焼きめしラッシュ！７３歳鉄人店主が厨房をブン回す田舎にポツンと中華食堂

焼きめしラッシュ！７３歳鉄人店主が厨房をブン回す田舎にポツンと中華食堂

The 73-year-old owner stirs the pot at
Kagawa’s local Chinese spot “Jiang Jiang.” Their dumplings are outstandingly
delicious. Handmade hand rolls—they say if you can roll one in
under three minutes, you’re a pro. I come about four days a week . Still delicious as ever. Can’t eat the big ones ! Tianjin Big, here I come! B Set. I’m already satisfied. Family-run . They handle orders with
perfect teamwork! 44 years supporting each other as husband
and wife. Always unchanged . Up close with this cozy
neighborhood Chinese spot! Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture,
Tenma-cho. 7-minute walk from Sanuki
Shioya Station. Standing alone amidst rice fields :
Chinese restaurant ‘Jiang Jiang’. Parking lot on the left side facing the
shop . Established in 1980 . Run by a family of
five (father, mother, son, daughter, son’s
wife). Owner Mr. Maeda: Entered the Chinese
culinary world at age 29, 43 years in . Wondering how many more years he can do
this. Has a successor . Still actively running the shop at age
73. Starts preparations for opening at 11:00
AM. The owner’s wife: Mixes the ingredients for fried rice. Prepares the fried chicken. The dumplings are handmade, rolled by
hand. There’s talk about getting a machine, but compared to the setup time for the machine
and the speed it rolls at, rolling them by
hand is faster. You can eat freshly rolled dumplings every
day . One sheet makes 60 pieces. When I first started learning, they’d
place scales and a timer. They said if you could roll them in under
three minutes, you were competent . You learn the size in grams. The owner decided to quit his corporate
job and start a business. He trained intensively in dumplings and
opened a chain store. When the headquarters went out of
business, he changed the name to Jiang
Jiang over ten years ago and reopened. At the start, one serving of dumplings was
70 yen. Now it’s 245 yen (tax included)
per serving. When I thought of a Chinese restaurant
kitchen, I imagined something half this
size , greasy and cramped. But since I was doing it myself, I decided on
this space. When suppliers tell me, “You keep it clean
” it confirms I did the right thing. His son prepares the menma, puts things on the stove, chops scallions, refills seasonings . Chicken bones, pork bones, chicken skin
broth. Not a white soup. The main flavor is soy sauce. Since we have to compete with udon, I thought a clear broth might be better . Using the old-fashioned method, keeping
the price the same. We still charge (for one bowl of ramen) in
the 400 yen range . Making soup for rice dishes. Making fried rice . Calling it “pre-frying” sounds odd, but doing it all at once means the oil doesn’t
circulate well enough. Like double-frying chicken karaage, it
brings out the flavor . My son’s wife handles cleaning the shop . Opens at 11:00 . Hours: 11:00-20:30 . Closed Tuesdays . Table seating and counter seating available . Pepper, gyoza sauce, soy sauce, chili
oil, sauce . Time Lunch (weekdays only): A: Ramen &
Mini Fried Rice 633 yen ; B: Gyoza, Half
Ramen, Chinese Rice Bowl 816 yen . Gyoza 245 yen; Small Ramen 465 yen; Fried Rice 465 yen; Mapo Tofu Rice Bowl
710 yen ; Garlic Chive Pork 777 yen (set meal with
medium rice & soup). Hoi Kow Rō 588 yen
(single item) Fried Chicken and Shrimp Tempura Combo Set
Meal 972 yen (includes medium rice, soup,
pickles) Limited Time Offer: Popeye 588 yen
(stir-fried spinach and pork) Orders come in right after opening. Gyoza 245 yen per serving . Here are your gyoza . Dip them in gyoza sauce and eat them in
one bite . Time Lunch A includes ramen and fried
rice . Mini fried rice included with Time Lunch
A . Boil the noodles. Pour in the ramen sauce. Pour in the soup . Add the drained noodles. Top with bean sprouts, menma, chashu , and
green onions. Lunch A ramen is complete . Here you go. Sorry to keep you waiting. A customer who comes weekly. Today’s Time Lunch A. It was delicious. Staff) Do you have any favorite menu items
? The gyoza are tasty too, and I often get things like karaage or
leek pork . Top the noodles with fluffy scrambled eggs . Add shrimp tempura as a topping . Shrimp
tempura ramen complete . Small shrimp tempura ramen: 651 yen. Make fried rice separately. Tianjin rice egg. Place fluffy scrambled eggs on top of the
rice. Pour plenty of sweet and sour sauce over
it. Tianjin rice complete. Fry the gyoza . Make the Chinese rice bowl for Lunch B . Vegetables, blanching wood ear mushrooms , seasoning , thickening the sauce. Vegetable-packed Chinese rice
bowl . Ramen (half portion), gyoza, Chinese
rice bowl assembled . Lunch B complete
(with soup and pickles). Top with green onions. Time for Lunch A
(Ramen & Mini Fried Rice) complete. Handed off to the proprietress for plating . Chinese Rice Bowl, Gyoza, Ramen (Half) complete. Lunch B finished. Yakisoba order received. Soy sauce-based yakisoba . There’s a product called “Yakiramen” in
Kyushu , and this yakisoba is similar to that. Yakisoba Medium 651 yen. Tianjin Rice Large order received . Add scallions, carrot, cooked until
fluffy and soft . We’ve always offered three sizes: small,
medium, large. And we’ve kept the old-school large
portion , which has recently become
popular again. Massive rice topped with sweet vinegar
sauce, complete. Tianjin Rice (Large) ¥798. No need to worry about running out, no
need to portion out . The mellow egg and perfectly seasoned
sauce … so delicious you can’t stop
eating. Finished it all! We aim to serve orders within 7 minutes. Lunch A is ready in one go . 11:45. The shop is packed . Staff: What did you order? Lunch A. It’s delicious! Yeah . (The Lunch A portion) is just right for
our age. I come about 4 days a week , so I get in
without showing ID now. Three men in work clothes arrive . They order Lunch B, medium Tianjin rice,
two servings of gyoza, and sweet and sour pork set. Sweet and sour pork. Here are the gyoza . For the medium Tianjin rice. Here you go . Excuse me, Lunch B . Is this everything? Staff: How was it? As delicious as ever . (What I had) Sweet and sour pork set and
dumplings . It was tasty . Set B. I’m already satisfied. For Lunch C, make the fried chicken and crab omelet. Pour the sweet and sour sauce over the
crab omelet . Lunch C complete . (Fried chicken and
crab omelet combo set) Seamless teamwork for swift serving. Lunch B’s Chinese rice bowl. Top ramen with chashu. Lunch B complete. Here you go!
