If you’re looking for sushi nirvana then head to Yotsuba, a restaurant that flies all of its seafood in daily from Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji market. With precise preparation –the key to great sushi dishes—it’s advised to get a ringside seat to witness the mesmerizing process close up. Park yourself at the counter where a sushi master will perform his art right in front of you. The chef runs a sharp knife swiftly through the fish of your choice—otoro (fatty tuna), chutoro (medium fat) or akami (no fat)—and before you know it, the bite-size rice topped with fish has appeared magically on the plate in front of you.
Everything--shrimp, scallops, squid, salmon, and tuna--is fresh and firm. The grilled eels, brushed with home-brewed soy, is slightly sweet and tasty. The food is best accompanied by several glasses of warm sake.
Simply dropping in at Yotsuba is not recommended as not only does it have limited seating and only opens for dinner, but the shop front is easily missed. Make a reservation and look out for the name on the unimpressive box-like façade.
Yotsuba, 2 Xinzhong Jie Xili, Chaoyang district (tel 6467 1837) Open 5pm-11pm Sushi ranges from 25RMB – 35RMB for a plate of two.
四叶, 新源西里中街2号楼旁(近新东路)
Manzou is probably as famous for its shochu as it is for its excellent food. Despite often being thought of as the bridesmaid of sake, shochu is fast over-taking Japan’s other indigenous alcoholic beverage to become the country's national tipple. Unlike sake, shochu is distilled, and has alcohol content that can vary between 25 and 42 percent. It’s made from either sweet potato, brown sugar, fruit or barley and tastes great straight, on the rocks or with a splash of hot water.
Manzo’s slow food philosophy does justice to its name which means ‘walk slowly’. This tiny restaurant, typical of back alley eateris in Tokyo, has no hidden kitchen, and the food is prepared right behind the long counter.
The house specialty is edamame (15RMB), home-made mashed soya beans, topped with freshly grated ginger and chopped scallion, served on a bamboo leaf placed in a small woven basket—a great starter dish to soften your palate. The room-temperature mashed beancurd looks deceptively mushy, and somewhat similar to cottage cheese, but it’s firm yet smooth texture enables it to be picked up with your chopsticks.
The deep-fried fish cake (20RMB) was prepared at the counter and ground to the perfect consistency with a mortar and pestle. A little chopped scallion was added to the mix, which is then shaped into a round patty and fried until golden brown. The grilled fish (30RMB) includes five, ten centimetre pieces of fish, grilled till the heads and tails were crispy, while the middle part, where the roe is tightly packed--remained soft. The fish were lightly coated with salt, and a squeeze of lemon to bring out the flavor.
Manzo’s tempura is a must, not least because of its 40RMB price tag. The serving includes three large pieces of shrimp, sweet potatoes, carrots, green pepper, mushroom and onions, dipped in a batter mix and fried light and crispy—just as tempura should be. The dish is served with a heated soy sauce and a garnish of daikon added to it—reason enough to come back.
The assortment of temaki zushi rolled with tuna, salmon and cucumber fillings (60RMB) are exquisitely prepared with enough vinegar to season without becoming tart and just the right consistency of rice.
If you’ve overindulged on the shochu, the best way to clear your head is to wolf down a bowl of cold, sweet red bean with sticky rice cake. Manzo serves simple yet wholesome fare that leaves diners counting the days until they come back before they have even made it out the door.
Manzo, Building 11, 1/F, Yilongtai Apartment Complex, 28 Panyiayuan Li, Chaoyang district, tel 8770 8767. Open weekend only for lunch 11.30am-2pm, dinner only 6pm-12.30am. Meals for two 250RMB
慢走 朝阳区潘家园南里28号漪龙台公寓1层11号
If you are looking for a vote of confidence in a restaurant, just look at the clientele—the fact that the city’s Japanese community come to Lai Lai Xuan en masse for ramen speaks volumes.
The wheat noodles are cooked al dente with a choice of miso or sioyou for those who prefer a lighter one. The salad here is absolutely divine comes tossed in an unusually savoury and completely unique dressing made from sesame seeds and Japanese condiments.
Barley tea is served free of charge but there are plenty of shochu and Japanese beers for those looking for something stronger to wash their food down with.
Simply decorated and furnished with solid wooden tables and chairs. Lai Lai Xuan has a warm family feel, almost as if you were in your own home.
Lai Lai Xuan, 8 Xinyuan Xili Zhong Jie, Chaoyang district (tel: 6467 8719), Open 11.30am-2pm, 5pm-11pm. Meals for two 100RMB
来来轩, 新源西里中街8号
The reason to visit Reisen is for its soba and awamori, an Okinawan alcoholic drink made with rice. This characteristically simple restaurant is furnished with solid and thick wooden tables and benches around a cirucular counter equipped with a charcoal grill, and an open workshop where noodles are kneaded, rolled and cut.
Owner Shigeki Izumisawa boasts that he does not use MSG, and because the buckwheat noodles are handmade, their texture is much better than processed dried noodles. Reasonably priced at 35RMB, soba can be eaten hot or cold, though cold soba is recommended and comes served on a flat basket accompanied by a cup of soy sauce and a side dish of wasabi and rings of scallion. It’s also a good idea to ask for grated shanyao, Chinese yam or white radish to go with your soba: just pour your condiments into the soys and dip your noodles. It’s incredibly refreshing—the absence of grease no oil make it thoroughly wholesome. Equally special is their homemade beancurd--smooth and silky, yet firm—it’s complimented with a mellow tasting soy sauce with a wonderful taste somewhere between sweet and salty.
