, and when I did as told, the flavor of the ingredients and the seasoning were such that soy sauce and other condiments would actually get in the way. Delicious. The spring rolls are a gem you really should try. Chatting with the owner, I learned they're from Shanghai and have been in Japan for nearly 20 years. Their Japanese is almost perfect. Being from Shanghai, Shanghai cuisine is the main focus. That explained why there are so many Shanghai crab dishes on the menu. At lunch there's one more cook and the two of them run it, and lunch is in the 800–1300 yen range, so I'll come by again for lunch. The dinner service looks good too. Apparently they're happy to help with all sorts of requests about dishes and seating.

Revisited R6.11 I came back to the Chinese restaurant on the 8th floor of the building after a long time. After eating mapo tofu, I realized at the register that I'd forgotten my wallet. When I asked if they took card or PayPay, they said lunch is cash only; when I explained why, 'That's fine, pay next time' I bowed to their generosity and came back the next day to settle up. Thank you so much. I was grateful for the kindness. No matter when you have it, the almond tofu here is top-notch. Thanks for the meal. ※Original post Up to the 8th floor by elevator. I had lunch set No. 1, stir-fried glass noodles with minced meat. The egg soup served first was salty. The main was salty too. The saltiness won out before I could even taste anything. It's on the 8th floor of a building, so the view is nice. Almond jelly came at the end, and this was delicious. I wish I could have filled up on almond jelly. Maybe I'll try the fried rice next time. I wonder if they'll include the almond jelly~. ※The fried rice was like a gomoku pilaf. So salty my lips stung. The almond tofu was outstanding. They did include it. Ichigo ichie — some days are like that.

Visited on a Saturday afternoon. The aisles inside aren't wide enough for a stroller to get through. Maybe because I mentioned the stroller when I reserved, we were shown to the private room at the back (there's only one). From the 8th floor you can see the Yotsuya scenery, but there's nothing particularly iconic to look at. There were goldfish kept in the private room, which the kids enjoyed, and that's about it. Since it's a private room, you don't have to worry too much about (kids') crying and such, more or less. However, there's no call bell, so for additional orders you have no choice but to step out of the room and call someone. The restroom is clean, but there's no diaper-changing space, so be aware. The food has a gentle flavor, never strong. So much so that I wondered if they'd seasoned it for kids. If we can get the private room, I'd like to come again.