Sorry for the delay. Dumpling sauce, chili oil . Sprinkle
pepper on ramen. First, savor the ramen . Next , dumplings drenched in sauce . The piping hot Chinese rice bowl too .
Let it cool slightly before taking a bite . 12: 20 More orders keep coming in Tianjin rice completed Here , sorry it’s late Making sweet and sour sauce Sauce refill complete Small Tianjin noodles 588 yen Top with
scallions, done Here are the Tianjin noodles Here you go Thank you Tackling the backlog of dishes during
spare moments Making the limited-time Popeye dish Blanching spinach Stir-frying pork
Combining with eggs and stir-frying Popeye
completed Here’s the Popeye Here you go Savoring the pie, shoveling in rice. Making fried rice . Thanks to the son and his wife’s
teamwork, 5 bowls of ramen ready
instantly. Lunch A for 5 people complete. Serving them out one after another. Making Chinese rice bowls for Lunch B. Finished in no time. Cooking an additional 2 sho of rice. Staff) How many sho have we gone through
today? Since it’s the third time today, we’re
down four liters. Fry the noodles for the fried soba. Make the sauce for the fried soba. Fried soba . Staff meal. That’s right. Staff) Have you
been here since the founding? Yes. We two started it . (Starting the shop) No resistance at
all. Right after our son was born , his grandparents lived nearby , so we
left him with them and thought, “Let’s
give it our all. ” There was a time when we were
short-staffed, but Dad would say, “Let’s do our best, don’t
give up .” He’s got that craftsman spirit, the
unsung hero behind it all. But you know, we’ve fought our way through
44 years . Mom’s still going strong, and people
tell her, “You’re amazing, working at the
shop like that !” She says it’s tough, but she comes to see Mom’s face. and she’d say things like, ” You’re doing
great!” or “Keep it up!” Ramen (Medium) 588 yen A classic ramen with a clear broth and
simple toppings. Sticking to the old ways . Chashu, menma, fried rice (Large) (with soup) ¥777. Plenty of toppings paired perfectly with
moist rice . You can choose small, medium, or large
portions, which is great . 14:25 Once the customer flow slows down,
she starts prepping again . Buying
pre-packaged meat would be expensive , so
she processes whole cuts herself allowing
us to offer it affordably . Customers know if we cut corners . We’ve never changed since opening. We make chashu from about 20kg of pork
thigh. First, we oven-cook the meat . After a break , it’s Maeda-san’s meal
prep time. We simmer the roasted chashu. We cook the oil rendered from the meat
along with it . Simmer for one hour after it boils . Eggs for fried rice and Tianjin rice. 6:30 PM Three hours later, the char siu is done. Evening service begins . An order comes in from a family of four: Four servings of gyoza . Make Tianjin rice . Small ramen. “Sorry for the wait ! Here’s your ramen and Tianjin rice,
small and medium . ” ” Let’s eat!” ” Fried rice is ready. ”
Staff: “How’s the flavor?” “Delicious!” So tasty. Staff) What did you have? Fried rice? Fried rice! Ramen. Delicious. I’ve been coming since I was little. Too
many times to count . Since I was really
little . Staff) Any recommendations? The gyoza are absolutely delicious. The auntie is fun too . Homey and tasty. Sorry , is this everything? Yes! We always get four servings of gyoza. Not just at the shop, but at home too. Even at takoyaki parties , these gyoza are
always lined up beside them. One serving of gyoza is six pieces for 245
yen . The appetizing grill marks and the
large, chewy gyoza are irresistible… Mix the gyoza sauce and chili oil on the
table to your liking, dip them in the sauce… Light and refreshing gyoza packed with
veggies—you could eat endless servings . 19:30 The last customer leaves. Transfer the soup . Scrub the big pot clean. Thoroughly clean every corner . 20:14 Closing time. The warm, family-run atmosphere felt
comforting. It was a neighborhood Chinese
spot dedicated to handmade dishes. A fried egg atop char siu rice
bowl—Imabari, Ehime’s soul food . “Char
Siu Tamago Rice” Homemade dumplings Packed with stamina! Special fried rice Overflowing with savory filling!
“Bairaku-ten Don” Sells 1,000 bowls a day!
