Chinese restaurants in Japan

[BagOfCrisps 24]

OK, in England, pretty much all Chinese and Indian restaurants are owned by Chinese or Indian people. Seeing otherwise is kinda wierd and seems "not normal".

 

How about in Japan? I know Chinese cuisine is popular over there - are they mostly owned by Chinese people or not?

[veronica 2]

In my experience, most of them are Japanese owned. Apart from maybe some of them in the Chinatown in Yokohama that I know about.

[damian 0]

I have consistently found that in Tokyo, Chinese food is significantly cheaper than Japanese food. Even an up-scale Chinese restaurant with good food is a relatively cheap event.

[rach 1]

Thats right db.

 

Most Chinese restaurants here seem to be Japanese-run, BOC - especially out of the main cities and even then there don't seem to be too many run by Chinese.

[Ocean11 0]

From what I gather, a lot of people who run Chinese restaurants may actually be Chinese who have assimilated completely, and are otherwise indistinguishable from Japanese.

 

While Chinese restaurants generally offer very good food at a good price, prices of Indian food here are outrageous. Just the curry itself usually starts at 1,000 yen before any extras.

[rach 1]

Well not the 10 or so that I know in my neighbourhood - I know them all to a certain extent >> all Japanese.

[Dokumanju 0]

i agree with ocean, there's definately chinese restaurants that r run by zainichi chinese. 10 years ago i walked into a ramen place in ikebukuro with a chinese guy i met at the hostel. He speaks mandarin to the cook and cook starts speaking back to him. totally blown away for like 5 seconds. anyway, they exist. too bad the food's not much like real chinese food despite the many claims of "honkaku aji".

[fukdane 2]

Well in my town all 5 Chinese restaurants are owned and run by Japanese. Not a Chineses descendant in sight.

[woywoy 0]

So where does everyone recommend? Have you ever had really really good chinese in japan?

[scouser 4]

Best one I had was in Niigata city, no idea what the place was called - walk away from the station. Also had some good meals in Yokohama in the China town area.

[damian 0]

Agreed Ocean, Indian here is a rip-off and I am yet to find one that is better than average. I must have eaten at close to 15 different Indian places around town and am still looking for one that is any good.

 

So far I have actually found that the 'cheap' lunch menu can yield the best result when it comes to getting a simple yet better quality curry.

[enderzero 0]

I thought the Tandoori place in Ebisu was better than average. The food there was great both times we went. A lot better than the place you took us in Akasaka. Plus the service at Tandoori (or is it just Tandoor?) is exceptionally good.

[damian 0]

No way! Both those places are well below average. Nothing special about either of them. (but thanks for pointing out again that the one I took you too was crap, glad I made the effort, well, to be honest, I didn't make an effort. I did offer French but was hit with 'what is French food?').

 

Tandoori chicken is more than dry and tough breast chicken painted with bright orange tandor paste. In fact, I dislike any indian place using chicken breast. Breast has no flavour or natural juicy quality and unless it is cooked under pressure it is hard to get the flavour of the curry to penetrate the meat.

 

For a non-Indian I have a very strong curry background owing to the few decades my father spent living in South Africa.

 

On top of that a few of us in Sydney would put our corprate sponsored Amex cards to good use once a week by seeking out every Indian place we could find within a 20 minute taxi ride of the CBD. we spent a few months on this mission and ate at some rippers. For reliability, I suggest Clove which is just off Oxford Street.

 

I miss the days of the corporate account. I ate at over 100 quality places in 2001, all for free.

[NoFakie 45]

I've only spent a couple of days in China in Shanghai, but I didn't think the food there was very good. We went to places recommended by the guide book as well. That being so, I'm not sure whether "authentic" Chinese food is what you want to eat.

 

At Osho, the cheap chain in Osaka with the big gyoza, the (Japanese) staff shout out your order in what is supposed to be Chinese. It's quite funny to hear.

[slow 0]

My favourite Tandoori chicken place is in Kamakura. It's called T-side. It has very nice Nepalese food, too.

Chinese food in china town is OK, but not so special for me. However much better than in London.

I'm looking for the place I can have the real Mango dessert. The one I had in HongKong was great!

[scouser 4]

I LOVE it when they use good juicy chicken breast in a curry - can't be beaten.

 

One of the things I look forward to most when I go back to the UK is a decent curry. (Well 2 or 3 actually depending on how long I am back there)

[rajeem 0]

My mother makes the best curry in the world

 

I've had a few decent curries here, but they are expensive. Japan doesn't seem to "get it" quite yet.

[NutteyCubey 0]

I love Indian food too, is it the most popular in the world of what?

[viv&kev 0]

Go down to Chinatown in Yokohama and pick one of the obviously popular places.

 

Some good meals to be had there.

[taguchi 0]

We have a local Chinese restaurant, owned by Japanese people, that is excellent. I go there about 3 times a month.

[amandanism 0]

there is a decent chinese restaurant on komazawa dori going up near yutengi station. they do a really nice basil chicken. i dont think its owned by chinese people though.

 

if you like dim sum there is a nice place in china town in yokohama which does it on a train (like sushi train, but with chinese dim sum) its pretty affordable.

[rach 1]

I had a wonderful Chinese in Osaka last week. Yummy yumm yum - best ever. Can't remember what it was called, but will find out.

[damian 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by amandanism:
if you like dim sum

This is not the first time I have heard Dim Sum being used to describe what I have always called Yum Cha.

Dim Sum literally means "to touch the heart"

Yum Cha literally means "to drink tea"

My understanding is that Yum Cha sessions were held in no-food-allowed tea houses in China. Then over time, food created by Dim Dum chefs was introduced. And A Yum Cha session started to include food, of the Dim Sum variety.

So what is it? Does one eat, among other dishes, Dim Sum at a Yum Cha restaurant?

[enderzero 0]

What we refer to as "Dim Sum" is a Chinese breakfast where you eat many small appetizer like dishes, usually served by waiters that wheel carts around for you to choose what you want off of. The best I have had was in Vancouver, BC. I was the only non-asian in the place, which was a real trip for me at the time. Now I would feel right at home.

[damian 0]

That the one, that is what I used to indulge in every other week in Sydney, except it was called Yum Cha. For this fantastice experience in food, I think the names are interchangeable.

 

Just don't eat the congealed pigs blood congee.