A Posh Duck...

Look out for the entrance as it is not an easy task to spot from the main road

Chugoku Hanten Fureika's opulent decor is not unlike most of the Chinese restaurants here in Tokyo. Situated somewhat inconspicuously along the main road in Azabu, maybe it was meant to make up for the entrance's lacklustre appearance. The cuisine at Chugoku Hanten Fureika is a mix of Shanghainese and Cantonese cooking and the menu is extensive, ranging from roast meats to Dim Sum, seafood, etc...

The extravagant Peking Duck, Sauteed Vegetables and Shanghainese Xiao Long Bao with the meat juices oozing with flavours

We were there for dinner and with time on hand, decided to take our pick from the ala carte menu instead of opting for the easy solution of a set menu. After some deliberation, we went for the more conventional fare of Peking Duck, Scallops in XO sauce, Prawns In Chilli Sauce, Sauteed Vegetables and Fried Noodles. As with most Chinese establishments, you can expect prompt and efficient service at Chugoku Hanten Fureika. The food came piping hot and particularly good were the scallops and Peking duck. The freshness and sweetness of the scallops coupled with XO sauce whetted our appetite for more to come. But OMG, the Peking duck was really pricey at JPY5,000 for like 4 pieces! At this exorbitant price, you do have to chew and savour your food real slooooowly...Oh, and I convinced my other half to go for the Xiao Long Bao (afterall, this is a Shanghainese restaurant!). This is the real test for the Chef. With these tiny meat parcels, it is not easy to ensure that the meat juices encased is contained within the paper-thin skin during steaming. As I am no expert, being anti-Miss Piggy, I shall reserve my comments though my other half was not entirely over the moon with these diminutive works of art.

With live Chinese instrumental music (namely "Er Hu" and "Gu Zheng") playing in the background, we were happily satiated. To me, these strains of music always convey a sense of forlorn longing and melancholy but oddly enough, this actually goes well with Chinese food though eating to me is such a joyous occasion! Perhaps this is the pairing of Yin and Yang...

Chugoku Hanten Fureika
Address: 3-7-5 Higashi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Telephone: 03-5561-7788
Michelin: *