Explosively delicious cuisine born from
staff meals ! Up close with the long-established
Chinese restaurant where “Char Siu Tamago
Rice” originated! 54-year-old Hakurakuen Imabari Main Store
Tokiwamachi , Imabari City, Ehime
Prefecture 8-minute walk from Imabari
Station Famous for Imabari’s local specialty
“Roast Pork and Egg Rice” Business Hours : 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM (Last
Order) 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Last Order) Owner (2nd Generation) Mr. Eisuke Seki
Took over from the previous owner 15 years
ago . The origin of Hakurakuen’s “Roast Pork
and Egg Rice” traces back to the staff
meal at “Gobankaku”. His father joined “Gobankaku”, then
branched out to open Hakurakuen in 1970 . (Roast Pork and Egg Rice) I thought it
was just one type of Chinese cuisine. Customers probably thought so too , right? When char siu rice with egg started
gaining recognition as a local specialty,
local media took notice and began covering
it. Craftsman : Wrapping pork thigh meat for
char siu with string . Uses up to 80kg of pork at peak times . Prepared char siu. Sliced char siu. Eggs are locally sourced . Making dumplings . Staff: Is this about
a day’s worth? Maybe a little short. Prepared 50 servings before opening today. Preparing the soup stock . Chicken bones. Carefully skimming off the scum. 12 parking spaces. Preparing almond jelly and beverages. Plating salads in advance. Heating the sauce for the roast pork and
egg rice. A sweet and savory sauce using the
braising liquid from the roast pork. Cleaning. Modern-style interior. Counter seats. Private rooms . Chinese-style tables. Table seating. Roast Pork and Egg Rice Set Menu. A Set:
Roast Pork and Egg Rice +Fried
Chicken+Soup+Salad 1200 yen The Connoisseur’s Way to Eat Roast Pork
Egg Rice Roast Pork Egg Rice 900 yen　Fried Rice 900 yen　 Ramen 750 yen　Fried Chicken 700 yen Bai Le Tian Busy Season Menu (Menu items
may change depending on crowding) Opens at 11:00 Customers flood in as soon as it opens Ordering the Roast Pork and Egg Rice A Set
(with fried chicken, soup, salad) Frying the fried chicken for the Egg Rice A Set
Fried Chicken Placing roast pork on the rice Pouring the sauce on top Placing a soft-boiled egg on top Pepper A Set This is an order for the Large Roast Pork and Egg Rice (＋¥350)
adds three eggs . Large-Sized Roast Pork and Egg Rice A
Set with fried chicken, soup, and salad. First, dig into the fried chicken. Crispy fried chicken . Break the egg yolk… Take a big bite. The combination of roast pork and fried
egg is sublime… Char Siu Egg Rice A Set Use a spoon to break one yolk. Mix it
lightly and take your first bite. Adding spicy sauce
for a flavor change is delicious . Hak uraku Ten Don Thick gravy and
perfect volume . Hakuraku Ten Don Cooked to perfection , not overdone . Keep frying the chicken pieces. Fried rice with soup included. There’s
also double-sided fried char siu egg rice . Double-sided fried eggs on char siu egg
rice Oh, so this is how it looks double-fried Double-fried char siu rice bowl (What I ordered) was the double-sided
fried pork and egg rice. Single-sided is soft-boiled, but
double-sided is well-done , which I personally prefer . I really love the sweet-flavored roast
pork . Gyoza. Fried gyoza . Small shrimp in chili sauce. Pork for sweet and sour pork or green
pepper pork. Ordering sweet and sour pork. Sweet and sour pork . 12: 01 Ordering Eight Treasure Vegetables. Eight Treasure
Vegetables. Making Special Fried Rice. Simultaneously
preparing stir-fried vegetables for the
Special Fried Rice. Stir-fried vegetables atop fried rice . Special Fried Rice. A dish packed with
stamina. Lunchtime. The parking lot is full. Soup. The pepper gives it a nice kick , making it delicious . I love this
flavor. Imabari’s proud B-grade gourmet. “Roast
Pork and Egg Rice” If you want the
original taste, this is the place! Make ramen. Char siu and green onions. Light-flavored
soup. Ramen and roast pork egg rice set . Came from Hiroshima . Made it a large portion. Staff) Think you can finish it? No problem at all. Eating heartily to recharge our energy. A group of four visiting Ehime on a trip.
Savoring their first “Roast Pork and Egg
Rice” . (How’s the taste?) Sweet. When we asked for recommendations in
Imabari , we were told about Hakuraku-san , so we
came . The sweetness (of the sauce) was
delicious. Surprisingly delicious. Ordered the Roast Pork and Egg Rice and
Fried Chicken Set . Roast Pork and Egg Rice A Set 1200 yen . Fried chicken, Salad. Spicy sauce for a refreshing aftertaste .
For the char siu rice. Worcestershire sauce for the fried
chicken. Table condiments : Worcestershire sauce,
spicy sauce. Ordered the Special Fried Rice . Special Fried Rice: 1,100 yen. Lunch service ends at 3:00 PM (last order
2:30 PM). It’s called waterless mapo tofu. The only liquid comes from the tofu itself . They simmer the tofu to extract all its umami into the pot. For the mapo tofu set meal customer: “Here’s your mapo tofu set meal. It’s pretty spicy, but it’s delicious with all that umami. It’s incredibly tasty. No wonder it’s famous. We’re really lucky to have such a
delicious Chinese restaurant nearby . Maximum daily customers: 300!”
Up close with a beloved local authentic
Chinese restaurant. Hano-ura Town, Anan City, Tokushima
Prefecture . 8-minute walk from JR Hano-ura Station . Along Prefectural Route 172. Shenlong, the Chinese restaurant famous
for its mapo tofu . Owner: Mr. Kojima (45 years old) . 9: 00 Start of coverage. Cutting onions. Cutting bell peppers . Preparing the mapo tofu sauce . We usually finish all prep work like
this in the morning. So we can whip it up quickly by 11:00 . It also helps standardize the flavor . Once you make it once, you can get the
flavor pretty consistent. Stir-frying the ground meat used in dishes
like mapo tofu and tantanmen . Stir-fry it thoroughly . Ground meat
prep complete. Cutting green onions. You make vertical cuts like this, then slice horizontally for fine mince. We do everything by hand here . About one case per day, I guess ? Staff) How many stalks is one case?
