China Blue - A Slice of Chinese Heaven

It's been some time, gentle Reader, since we last shared thoughts epicurean on these pages. What with my beloved Mater passing on, two of the Cost Centers being wed within eight days of each other, Your Humble Correspondent's forced exile in Yokohama, and The Once and Future Blonde being variously abroad, absent or otherwise occupied - it has been slightly frantic to say the least. Not conducive to bacchanalia at all, really.

It would be silly to suggest one hasn't dined sumptuously in the interim, but we have relied on various favorites like Trattoria Tornavento, Restaurant J, Tanger, Le Recamier, and Le garcon among others. Not content to rest on any ill-deserved laurels, we've tried some new (to YHC) venues like Restaurants Davis and Frick (Reviews coming soon). And our eyes are on some new places like Aux Chats Qui Peche in Hiroo, which opened its doors in October.

But while digression is always the better part of valor, the purpose at hand is to sing the praises of China Blue in the Conrad Tokyo [Map] at Shiodome. Awarded a Michelin star for the last three years in a row, this is a very good restaurant where Chef Albert Tse (originally of Jiang-Na Chun in Singapore) crafts elegant yet wonderfully contemporary Chinese food with a flair and élan that leaves Your Humble Correspondent begging for more. Combine this with the superb views over Hama Rikkyu park, and one might just imagine that one is part-way to Heaven … or Elysium at least!

The recent “Jasmine” lunch set that The Banker and YHC enjoyed was at once full of whimsy and weft, with peeks into many corners of the Chinese cooking genre. We started with Singapore Rice Cake, and after the mutual rapture (see Heaven, above), we immediately agreed that we were in for something special. The delicious slow-roasted pork with bread is a highly original take on both Char Siew and the soft Chinese dumpling. The Seafood Noodles combines lovingly-crafted and toothsome noodles with a veritable aquarium of seafood in a broth that brings to mind the best Tom Yum Goong. The dessert plate included sweetened sesame-ed fried noodles and an elysian elixir of passionfruit soup – a sure way to YHC’s heart!

Speaking of Michelin stars, our fair borough recently reinforced its standing as the most-starred city with 3 new restaurants at the highest level to move to 14 three-starred establishments, 54 with 2 stars, and a huge 198 one-star hostelries. To be fair, the Guide included Yokohama (2 two-stars and 14 one-stars) and Kamakura (10 one-stars) this year for a massive total of 266 venues. Nothing for it but to start at the start, and end once the doctor discovers … maybe 100 restaurants in!

In any event, do yourself an enormous favor and find an excuse to visit China Blue in the near future. It’s certainly more deserving of a star than Gordon’s co-located and eponymous place next door, and you will impress any and all punters with your choice of venue.

And if you’re one person short of a full table, a quick e-mail should be enough to have YHC present himself in all his full fat-boy glory!

Pip, pip!

China Blue [Map]: Conrad Tokyo, 1-9-1 Higashi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo. t: 03-6388-8000
Rating: Food: 8/10; Jasmine Tea: 8/10; Service: 8/10; Heavenliness: 8/10; Price-Performance: 8/10. Total: 40/50

Hutong of Beijing - secret chef cabals?

Imagine you're at a 3-star chef talk-fest, Gentle Reader, and after a hectic day of celebrity chef-ing you are feeling a little peckish. All that talk of molecular gastronomy and the Elysian pleasures of fine dining. You venture:

"What ho, Heston! Hola, Ferran! Alors, Joel! Oi, Tetsuya! We're in the food capital of the world, so let's step out for some first-flight sushi or some delicate kaiseki".

Where do you think you would end up? Tsukiji? Ginza? No doubt you would be as taken aback as your Humble Correspondent if you learned that they actually went to Hutong of Beijing (only in Japanese) [Map] in the Azabu Juban area. If you had family history in the Boxer Rebellion like your Humble Correspondent, you would know that a hutong is a narrow street associated mainly with Beijing. Basically, one takes a group of siheyuan courtyard houses that share a well and build a wall around them to create a hutong. Which habit commends itself serenely to a restaurant name? But I digress.