Barley tea is served free of charge but there are plenty of shochu and Japanese beers for those looking for something stronger to wash their food down with.
Reisen, Building 1, 2 Sanlitun Bei Xiaojie, Chaoyang district, (tel 6461 1498) next to Indian Kitchen, beside Liangma River Open 11.30am-2pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm. Meals for two 100RMB
霊泉 朝陽区三里屯北小街2号1楼
As you’d expect from an offshoot of Sanlitun bar Jaz Ya, Meishiya Hashiba serves contemporary Japanese cuisine in a stylish setting. Don’t let the traditional courtyard house, open arched wooden ceiling and pretty garden fool you—the food here has a distinctly modern feel to it.
At 120RMB, the lunch set is good value. The meal consists of clear miso-based soup with a piece of fish and golden mushroom served in a teapot; stewed radish with a piece of beef; assorted sashimi; grilled eel and fish; boiled vegetables (pumpkin, eggplant, taro and radish); cubes of beef on a bed of mushrooms and eggplant, garnished with garlic chips, fried onion as thin as hair, seaweed and asparagus; and rice tempura. All of this is stunningly delicious, but most notable is the cubed beef, which is unbelievably tender and melt-in-your-mouth juicy. The one disappointment is the shrimp tempura-- soggy, bland and probably from the supermarker freezer section.
Barley tea is served free of charge but there are plenty of shochu and Japanese beers for those looking for something stronger to wash their food down with.
The coffee served at the end of the meal is also instant, a sin which may be quickly forgiven thanks to the moreish chocolate cake. But then again--120RMB for an eight course meal is a steal!
Meishiya Hashiba, Dong Sanhuan Zhong Lu, Chaoyang district (tel 6771 0218) Open 11.30am-2pm, 5.30pm-11.30pm. Meals for two 240RMB
饭屋桥城, 朝阳区东三环中路
Danzhou is another member of the Sanlitun bar Jazz Ya’s family and serves traditional Kyodo-style food. The restaurant is decorated in minimalist style, with a zen-like rock garden, light beige walls and a tatami floor—no shoes are allowed.
The menu is extensive, the best picks being the sashimi (200RMB-500RMB), set meals (120RMB to 200RMB), and a simple meal consisting of meat, fish, vegetables, tempura and more for 80RMB. The lunch special (68RMB) is a good value and includes 12 small dishes, including a plate of sashimi, grilled salmon, roasted sardines, and oyster braised in light soysauce—all of which are impeccable. Save space for the assorted pork dishes: meat wrapped around tofu skin, eggyolk rolled in meat, and a strip of seared bacon, boiled taro, pumpkin, lotus and radish. It all comes with seaweeds and a few pickled dishes as well as bowls of rice and miso soup, all placed neatly on a black lacquer tray. It’s worth every jiao!.
Danzhou 3/F, Palm Spring Plaza, 8 Chaoyang Gongyuan Nan Lu, Chaoyang district (tel 6539 7573) Open 11.30am-2pm, 5.30pm-11pm. Meals for two 150RMB
丹周朝阳公园路8号棕榈泉生活广场
Hatsune needs little introduction to Beijing diners. Over the years it has built up an enviable reputation for serving delicious Californian-style sushi, using an eclectic mix of ingredients such as an crab meat and avocado. The “119 roll” is the one that keeps us coming back time after time--a combination of bright red tuna rolls topped with spicy-and-sweet sauce. Also good is the inari zushi, a sweet beancurd pocket filled with rice. Hatsune’s design is unconventionally stylish, using glass and metal material versus bamboo, a fusion of classical with contemporary that is reflected in its menu.
From the lighting to the seating and the crockery, everything about this restaurant screams avant garde. The signature dish is Rock and Roll salad (75RMB), prepared at the table with Italian black olive oil and tossed in bonito fish flakes. An assorted sashimi plate (200RMB) is presented beautifully on a huge green-glazed ceramic bowl filled with crushed ice. The huge helping of frois gras on radish (160RMB) is delicious thanks to a flavourful secret sauce. The spareribs in plum sauce (45RMB) are sweet and succulent, and grilled codfish steak with mono miso (120RMB) is delicious. Considering Shintori's fantastic setting and outstanding food, it would be hard to find a more exciting and satisfying dining experience in this city—just be prepared to pay a little more here.
Shintori 18 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang district (tel 6515 8585) Open 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-11pm. Meal for two around 600RMB.
玄吧朝阳区建国门外大街18 号
Offering an all-you-can-eat buffet for 68RMB, Matsuko is always packed during lunch hours but despite the crush, the quality of food remains high. The buffet includes a generous plate of sashimi as a starter, and a continuous supplies of tempura, baby crabs, skewers, sushi and a wide selection of desserts and fruits just keep coming.
Matsuko, Bai Jia Zhuang, Chaoyang district , south east corner of Changhong Qiao (tel 6582 5208). Open 11.30am-2pm, 5pm-10pm Meals for two 136RMB
松子朝阳区白家庄