We passed by the front desk of the hotel on the first floor and found a restaurant on the basement floor. We ordered a salad, chicken stir-fry, and the pork rib hot pot (small size) for two people. Everything was delicious. It may be impolite, but I recommend dipping the corn buns cooked in the iron pot into the soup. The hot pot was a small size, but even for two people, it was too much to finish, so we asked the staff to pack the leftovers for us.

I went to a hardcore Chinese restaurant called "Shokoshun" in Shimanouchi to try a mysterious dish called "Iron Pot Stew." It's a 5-minute walk from Shinsaibashi, and the area quickly changes to a chaotic mix of Korean and Chinese characters. I don't mind it. The restaurant is located in the basement of a hotel, and you have to pass through the hotel lobby to enter, adding to the chaos. The staff are all Chinese, with only one who can speak Japanese. As for the Iron Pot Stew, there are various options such as chicken, not beef, but specifically labeled as "chicken," and even dog meat. They bring a bowl with raw potatoes, carrots, and soup to your table, then they stick on a mysterious yellow dough made of corn flour. After about 30 minutes, it's ready. Despite the color, the flavor is surprisingly light, with a hint of exotic aroma and taste. The steamed corn flour bun is slightly sweet but not easy to eat alone. It's much better dipped in the soup. We tried the "small" size of the Iron Pot Stew for 3 people, but if you want to try more dishes, it's recommended to go with 4-5 people. There are also round tables in the back, perfect for a large group to enjoy the Iron Pot Stew together.

Today is Sunday♪(´ε｀ )ﾅﾊﾊ At the request of a local friend, we visited Morikoshijun in Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku♪(´ε｀ ) It seems that they serve Teckaton, a type of iron pot stew from the northeast region of China, and other iron pot dishes. We made a reservation a few days ago by phone, and although the language barrier was a bit challenging, we managed to secure a date and time for our visit. Upon arriving at Nihonbashi Station and walking a short distance north on Sakaisuji, we crossed Dotonbori River and turned right, walking about 50 meters until we found the sign on the left side. Inside a hotel, we descended the stairs to the basement where the restaurant was located. Despite arriving earlier than planned, they kindly accommodated us. The restaurant was filled with customers from China, giving it a lively atmosphere. We started with drinks, ordering Ocean Lucky whiskey highballs. For food, we ordered steamed beef dumplings and small spare ribs for the main dish. The spare ribs were cooked in a unique pot and came with ingredients such as potatoes and large beans. The dish had a mild garlic flavor and was easy to enjoy. We also ordered corn bread as a topping, which paired well with the dish. Overall, it was a satisfying experience, and we left with full stomachs. Most customers were taking their leftovers home, as the portions were generous. If given the chance, we would like to visit again with a larger group. Thank you for the meal♪(*´ω｀*)

I was taken to a new place by a friend from Harbin, China, for the first time - a hot iron pot restaurant! It's a Northeastern Chinese home-cooked meal where a large iron pot is placed on the table and filled with meat and vegetables to simmer. The pot is connected to a bed to keep warm since it's a cold region. We were a group of 8, so we ordered the lamb and spare rib pot (small size) which takes about 20 minutes to cook, so it's best to make a reservation. The taste was similar to Japanese miso oden, with the lamb pot having daikon, carrots, and potatoes, and the spare rib pot having snap peas, among other things. The meat was tender and delicious, with no gamey taste. I preferred the lamb pot as it was lighter. We also ordered flat noodles to dip in the broth and cornbread to eat (a bit firm). We ordered a variety of dishes like cumin and coriander lamb stir-fry, egg and tomato stir-fry, spicy silkworm stir-fry, pickled chicken feet, boiled dumplings, fried belt fish, cold dishes, and spicy pig trotters. We couldn't finish everything, but we were able to take the leftovers home. It was a fun and delicious experience, just like being in China! Thank you for the meal!

A new authentic Northeastern Chinese cuisine restaurant has opened again. The main dish at this restaurant is called "Iron Stew Pot," where a large iron pot is placed in the middle of the table and the food is cooked there for you to eat. Additionally, cornbread-like pieces made from corn are stuck to the walls of the pot and cooked together. This results in steamed buns or something similar to Chinese buns. These can be eaten as bread or rice substitute. The base ingredients for each dish are predetermined. The dish we ordered, "Beef Belly," contained daikon radish, carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes. Additional ingredients can be chosen. This time, we added dried tofu, glass noodles, and coriander. The dishes are generally spicy and oily, but the ingredients soaked in the spicy soup are all incredibly delicious. You will definitely crave white rice. Of course, cornbread can also be used, but it doesn't soak up the soup as well and can be a bit dry. One thing to be careful of is the portion size. Even though we ordered the "small" size for four people, we couldn't finish it all. However, a good thing about Chinese restaurants is that you can take the leftovers home. This prevents food waste and allows you to enjoy the delicious food again. This tradition used to exist in Japan as well, so it would be great if more restaurants could bring it back. Authentic Chinese cuisine is still coming our way. This might be another effect of inbound tourism.

The pot was small but two people couldn't finish it! We got it to go!

Authentic Chinese cuisine

The authentic taste of Tohoku was delicious. I want to go again.