Hyperlocal Tokyo

I visited for lunch on a weekday. This Chinese restaurant offers authentic Hunan cuisine, which is still relatively rare in Japan, at reasonable prices, making it a great place to enjoy a casual meal. This time, I ordered the famous "Mifen" with stir-fried pork belly and chili peppers, and the staff's recommendation, "Mao Zedong's Favorite Braised Pork." I was expecting the Mifen to be like thin vermicelli noodles, but it was actually a thick, chewy noodle with a satisfying texture and a smooth finish. The pork was seasoned with a spicy kick, making it incredibly flavorful and addictive. Then, the massive and beautifully square-shaped "Mao Zedong's Favorite Braised Pork" arrived, a real showstopper. The unusual braised pork with skin was incredibly tender, with juicy meat and gelatinous fat. Unlike the familiar sweet-braised pork in Japanese cuisine, this dish had a spicy kick with a hint of ginger. The portions were generous, making it great value for money. It's no wonder this place has so many repeat customers. It was delicious!

I had previously ordered takeout from this place, and since I happened to have some time, I visited for lunch on a weekday. I ordered the most popular dish, the beef tendon mee hoon, and added my favorite stir-fried pickled long beans as a side. The meat was chunky and flavorful, with plenty of ingredients like cilantro, mustard greens, and peanuts. The noodles were made from rice flour, giving them a rounded shape and a smooth, slippery texture that was very enjoyable to eat. The restaurant was clean and modern, and even at around 12:30 pm on a weekday, there was a steady stream of customers coming in. The set menu looked delicious, and I definitely want to come back for dinner next time to try more dishes.

## Li Xiangtan Hunan Cuisine Restaurant in Kinshicho This is a Chinese restaurant in Kinshicho. **Order:** * **Mao Zedong's Favorite Braised Pork (6 pieces):** ¥1485 * **Hunan Mapo Tofu:** ¥1298 * **Fragrant Stir-fried Large Prawns:** ¥1848 * **Stir-fried Lap Mei (Salted Pork) with Garlic Sprouts:** ¥1738 * **Traditional Hunan Black Soy Sauce Fried Rice:** ¥1078 **Drinks:** * **White Horse Highball:** ¥550 * **Bai Ball:** ¥605 **Notes:** I visited this restaurant with a friend from my cram school days, whom I hadn't seen in 4-5 years, to catch up. We made a reservation for two people at 8:30 PM on Friday, April 24th, and the restaurant was about 70% full. * **Mao Zedong's Favorite Braised Pork:** This Hunan-style braised pork was a favorite of the historical figure Mao Zedong. Six large blocks of braised pork were served on a large plate. The braised pork was made with pork belly with skin, and it was cooked for a long time, resulting in a rich pork flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The spiciness was not too strong, and the star anise aroma was prominent, making it a high-quality dish. It was a rich and flavorful dish that paired perfectly with a highball, and it was incredibly delicious! * **Hunan Mapo Tofu:** This mapo tofu was made in the Hunan style. Unlike the typical mapo tofu, it used sliced fried tofu. Another difference was the vegetables, which were stir-fried in large chunks, such as bell peppers and paprika, giving them a good bite. Personally, I prefer the typical mapo tofu, but the flavor itself was very delicious, so I think it was a good learning experience to enjoy Hunan cuisine! * **Fragrant Stir-fried Large Prawns:** This is a representative prawn dish from Hunan. It consists of prawns, fresh chili peppers, dried perilla, and onions, creating a very aromatic flavor. Each prawn was large and plump. The chewy texture, moderate springiness, and overflowing prawn flavor were irresistible. The chili peppers were very fresh and had a crisp texture, and the spiciness wasn't very strong. Although it was a simple stir-fry, the various textures and flavors blended together to create a highly refined dish that was incredibly delicious! * **Stir-fried Lap Mei (Salted Pork) with Garlic Sprouts:** This is a simple yet profound dish of stir-fried lap mei (a traditional Hunan salted pork) with garlic sprouts. Lap mei is made by roasting the surface of pork before marinating it in salt, alcohol, and spices, then drying and smoking it. However, this restaurant's lap mei is made using a process that takes a month, resulting in a carefully crafted product. They also pay attention to the smoking process, using rice bran and tea leaves in the Hunan local style, making it incredibly authentic. The lap mei, due to the above process, has a concentrated, rich flavor. The smoked aroma was pleasant and went well with alcohol. The garlic sprouts, stir-fried together, absorbed the meat's flavor, smoked aroma, and fat, creating a delicious taste that spread throughout the mouth! * **Traditional Hunan Black Soy Sauce Fried Rice:** We ordered the black soy sauce fried rice as a finishing touch to our meal. It was served on a large plate with a heavy presence, and its round appearance and glossy texture were appetizing. The black soy sauce fried rice had a very strong, sweet and salty flavor. It was seasoned with garlic, and even though I was almost full, I couldn't stop eating it. I finished every grain of rice, and it was a perfect ending to a great meal, leaving me in a fantastic mood! The restaurant is located about a 5-minute walk from the north exit of JR Kinshicho Station. The interior is clean and has a compact Chinese restaurant atmosphere. It's located a little away from the drinking district, so it's not noisy and provides a comfortable space. The seating consists of 26 seats on the first floor, mainly 4-seater tables, with about 3 counter seats for solo diners by the window. The second floor has round tables for private rooms and can accommodate medium-sized groups. The clientele includes solo diners, friends, couples, married couples, and locals. I felt like half of the customers were solo diners and friends. Locals sometimes come in for takeout, and the taste is truly authentic Hunan cuisine! I was craving authentic Chinese food after a long time, so I want to explore Chinese cuisine from different regions again. It was delicious, thank you for the meal (*^▽^*)

This is a rare restaurant specializing in Hunan cuisine from China. It serves authentic Chinese flavors, so it's popular with Chinese and Taiwanese people. The lunch and dinner menus are both delicious. It's even better because you can't find these dishes anywhere else in Japan. The lunch menu is so diverse that it's hard to choose, but I recommend the rice noodle dish that resembles udon. Their mi fen is a specialty. They have a variety of soup and stir-fried noodle dishes, all of which are delicious. The dry dan dan noodles are particularly noteworthy, with a rich blend of peanuts, scallions, minced meat, and cilantro. The texture is similar to thick pasta, with a unique and indescribable flavor. It's not overly spicy, so even those who don't like spicy food can enjoy it. The soup dishes are surprisingly light and easy on the stomach. Another Hunan specialty is the deep-fried boiled egg, which is also delicious. I highly recommend adding it as a topping. I think these dishes would appeal to Japanese people. I want to visit Hunan someday!

I visited for the first time. I ordered the lunch set with Dan Dan noodles and two kinds of dim sum. The Dan Dan noodles were less spicy and flavorful than I expected, and I didn't feel the Hunan cuisine vibe. The dim sum wasn't good either. I was hoping for a good rating, but it was a miss.