ルウくんฅ^•ω•^ฅ
Choka-san, written as Chouka, is the name of the restaurant. After having my wrist temperature checked, I was escorted to my seat. As the name suggests, they serve a wide range of dishes from Thai to Chinese cuisine, including the familiar Tom Yum Goong. However, it seems like they specialize more in Thai cuisine. I decided to order the Spicy Coriander Noodles (930 yen), a dish that seems to be unique to this restaurant. It took about 15 minutes for my drink to arrive, and another 15 minutes for my food to be served! When I entered the restaurant, I noticed that they were still in the process of setting up the tables, so maybe they weren't fully prepared for opening yet. I arrived a little before 7 pm, and there was only one other group of customers at that time... Anyway, back to the food... As soon as the bowl was placed in front of me, the smell of coriander was incredibly strong! It was really intense! I don't particularly dislike coriander, in fact, I quite like it, but even for me, the smell was overwhelming! By the way, the coriander used is said to be produced at Yume Souen Farm in Shibetsu-cho. Under the coriander, there were stir-fried leeks, which had a very Chinese flavor. The noodles were thin and curly, cooked to a soft texture. The soup was moderately spicy. Unless you really can't handle spicy food, I think it's not too spicy to enjoy. It was recommended in a local newspaper that the dish pairs well with Sichuan pepper. When the dish was brought out, they suggested adding vinegar and Sichuan pepper to taste. One of the Sichuan peppers was said to be milder than the other. I was excited to try both, but was surprised to find out that they were actually grated at the table using an automatic grinder! However, the grinding process was very slow. The sound it made was nice, like a gentle hum, but the Sichuan pepper didn't come out very quickly. I wanted to grind it myself, but I guess it's fully automated because some customers may use a lot of it. I love Sichuan pepper, so I was looking forward to trying both types, but due to the strong smell and flavor of the coriander, I couldn't really tell the difference between the two... Nevertheless, I enjoyed the freshly grated Sichuan pepper and the numbing spiciness it added when I bit into the coarse pieces. The restaurant faces Shirakaba Street, and although I had known about it before, I had always felt a bit intimidated to go in. I decided to visit after seeing the review of Choka's Spicy Coriander Noodles in the newspaper. The atmosphere inside the restaurant was lively, with upbeat music playing, and the owner was very friendly, making it a welcoming place even for first-time customers like me. In addition to the Spicy Coriander Noodles, they also have a variety of dishes like dim sum, Tom Yum Goong, and Thai Sukiyaki that are perfect for sharing with others. As they specialize in Thai cuisine and seem to have a strong emphasis on coriander, this restaurant is highly recommended for coriander lovers!