Kojima-san) About 20 bunches. Since our specialty is mapo tofu , it’s just mapo, mapo… During the day, about 70-80% of our orders
are mapo sometimes. We go through about 100 blocks of tofu , so we use the most tofu in Tokushima . Staff) Why did you decide to open the
restaurant, Kojima-san ? Actually, I played baseball. I played all through elementary,
middle, and high school . I even had a
recommendation for university, but then I got injured. I tore a tendon in my elbow, and my baseball path ended. When I came home from baseball, the TV was on . Iron Chef was on , and Mr. Chen was appearing on TV . Watching that, I thought Chinese cuisine
looked cool. By chance, I knew someone who said, “There’s a dinner show with Mr. Chen
at a hotel in Awaji . Go see it. ” They said, ” We’re about to make 200 servings of mapo
tofu . Why don’t you come watch?” I was really drawn to it , and that’s how I ended up diving into the
culinary world . Staff: Were you really passionate about
baseball ? (Now) I’m coaching youth baseball while
cooking. I loved baseball, but I think it’s because of baseball that I’m
in this culinary world now , able to run
my own place like this . If it weren’t for baseball, I wouldn’t be
who I am today . Back in our days , it was incredibly
tough. From early morning until really late at
night. During my apprenticeship, for about two
years , it was just dishwashing—endless menial
tasks . In my third year, I finally started managing vegetables and
desserts. From there , the steps came quickly: kitchen counter, and started reading
orders. By the end of my fifth year, I finally
reached the point where I could prepare
dishes served directly to customers. We slept three to a six-mat room, and the pay wasn’t great. It was tough. Really tough . But because baseball was pretty tough too, it taught me endurance and manners . I think that’s why I was able to keep going
. I wanted to quit many times. Why did I endure such harsh conditions ,
especially in Tokyo? I was born and raised in Tokushima, so I kept thinking about going back . During my first winter , I was wearing rubber boots , and soup
spilled inside them . It was over 100 degrees Celsius, right? I suffered severe burns that took over a
month to heal. I thought, “If it’s this tough and
painful, I’ll quit .” But when I decided to quit , I had to go say goodbye . I told them , “I’m quitting. ” The head chef at the time was this guy
named Yamashita , and he was furious. He yelled , “What have you been doing up
until now ? What kind of effort is that ?
You idiot!” He told me to get changed and
get back to work immediately . His intensity was so overwhelming that I just went back
to work . That’s when I decided to really give it my all in the
culinary world . If Chef Yamashita had just told me to quit
and go home, this restaurant wouldn’t exist. I feel like I was saved by everyone . That’s true for my current restaurant
too. I wouldn’t be here without the manager and without everyone’s support, I wouldn’t be
where I am today. I’m just so grateful. Finished mincing the green onions . Staff: How many years did it take you to
become independent ? A little over 11 years. I started my own place when I turned 30 .
I’m 45 now, so that was about 15 years ago. What I want to tell young people is that even when it’s tough, if you keep
at it , it will become yours. If you have a dream you want to pursue, you don’t have to push yourself too hard. I think just continuing is the most
important thing . We prepare all ingredients like
vegetables by hand , not using machines . Cutting the char siu for dishes like fried
rice . Dragons are, after all, considered divine
beings in China . It has many meanings , and I wanted to create dishes that could
help fulfill dreams for those who come to
eat , so I named it “Shinryu” (Divine Dragon). Cutting the tofu for mapo tofu. The manager is someone I met at Sichuan
Restaurant in Tokushima and has been with
us since opening . Since mapo tofu is our most popular menu
item, we cut large quantities of tofu . Tofu cutting complete . Preparing the pickled mustard greens for
the lunch set meals . Preparing the almond jelly . Placing goji berries on the chilled, set
almond jelly. Pre paration complete.
Prepar ing the beaten eggs . Preparing the parking lot. 20 spaces on the
premises. Mapo Tofu Set Meal: ¥1000 . Sweet and Sour
Pork Set Meal: ¥1000. Tantanmen: ¥1000. Mapo Noodles: ¥1000 . Spring Roll: ¥300 each. Shumai: ¥500 for
3. Almond Jelly: ¥300 . Sesame Balls: ¥300
for 2. Daily Lunch Special: ¥850. Black Pepper
Stir-Fried Beef Table condiments : Soy sauce, vinegar,
pepper, salt, doubanjiang Business hours : Lunch 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
(Last order 2:00 PM) Dinner 5:00 PM –
10:00 PM (Last order 9:00 PM) Regular Holidays : 1st & 3rd Mondays (if a
holiday, closed the following day)
Wednesdays (occasional closures) Counter Seating: 6 seats Table Seating :
16 seats Private Rooms Available Accommodates up to
25 guests Soup, Seasonings: Two types of doubanjiang used . We sometimes use up to 5 bottles of
these seasonings per day . We prepare the mapo tofu before opening . Since so
many customers order mapo tofu , we make about 6 servings ahead. Stir-fried ground meat, tofu. Tofu tends to fall apart when simmered, which some people dislike . Chen-san used to do it that way too, but if you parboil it in salted water , the tofu won’t fall apart . It looks
better that way, but we never parboil it here. We finish it cold. We finish it cold. We call it waterless mapo tofu. The only moisture comes from the tofu
itself ; we barely add any broth. That way, you get the soybean umami too. When it starts boiling , the tofu releases its moisture . We use that moisture to bring out the
soybean flavor. Back when Mr. Chen’s father, Chen Jianmin,
ran the place, that’s how he did it . I do it the same way as Chen Jianmin : simmer the tofu to extract all that umami into the pot. Add potato starch dissolved in water Add scallions and the potato starch slurry
to adjust the thickness . The key point is to heat it vigorously
right here, until it’s almost scorched .
