Today, I visited "Sichuan Cuisine Malalajianghu" restaurant. It seems a new Chinese restaurant has opened up without me noticing. It is located on the first floor of the "Toho Hotel Motomachi". Let's go inside. Even though it was past 1 pm, there were quite a few customers. I ordered the daily lunch special which was "Stir-fried Black Fungus and Pork" for 750 yen. The lunch set was quite satisfying with chicken tempura and almond jelly dessert included. The plentiful black fungus had a nice crunchy texture and the flavorful oil made the rice delicious. It was really tasty. Thank you for the meal. I couldn't find much information online and couldn't confirm the opening date. There is another restaurant with the same name near Nagahoribashi Station, I wonder if they are related. I walked the path with dedication, quietly finished, no regrets.

Today, I had a lunch of tantanmen and Qingdao beer. The tantanmen lunch set was 750 yen and very filling. I finished it while sweating profusely. The fried rice was light and not too greasy. The Qingdao beer was refreshing and easy to drink. The lunch set was great value for 750 yen. I would like to try a different menu item next time.

I visited "Szechuan Cuisine Malatang Jianghu Motomachi Store" on the first floor of "Hotel Toho Motomachi" during lunchtime. The staff and chef are locals, and almost all customers are inbound tourists. I couldn't hear any Japanese at all, and I felt like I was in a foreign country. It was like being away from home while in Namba. The daily lunch special (680 yen) on this day included sweet and sour pork set, mapo tofu set, salted chicken ramen, and fried rice set. I chose the sweet and sour pork set. The regular sweet and sour pork set, which is usually 850 yen, was available as the daily special for 680 yen. It was sweet and sour pork with a ketchup flavor enhanced by the acidity of pineapple. Although pineapple wasn't actually in it, it is said to help tenderize the pork. The pork was belly meat, and the other ingredients included carrots, onions, and green peppers, all crunchy. I thought this was a place where you could enjoy authentic local Chinese cuisine rather than Chinese dishes tailored for Japanese tastes. 2-5-6 Motomachi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka City.

The set meals are cost-effective, and the Chinese cuisine by a Chinese chef is very delicious. It is one of my favorite restaurants.