On the wall on the way up the stairs at Hutong of Beijing, the more observant of my excellent readers will find a number of signatures which indeed belong to the demi-gods of gastronomy mentioned above, who visited Tokyo last year for the World Summit of Gastronomy 2009. What possessed them to visit this restaurant totally escapes me, save that it was to try the excellent siu mei style Canton Duck or epynomous Peking Duck, wonderful shrimp dumplings, and the tongue-tingling spicy fried rice. Your Humble Correspondent would surely have recommended these dishes, having enjoyed them perhaps 50 times, had he only had been asked.

The Once and Future Blonde rates this venue as a weekly "must go" restaurant, except when she's on the "diet" in which case poor Hutong becomes merely an excuse for breaking out. Like champagne. Frequented by the celebrity types who congregate in this part of town, Hutong is a busy and bravely non-decorous place which actually brings to mind its Beijing cousins through the very narrow layout, crowded kitchen, and steep staircases.

Part of the mega-group Kiwa Corporation (361 venues under management, of which 285 are company-owned), Hutong of Beijing is one of those rare examples of a good idea, executed well with no pretensions. Long may it grace the Tokyo dining scene!

Go to Hutong of Beijing with good friends who appreciate getting down and dirty with good Chinese food. Provided you can elbow the celebrity chefs out of the way, you will find an hour or two spent at the long rural eating hall tables well worth the investment.

Hutong of Beijing: 5-19-19 Roppongi, Minato Ward. t: 03-5770-2280
Rating: Food: 8/10; Wine 5/10; Service: 6/10; Hutong-ness: 8/10; Price Performance: 7/10. Total: 34/50

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Ah, a play's the thing! Cafe Eight.

Ever the urbane sophisticate, Gentle Reader, I was delighted to be invited by Ashley Associates to the recent Tokyo performance of the Bard's Hamlet by the International Theatre Company London. Hamlet, performed brilliantly by this talented cast of seven (!), is one of my favorite Shakespeare pieces and never fails to reveal new insights and highlights.

And repairing for a post-performance bite with the troupe and various Ashley associates, the Child Bride and I found ourselves - obviously (after the Danish play?) - at the all-night Chinese restaurant Cafe Eight [Map] located hard by the Grand Hyatt and famous for its Peking Duck.

I must admit, Gentle Reader, that your Humble Correspondent has a h-u-g-e soft spot for Peking Duck [and Jaiozi (dumplings)]. I firmly believe that this duck dish is the third great contribution of Chinese civilization to humanity, after paper money and gunpowder, and have tried it all around the world from Beijing to Hong Kong, Guangzhou to Glenelg.

Cafe Eight could work somewhat on the pancakes to make them a little lighter (or prepare them fresh rather than well in advance!), but the duck itself is among the best I've ever had and the accompanying soup and stir-fry certainly don't wilt in its limelight. At Y3,680 this is a real bargain and I'm deeply grateful to Sir James (that paragon of elegant eating in Tokyo!) for the introduction and the meal.

The rest of the menu is both exciting and comforting, and with dishes and banquet courses to cover every budget, I commend Cafe Eight to you for gatherings that you know will be enthusiastic and effervescent. The side dishes we tried were good-to-great, with a cap doffed especially to the Chinese Greens and Fried Fresh Garlic. The drinks list is fulsome and interesting, although one should expect a predilection to the Orient rather than the Occident. I opted for flavour and familiarity with TsingDao which remains one of my favorite ales despite 30 years of competition from other well-meaning brews.

Cafe Eight has three branches in Tokyo (and one in Ontario apparently), but I am reliably informed that the Roppongi venue is the oldest and best. Visit Cafe Eight with rambunctious friends and tipsy colleagues.

Chinese Cafe Eight [Map], Nishi-Azabu 3-2-13,Court Annex 2F (opposite Grand Hyatt), 5414-5708; Open 24 hours a day.
Rating: Food: 8/10; Beer: 6/10; Ambiance: 6/10; Service: 7/10; Price ($$): 8/10. Total: 35/50