That’s the most important tip. When you add the potato starch and it
thickens up suddenly, that’s the moment
you need to cook it thoroughly. That’s the secret to our mapo tofu. If you don’t cook it properly here , the tofu gets mushy , and the thickness… This is something I’ve learned over years
of experience. Even now, Since it’s not fully cooked yet we’ll continue heating it from here. We got to try the freshly made mapo tofu . The deliciousness really lets you taste
the umami of the tofu and spicy miso! 11: 00 Opening . Bright shouts echo through the shop as
it opens . Mapo Noodles . Two men in work clothes arrive. Ordered Mapo Tofu Set Me al, mild spice . Made another mild spice mapo tofu. Used less seasonings like doubanjiang to
reduce the heat. Can make it no spice at all, or extra spicy . Anything is possible . Mild spice mapo tofu completed. Two men enter. Weekday special lunch (Black Pepper Beef
Stir-fry). Ordered the Shrimp Chili Set Meal . Employee: “The shrimp chili has a bit of
spice . Is that okay? ” Man: “Is there a non-spicy option? ” Employee: “We can make it a little less
spicy .” Man: Then please do that. Prepare the set meal’s soup and rice . Use Koshihikari rice . Prepare the daily special lunch :
Stir-fried Beef with Black Pepper . Blanch the oil. Black pepper . Return ingredients to the wok. Combine seasonings . Water-dissolved potato starch . The daily special lunch: Stir-fried Beef
with Black Pepper is complete. It’s the daily special lunch . Take a bite of the beef stir-fry with a
punch of pepper … Then dig into the plain white rice! Making the shrimp chili. Add seasonings to
the wok. Thoroughly mix cooking oil and seasonings. Potato starch . Bring to a boil. Shrimp. Green onions . Potato starch slurry . Beaten egg. Add oil to finish with a fragrant aroma. Plate onto a dish topped with mizuna
greens . Shrimp chili complete. Shrimp chili set meal. Mild spiciness . Savor the set meal’s egg soup… Shrimp in Chili Sauce Set Meal 1000 yen
(Video shows only the shrimp dish) The authentic flavor of the shrimp in
chili sauce, with the aroma of garlic and
green onions, whets the appetite . The thick, creamy sauce with plump
shrimp , enhanced with egg, coats the
shrimp perfectly… The slightly spicy sauce makes the rice go
down smoothly ! Both of us finished everything
cleanly and left the restaurant! Making shrimp fried rice . Beaten egg, rice . We specialize in Sichuan cuisine . Mr. Chen also does Sichuan cuisine. There are a lot of spicy dishes, right ? But considering the local area, if we served spicy dishes straight from
the countryside , I think there would definitely be
resistance. So, over many years, we’ve pursued dishes that everyone from
children to the elderly can enjoy . For those who don’t like spice , we can make it without spice or with
less spice . Staff) Did you inherit the flavors from
Mr. Chen, where you trained ? We keep the core elements intact, but fundamentally make it edible for
children too . Even dishes like shrimp in chili sauce
or mapo tofu can be made without spice. Shrimp. Shrimp fried rice is complete. A group of male customers arrives at the
private room in the back of the restaurant . Sweet and sour pork, mapo tofu, etc .
Each orders their preferred menu items . Making mapo tofu . Green onions, water-dissolved potato
starch, and oil to add aroma. Mapo tofu. Mapo tofu set meal . For the customer who
requested mild spice. Regular spicy mapo tofu also arrives one
after another . Preparing sweet and sour pork . Blanch the fried pork and vegetables in
oil . Thicken the seasoning with
water-dissolved potato starch . Add the blanched ingredients . Sweet and sour pork is complete . Sorry to keep you waiting. For the
customer ordering the sweet and sour pork set meal
. Preparing char siu fried rice. Green peas. Char siu fried rice is complete. Finished . Chinese rice bowl . Staff: Do you all
come to the restaurant often? This is our first time. We came from Ehime . Someone recommended it, saying it’s
delicious . We were looking for a good place for
lunch . We heard this restaurant was delicious
when it was open . Staff: How did you like it, trying it
for the first time ? It was delicious,
very much so . 11: 40 Making dan dan noodles . Dissolving sesame
sauce and seasonings in the soup. Boiling the noodles. Adding the cooked noodles and arranging
them . Komatsuna greens . Ground pork. Dan dan noodles 1000 yen . A soup with a distinct sesame flavor and a
light, smooth finish. Simple toppings of komatsuna and ground
pork complement the soup and noodles . The thin noodles cling to the rich,
deep, spicy soup … Three customers arrive : two mapo tofu dishes and one shrimp
chili set meal. Generously sprinkled with
Sichuan pepper for extra kick. Chen’s Mapo
Tofu. For the mapo tofu set meal customer : Another mapo tofu set meal. Savor the piping hot mapo, fragrant with
minced meat and tofu umami … Shrimp chili set meal. The mapo tofu makes the rice go down so
well, you’ll want seconds! One free rice refill! Staff: When you come to the restaurant, is
mapo tofu your only choice? Yeah , I always get it . It’s spicy and delicious. It’s pretty spicy, but it’s tasty with all that umami too. Preparing evening dishes. The owner’s wife met him at the original
Sichuan Restaurant in Tokyo . She stands
in the kitchen with the owner, assisting
with cooking . 11:58 . Lunchtime . The parking lot is full . Making char siu fried rice . Egg, fry the rice. Seasonings. Oyster sauce. Char siu fried rice is done. Fried chicken. Crispy fried chicken tossed in sauce. Coat thoroughly. Sweet and sour chicken is done. Customers who come weekly with family or
as a couple . We’ve been doing this for years now . Over ten years . Staff) How’s the food? It’s the best! We’re so lucky to have such a delicious
Chinese restaurant in the neighborhood . Staff) What’s your favorite dish? Definitely the mapo tofu. I order it almost every time . I usually
get the sweet and sour pork set meal , but I guess I’d still pick the mapo tofu . 12: 11 The owner developed a beloved local flavor
profile, attracting a wide range of
customers including families . Mapo Noodles . Preparing the daily lunch special . Blanch beef and vegetables . Season with sauce . Daily Lunch Special . Black pepper
stir-fried beef is ready . Daily Set Meal . Mapo Tofu Set Meal. One male customer arrives. Orders a la carte char siu fried rice and
the Mapo Tofu Set Meal . The owner handles all wok cooking himself
and serves dishes at lightning speed . He enjoys the mapo tofu atop his fried
rice… “This is my first time here. I looked it up and heard it’s super
famous. I came all the way from Nara . It’s incredibly delicious. No wonder it’s so renowned . It really is
