It’s a treat to have a famous restaurant near home. A place called Yang, famous from all sorts of magazines and restaurant guidebooks, is just a stone’s throw from where I live. The head chef is from Sichuan, China, and the place serves Sichuan-style home cooking. These days the Ikebukuro branch is even better known, but apparently it all started right here.
The table setting
It’s a shabby, cramped little place, but customers keep trickling in. I was going to order à la carte, but the lunch menu comes with rice, salad and soup, so I went with that.
Soupless dandan noodles
This is their signature dish. They use a spice called huajiao, which is a bit different from sansho, and it was sublime. It’s not just hot; it tingles and numbs your tongue in a really pleasant way. It seemed like they bring it in straight from Sichuan. Who knew you could get flavours like this at a Chinese restaurant in Japan. It’s toned down so much for Japanese tastes that a Korean wouldn’t even call it spicy, and the noodles could use more bite, so there’s room for improvement, but getting to taste real Sichuan heat was a good experience.
Boiled dumplings
Another of their signature dishes. They’re bursting with juices
Complimentary salad..
Take it or leave it..
Pork bone soup, I think..
It tasted pretty ordinary. Sharing it was a hassle too.. Truth is, I had no idea what it was when I ordered it. I asked what it was called, but the owner didn’t know the Japanese name.. It was definitely made with pork, but I didn’t know what kind of dish it was, so I just ordered it on a whim and this is what showed up. Made me think I really need to study Chinese.
Their signature mapo tofu
Again it’s not spicy enough, but maybe because the huajiao is blended in so well, it’s delicious. Much better than Chen Mapo Tofu, which claims to be the original mapo tofu. Next time I’ll have to ask them to make it spicier when I order.
The soup that comes with it
Take it or leave it, this one too..
Lunch done, time to head out.
Futako-Tamagawa scenery
Doesn’t look like Tokyo, does it. Go just a little way out of the city and it feels like this. High school couples were everywhere.. sigh.. so jealous..
A quiet day
If all you can do is follow a schedule that’s already set, it’s nice to take a little break along the way. All work and no play isn’t good for anyone, after all.