Around lunchtime last week, I think, I heard from someone I’ve known for ages. They wanted to meet up and hang out.. So we got together, and after mulling over where to go, we decided on Yokohama. Going by car meant we didn’t have to worry about getting back, after all..
We got to Chinatown around 8 p.m. on a weeknight. As soon as we arrived, we headed for a place the Zagat Survey had listed as cheap and tasty.
Santo (Chinese home cooking)
The sign. Even on a weeknight we had to queue for a bit..
Inside
It’s shabby. And packed with people.
Subuta (sweet and sour pork), I think
Looks good, right? It was decent enough.
The house specialty, boiled dumplings
Generously filled, and really tasty for the price.
Apparently you’re supposed to dip them in a coconut sauce
It really did taste of coconut.
Chili prawns, was it..
Pretty ordinary. Tasty, but not something I’d go out of my way to come and eat..
Mango pudding for dessert
Not bad, but a stingy portion and a bit pricey. If it were me, I wouldn’t have bothered ordering dessert.
Annin tofu (almond jelly) for dessert
The portion is okay.. but it tastes like no care went into it.
The verdict from my companions, none of them foodies, was that for this price we’d have been much better off at an all-you-can-eat buffet. With Chinese places just as good in our own neighborhoods, rather than coming all the way to Yokohama to pay a lot of money, we’d have done better going somewhere that serves an all-you-can-eat course (only about 2,000 yen per person anyway) where you can eat as many different dishes as you like. And no queuing either.. Hmm.. well.. next time I come on a date I’ll have to give that a try.
Yokohama Chinatown streets at night 1
Yokohama Chinatown streets at night 2
This is a bun shop with the exaggerated claim of being the tastiest in the world.
I bought one to try. No idea if it’s the world’s best, but for the price it was really good. Maybe because everywhere else is so expensive, this place stands out all the more.
Yokohama Chinatown streets at night 3
Yokohama Chinatown streets at night 4
The Bay Bridge, badly shot
The photo isn’t great, but it looks wonderful in person. For the bridge view alone it falls short of the Odaiba night view, but taking Yokohama as a whole it’s far better than Odaiba.. Yokohama and Odaiba are places where you can’t say you’ve been unless you’ve seen the night view.. With that in mind, next time I go I’m definitely bringing a tripod.