delicious.” He finishes both the fried rice and mapo
tofu, leaves the restaurant full. Spicy mapo noodles are completed . 12: 35 Customers start lining up outside . The restaurant bustles inside. Customers savor the sweet and sour pork
set meal and the mapo tofu set meal . Staff: How’s the sweet and sour pork? Delicious. Making mixed vegetable fried noodles with
gravy . Pour plenty of oil into the wok . Fry
the noodles . Get some nice browning . Make the gravy . Thicken with potato starch dissolved in
water . Pour the gravy over the noodles in the
bowl . Mixed vegetable fried noodles with
gravy complete. Add the seasoning sauce and soup to the
bowl . Mixed vegetable gravy ramen. Making dan dan noodles. Prepare seasonings
like sesame sauce in the bowl . Green onions. Soup. Add the cooked noodles . Arrange the
noodles. Add komatsuna greens and ground meat. Dan Dan Noodles complete. Shrimp Fried Rice complete . Since our oyster sauce is the base, we don’t add salt for seasoning . Staff: Why is that? We don’t want it to taste salty. Mixing it in adds richness. Seasoned with
oyster sauce . Our oyster sauce is pretty unique, not something you find in stores. To add depth of flavor, we don’t use salt;
we season with oyster sauce . Finally , add soy sauce for aroma and
finish. Char siu fried rice complete. Char siu fried rice 1000 yen (Large
portion +¥200) The oyster sauce-based fried rice has a
rich aroma that whets your appetite. The perfectly separated grains of rice and
char siu are an amazing match—delicious! The most popular menu item, Mapo Tofu (We
were specially served a smaller portion). It combines the authentic flavor passed
down from Chef Chen Jianyi with the
owner’s creative touch . The seasoning is
truly authentic and irresistible… Not just spicy , but you can really taste
the umami of the tofu—a divine masterpiece
menu item! Changing the oil for dinner service. Cooking rice. 14:00 Lunch service ends . Staff: Do you have any plans for how you
want to develop the restaurant going
forward ? I think there are probably still areas
where it hasn’t fully caught on yet . I want to work hard so that people will
come to try my cooking , even just a
little, in Tokushima Prefecture and across
Japan . Staff: Thank you very much!
Mr. Kojima: Thank you! Experience the authentic Sharyu Mapo Tofu
crafted by the owner who carries on the
legacy of the Iron Chef of Chinese cuisine
! Manpukutei, a casual Chinese restaurant
along Prefectural Route 33 . Established in 1992 . Clean, red-themed
interior. The owner’s father (the previous owner) cooking rice , chopping scallions. Scallions for fried rice and soup, scallions for champon and eight-treasure
vegetable . What inspired you to start the
restaurant? He worked as a chef aboard ships on
international routes . After leaving the ship, he thought , “Well, what should I do now?” and started the restaurant . After leaving the ship, he got a job at
a Chinese chain restaurant and eventually went independent . Staff: That knife has been used for
quite a while, hasn’t it? Decades. It cost about 40,000 yen. The bulge in the middle has worn down
quite a bit. Chicken thighs for karaage. We go through
about 8 kg a day . If the knife isn’t sharp, chicken skin
is really tough to cut. Is karaage a popular menu item? In our case, it comes with the set meals . We sell a lot of set meals, so that’s
how we use it up . Looking at the menu , I see small , medium , and large sizes. For small fried rice , it’s one ladleful .
Large is two ladlefuls, and one and a half large . A large ramen portion is three
servings. Ramen portions increase by one serving
each time . Yeah, you see, our customers are students and salarymen. They eat quite a lot. We have a lot of young people too. Finished cutting the chicken thighs. The owner’s mother delivers tofu used for dishes like mapo
tofu. The second-generation owner who took over
the shop . Ground meat . Garlic chives. Add seasonings to the ground meat and
garlic chives. Cabbage for gyoza . Add the drained cabbage. Salt and pepper. Add garlic and ginger, mix together. Wrap the dumplings . Staff) When did the generational change
happen? About 7-8 years ago, I think. Did you originally plan to take
over? No, I didn’t really imagine it. I hadn’t planned it, but since customers kept coming and I was helping my parents, I figured it would be good to stay. Ramen broth made from chicken bones, pork
bones, and vegetables. Preparing fried chicken . Soy sauce , cooking sake, salt and
pepper , garlic, ginger. About a day’s worth of fried chicken. Let it marinate overnight to absorb the
flavor. This is what I prepped yesterday. Coat it in batter. We’ll use it today, I
guess. Fried chicken prep complete. Making egg drop soup. Swirl in beaten eggs. Egg drop soup done. Tianjin rice sauce. Mom mainly handles cleaning the dining
area. Staff) Do you clean down to the chair legs
every day? Well, I have to do it every day It gets greasy
since it’s Chinese food. Takes over an hour to clean thoroughly. Wipe down the table condiments containers too. Table
condiments : Pepper, soy sauce, gyoza
sauce, chili oil, mustard. Opening soon. Counter and tables , total 32 seats. Parking lot in front of the shop and a
second parking lot nearby. 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Closed Mondays. Soy Sauce Ramen (Small) 451 yen. Tonkotsu
Ramen (Large) 781 yen. Yakisoba (Large) 781 yen Manpuku Gyoza
(Homemade) 286 yen Fried Rice (Small) 500 yen Tianjin Rice
(Small) 500 yen Mapo Tofu 583 yen Stir-fried Beef Liver
550 yen Service Set Meal (Small) 770 yen (Large)
880 yen A man arrived on a motorcycle Large Fried Rice The second-generation owner alone wields
the wok Egg Fried Rice Salt, MSG, Sake , Carrot, Char Siu, Pepper , Green Onion . The Large Fried Rice is two ladlefuls
worth . Large Fried Rice 775 yen. Comes with
soup . A hearty, simple golden fried rice
that’s delicious… It vanished into my stomach without
stopping, disappearing before my eyes . Finished in no time! Customers kept coming in. Two men sat at the counter . Small omelet rice, medium fried rice ,
two Manpuku gyoza . Omelet rice: Chicken and onions stir-fried in butter,
then rice added and stir-fried. Sake, salt, MSG, pepper , ketchup. Omelette rice Place the rolled omelette on top of the
chicken rice . Omelette rice : The nostalgic, simple flavor is
exceptional! The authentic omelette rice from a
neighborhood Chinese restaurant is
popular! Fried rice arrives . Gently fluff it with a spoon . Can’t
resist taking a bite of the steaming fried
rice! Manpuku Gyoza . Bite into these generously filled
dumplings! Cleanly finish this hearty Chinese meal! Handmade dumplings packed with filling .
