Very nice lady that served me and my friend. And tasty food. Big recommend!

A senior colleague who is originally from Ueno recommended this popular neighborhood Chinese restaurant, saying he had been going for years, so I visited with my wife. My wife and I often regret going into Chinese restaurants because the food is too salty, but here we enjoyed very delicious Chinese food with gentle seasoning tailored to Japanese tastes. The ニラレバ is relatively light, with pleasantly crisp vegetables. My wife is not usually keen on beef liver, but she ate it and said it was delicious. The 四川麻婆 has simple douchi and Sichuan pepper seasoning, giving it depth while keeping the heat approachable. Serving it on a curry plate feels very typical of a neighborhood Chinese restaurant. It seems to be a popular dish, and they also serve it in a clay pot for larger groups. We initially ordered the clay pot version, but they stopped us, saying it would be too much for 2 people lol. The 五目チャーハン is a simple, fluffy fried rice with separate grains, char siu, and kamaboko, with a strong egg aroma that whets the appetite. The gentle, perfectly judged saltiness really brings out the umami. The 餃子 filling is lightly seasoned, but the wrappers are chewy and enjoyable. With some white rice, even I, in my 50s, could probably polish off 2 plates of 餃子. The 春巻き have sturdy wrappers and similarly lightly seasoned fillings. For some reason, ketchup was served as a condiment. I first tried soy sauce; it was not bad, but the saltiness felt sharp. Next I tried ketchup and mustard, and the ketchup's umami was just right—I understood why. The restaurant is about a 5-minute walk straight east from Ueno Station's Iriya Exit. I think you would need to reserve ahead to get a seat on a Friday evening.

+2

Inspired by 町中華で飲ろうぜ, I made a pilgrimage to 山久, one of its filming locations. It is open only on weekdays. It aired before COVID, and I had been eyeing it for ages. The beautiful proprietress was another reason ^^;. But since COVID, they have stopped opening on weekends and operate only on weekdays, so opportunities to visit were hard to come by. I finally got a weekday off and made my long-awaited visit. I arrived just after 13:10 on a Friday in late January. There were roughly 4 tables seating 4 and 3 tables seating 2. It felt surprisingly compact. There were already 13 customers, so it was nearly full. I shared a table. I wanted the みそラーメン I had seen on TV, so I ordered it with a half serving of rice without even looking at the lunch menu. Their miso ramen reportedly uses 八丁味噌, and it had looked very appetizing. The みそラーメン had the reddish appearance you would expect from 八丁味噌. And it tasted like 八丁味噌 too. As a big red-miso fan, it was exactly what I had hoped for. The simple toppings of bean sprouts and ground meat also let the miso flavor shine. The noodles were chewy and very delicious. The みそラーメン alone earns 5 stars. When a table for 2 became available, they invited me to move. The service was good too. Quite a few women were dining alone. It seems popular with women working nearby as well.

+3

Back after 3 years❗ Established in 1964, this long-running neighborhood Chinese restaurant is a dependable, consistent standard-bearer for Japanese-style Chinese cooking. Every dish is popular and easy to enjoy❗ Today I ordered the ニラレバ炒め set meal and 餃子. The liver had no unpleasant odor at all and was very delicious‼️ The Showa-style seasoning was nostalgic and tasty. The Chinese soup with beaten egg was comforting too. The 餃子 also had that classic deliciousness❗ I like the chewy, piping-hot wrappers and light filling. However, the 餃子 sauce provided from the start was too acidic for my taste. I did not need the sauce; an empty small plate would have let me choose my own balance of soy sauce, chili oil, and vinegar…

+3

The 餃子 are spicy, with pepper kneaded into the filling. The contrast between the crisply seared wrappers and the silky, finely chopped filling is appealing too. A certificate awarded at the 54th National Chinese Restaurant Industry Convention in Tokyo is displayed inside.

+3