京夏終空
I wonder how much a person who speaks decisively has actually confirmed for themselves... In this day and age, where spreading information online carries some responsibility, it's important to be cautious about believing and sharing articles written by low-quality writers who simply copy and paste information without verifying its accuracy. When it comes to local restaurants or blogs sharing local information, the trend seems to be to introduce them as offering authentic Chinese cuisine prepared by a chef who honed their skills at the world-famous high-end Chinese restaurant "Quanjude" in Beijing for 15 years. While this may not be incorrect, the top search result on the internet currently, which describes the restaurant as serving "authentic Sichuan cuisine," seems to hit the mark the best. If the chef worked at a Beijing duck restaurant, that would naturally be a selling point. However, the overall direction of the cuisine... I have my doubts about the one-sided description that could lead people to mistake it for a Beijing cuisine restaurant. This is just my impression based on the lunch course I had today, but that's how I felt. The "lunch course (7 dishes)" (2,500 yen) - as shown in the photos. It started with the Beijing duck roll. Personally, I'm not very interested in Beijing duck, but I've had my fair share of it. When you roll it yourself, you're free to do as you please, but the rolls at this restaurant felt meaty and firm. It had a smoky texture and crunchiness. It felt more like a spicy dish under the name of seafood cuisine. (laughs) Despite being accustomed to authentic Sichuan cuisine at places like "Zhīyīn Shítáng" and "Yáng" near Ikebukuro West Exit, the dishes here have a significant amount of chili peppers, burying ingredients like shrimp, bell peppers, and onions. However, the flavor exudes a sense of refinement unique to authentic Sichuan cuisine. It's quite delicious. The shrimp, lightly coated in flour and fried, has a perfect blend of chili peppers and oil. The dim sum consisted of shrimp steamed dumplings and pork shumai. They were hot and delicious. Both dishes had a subtle flavor that gently emerged when you cut into them. The mapo tofu, served in a hot stone pot, was quite exciting. Huh? Not very spicy? I thought as I began eating, but upon closer inspection, there were quite a few chili pepper slices. While the taste wasn't very spicy, a subtle and steady heat started to build up. It was a mild yet distinct spiciness. The mapo tofu like this is a hallmark of high-end Sichuan cuisine. The numbness from ingredients like Sichuan peppercorns slowly but surely resonates on the tongue, even if you don't taste it much. The fried rice, soup, and the main course brought out the flavors of the mapo tofu once again. In Chinese cuisine, these could be compared to rice and miso soup in Japanese cuisine. They may not be dishes that speak volumes, but both had a good, subtle flavor. Finally, the almond-flavored almond jelly was sweet, smooth, and strongly scented with almonds. The sweetness after the spiciness, a tsundere-like dessert. (laughs) Ah, I've had Sichuan cuisine. I'm satisfied. Thank you for the meal. I thought this lunch course was really good value for money. It's not limited to groups of two, and it's okay to dine alone, which is nice. From my seat, I could see the kitchen well, and the chef's handling of the pots and fire was beautiful. I was fascinated by the sounds and movements. Whether it's a local Chinese restaurant or authentic Chinese cuisine, you can feel it through the sounds... At the time of payment, I asked out of curiosity, "Where is the chef from?" "Sichuan." (Written by Kyonatsushūkū, June 11, 2023) (19 reviews/3.19)