Just ¥286 per serving! A bargain! Champon, fried rice, Tianjin rice. Drizzle generously with sweet, rich soy
sauce gravy . Tianjin rice arrives . Soup . Small Tianjin rice . Regulars who come weekly. It’s delicious , right? Tianjin rice. Tianjin rice. Tianjin rice with outstanding value. Many
customers were ordering it . Tianjin rice . Tianjin rice is incredibly filling! Tianjin rice is a popular menu item at
Manpuku . The sweet sauce and fluffy eggs create
an addictive flavor… Devouring a hearty Tianjin rice bowl in
one go! Service Set Meal A (Fried Chicken & Crab
Omelette) Taking a big bite of the crab omelette … It really makes the rice go down… The fried chicken is a welcome addition to
the service set meal. Eating heartily , finishing it in no time! Cold Chinese Noodles Regulars who’ve been coming for 20-30
years Always packed with customers Can only come when parking is available Staff: What’s a popular menu item? Cold noodles in summer , set meals in winter . They’re delicious! True to its name , the portions are huge. You’ll feel full. The flavor suits me best, I guess . I eat cold noodles everywhere, but this place is the best! Summer Popular Menu: Cold Chinese Noodles , Fried Rice , Yakimeshi (Medium) Do you come often?
Regular Customer: Pretty often. It’s cheap, the portions are big, the
taste is good—everything’s great. Miso Ramen, Shoyu Ramen. Three guys in work clothes come in . Chinese Rice Bowl (Medium) Mix the rice and Chinese sauce with a
spoon for that blissful first bite! A la
carte: Chicken Karaage. Eat heartily and power through the
afternoon work! Yakisoba , Nira Liver, Fried Rice. We come to eat and also get takeout. Manpuku-tei has generous portions, is
cheap, and very tasty. Omelette Rice, Yakisoba, Shrimp Chili, Shoyu Ramen , Shio Ramen , Shoyu Ramen with Karaage. A family of four with a small child visits . One small Tianjin Rice , one large B Set
Meal, one Manpuku Gyoza. Service Set Meal B (Large): Sweet and Sour
Pork, Fried Chicken Regular customer. Simply delicious generous portions cheap! Tianjin Noodles. Service Set Meal C (Fried Chicken & Hoi
Kow Rō). A regular who comes weekly . Hoi Kow Rō set and Tianjin Noodles . Goes well with rice . They serve lots of
side dishes, so you can eat until you’re full. I think
it’s good. Service Set Meal E : Fried Chicken & Mapo
Tofu. One bite of Mapo Tofu . Scoop white rice into your mouth. Dip fried chicken in pepper and take a big
bite . The combination of Mapo Tofu and rice
makes your chopsticks stop… Belly full, finished! Mapo Tofu Bowl (Large) Preparing ingredients during sales lulls Pork thigh used for all dishes, like
chashu Five-Ingredient Yakisoba Five-Ingredient Yakisoba (Medium) ¥671 Closes at 3:00 PM Cleaning the kitchen Staff) Isn’t it tough handling all the
orders ? I’ve been cooking since middle school. My dad’s getting old and can’t move much
anymore. It’s not as hard as it looks . After closing , meticulously mopping the
floors . Staff: Do you consciously keep the shop
clean? Of course! You can’t eat in a dirty place, right ? If you cut corners, it’d be a mess ! After closing , he took his time
cleaning every nook and cranny . We went
behind the scenes at “Kaneto Shokudo,” a
long-established restaurant in Ehime with
132 years of history ! Traditional, simple omelet rice, zaru soba , Chinese noodles. Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture . 13-minute
walk from Imabari Station. Founded in 1892. Kaneto Shokudo. Open from 8:00 AM. A long-established
diner dating back to around 1892. Parking available . 7:00 AM: Sixth-generation owner Mr.
Kuwahara arrives for work . The charming, historic interior. Preparing the broth, kneading udon dough, and then the various side dishes on the shelf up
front —things like tamagoyaki and fish. Preparing those items . At 8:00 , they open for business while
continuing prep work. Dashi preparation: Kombu, dried sardines . The cost is incredibly high. Dashi completed, strained. Katsudon, pork for katsu curry, salt, pepper , chashu for Chinese noodles . A rich lineup of dishes, most
meticulously handmade in-house . Preparing Chinese soup stock: carefully
skimming off impurities, straining,
cooling. Noodle making : salt water, kneading, forming crumbly udon dough. Transferring to the noodle machine. Gathering and stretching the dough . Joining two rolls of dough into one. Cutting the dough, udon complete. Boiling the udon . Boiling time: 10-15 minutes. Rinse cooked udon in cold water. Open 8:00 AM . Mon/Thu/Fri 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Sat/Sun
8:00 AM – 7:00 PM. (Closed Tue/Wed) Table seating, raised tatami seating. Udon 400 yen, Soba 450 yen , Chinese-style noodles 600 yen, Zaru soba
750 yen, Egg rice bowl 600 yen, Chicken and egg
rice bowl 700 yen , Pork cutlet 650 yen, Fried chicken 400
yen . Table condiments : Pepper, Shichimi
pepper, soy sauce, sauce Customers come in seeking breakfast Ordering salt-grilled mackerel as a set
meal, two each Making miso soup Cracking an egg into it Kinpira burdock Serving rice Egg-topped miso soup complete Grilling the mackerel One mackerel is belly-side up, the other
tail-side up. Which one do you want? Is this okay?
Yes, here you go . It’s delicious . A regular customer who’s been coming for
three generations . Not just udon, but various things. From
morning like this , we can serve
breakfast, and it’s fast. Really fast . Order, eat
immediately, and leave . It’s delicious. Whatever you eat, really . A man casually walks in . Orders Chinese noodles. Prepares Chinese noodles. Adds menma, chashu pork, green onions on top.
Done . Chinese noodles: 600 yen . This regular orders katsu curry and a
small udon. Making katsu curry. Cutting the pork cutlet. Pouring the curry sauce. Katsu curry: 950 yen. Served with a generous helping of
Fukujinzuke pickles . Staff: Do you come to the shop often? About once a week. It’s been about 50 years now. Half udon and katsu curry. (What do you usually order?) Pretty much
this kind of thing . Prepare the katsu don. Cut the pork cutlet. Add the cutlet to the broth. Seal it with egg. Place the toppings on rice . Katsu don: 800 yen . Prepare the Chinese noodles . Pour in the Chinese soup. Top with green onions, chashu pork, and
bamboo shoots . Chinese noodles complete . Staff) Why did you decide to take over
the shop ? We’d been living in Osaka all along, but when we had kids and came back, that’s when my grandmother was running
this place . She needed an heir. My uncle was doing it,
but he only had daughters. ‘ say, “Isn’t there anyone?” That’s how it
went. We started helping out, then took over. Since I was the only male descendant left
in my generation … A map from around 1909 . Even on old maps, “Kaneto Udon” is
already marked. 10:02 Transfer the cooked rice to a wooden tub. Make barazushi . Carrot, bamboo shoots, sushi vinegar. We make everything from scratch, even the
vinegar. We make all the basics in-house : tempura
batter, sushi vinegar, dashi stock. We
make it all. Add shredded omelet, green peas , and
pickled ginger. The sushi roll is
complete. Cover it with plastic wrap. Stuff the vinegared rice into the inari
pockets . Cover them with plastic wrap and arrange
them in the case . Besides the set menu, you can pick what
you like . Sushi roll: 300 yen . Inari: 150 yen each. Making rolled omelet. Udon broth. Shaping with a bamboo mat . Side dish rolled omelet. Rolled omelet 300 yen. Order for pork cutlet rice. Pouring demi-glace sauce. Pork cutlet rice 950 yen . The demi-glace sauce melds with the
cutlet, creating a nostalgic flavor. Comes with mini salad . Nabeyaki udon. Preparing asparagus meat rolls for
takeout. Tossing in sauce to finish . Takeout. You know, like these side
dishes and such. Everyone takes them home,
you know. Making fried oysters. Plate them and done. Two women come in. Ordered omelet rice . Making omelet rice . Stir-fry rice and ingredients . Ketchup. Fry thin omelet . Place ketchup rice on omelet. Transfer to plate . Pour ketchup over it and done . Here you go. Omelet rice. Omelet rice 850 yen. Omelet rice . Oh , it’s been a while. I used to come here a lot back in the day
. used to come all the time. It’s delicious, you know. Whatever I eat Make zaru soba (large portion). Serve in a
bamboo basket . (Large Portion) 1000 yen My kid won’t accept zaru soba unless it’s
from this place. He loves it with quail eggs in the zaru
soba . Meat Udon 650 yen Make Oyakodon Cover the ingredients with egg Oyakodon Make Chinese Noodles Chinese 2 Tempura Udon Make Omelette Rice Chinese Noodles, Kitsune udon. A regular
ordered two omelet rice . Yeah, it’s delicious. I was in the mood for omelet rice today ,
so I went with that. Rice ball . Omelet rice (large portion) 950 yen . Welcome. Here you go. Sorry to keep you waiting. It’s a favorite spot, so I stopped by on
my way back from running errands . Staff: How many years have you been
coming here? Since I was a kid. The taste and atmosphere haven’t changed . It’s delicious . Tempura udon ready . Tempura udon 800 yen . Meat udon . Chinese noodles (no scallions). I think I came about a week ago last time. It’s consistently good. The flavor suits
my taste . Ordering Nabeyaki udon . Fish cake,
fried tofu, egg, chicken, shiitake
mushrooms . Thin fried tofu, fish cake,
and long green onions. The piping hot Nabeyaki Udon is ready. Nabeyaki Udon: 900 yen . Making Curry Udon . Dissolving curry powder. Mixing it with reduced broth and
ingredients . Curry Udon: 800 yen . Customer ordering omelet rice . Katsudon. Ordering
the super popular Chinese S oba. Chinese Soba: 600 yen. The clear soup packed with the flavor of
the secret udon broth and the umami of
chicken bones and vegetables. Ordering Nabeyaki Udon . Nabeyaki Nabeyaki Udon 900 yen Dashi broth with a pronounced dried
sardine flavor Closing at 19:00

0:00　香川）醬醬
地図　https://maps.app.goo.gl/iJGgKbHYcchEhjQc9
住所　香川県丸亀市天満町１丁目１０−２８
URL　https://youtu.be/SftpMuWNd9c

39:33　愛媛）白楽天 今治本店
地図　https://maps.app.goo.gl/uJJGyCTU2jHVKdkE9?g_st=ic
住所　愛媛県今治市常盤町４丁目１−１９
URL　https://youtu.be/A5Uf7Unx-Vw

1:02:23　徳島）神龍
地図　https://maps.app.goo.gl/7JpPm1QffLt26i998
住所　徳島県阿南市羽ノ浦町宮倉芝生1−３
URL　https://youtu.be/P1zxrF3s-Xk

1:33:14　香川）まんぷく亭
地図　https://maps.app.goo.gl/oDwUMXepFK7R4A7S7?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy
住所　香川県綾歌郡宇多津町茶臼山2936–5
URL　https://youtu.be/QRUlzzAXrrQ

2:13:32　愛媛）かねと食堂
地図　https://maps.app.goo.gl/GPL3GunGxcSNiLuj9
住所　愛媛県今治市室屋町１丁目２−１６
URL　https://youtu.be/e5KARpuKsPc

#中華 #炒飯 #ラーメン #唐揚げ #四国グルメ

※情報は取材日時点のものです
※メニュー、価格など店舗情報は変更している可能性があります