Chinese Restaurant

Chinese food in Japan? You betcha! And it is the best Chinese food I've ever tasted...no contest.

There are nights every now and again when Brad and I are too tired or busy to have a home cooked meal. Fortunately, we live a city with endless restaurants serving amazingly delicious food. One of our favorites, which ironically sits right next door to a KFC and McDonald's, is a Chinese restaurant about 5 minutes by bike from our old apartment. We have found some of our favorite dishes but always like to try something new when we are there. It also has the added bonus of being uber cheap!

One of our favorite meals at this restaurant, actually called "Chinese Restaurant", is the sweet and sour pork. Unlike the sweet and sour pork (or chicken) we are used to in the States, this version has a rich black sauce smothering a block of slow cooked pork. It is tender, juicy, and exploding with flavor. Add some vegetable fried noodles and some gyoza, then wash it down with a little Yebisu beer and you've got a dream meal! The best part of the eating experience at this restaurant is when the train goes by (there is a station on the same block). It passes directly over the restaurant. The first time we ate there, we thought a huge earthquake hit! It's a great little spot.I still love the sweet and sour chicken at the Chinese Restaurant (Pagoda) in White Bear Lake, but only when I can share it with my family...

I wish I could give you a recipe for this fabulous dish. Alas, I have no idea how to even begin to make it... This sweet and sour pork is something I often wish I could get for take out, but something tells me the ambiance of the restaurant is part of what gives the food so much flavor.

Chinese food in Japan...yep. My life is funny. Amazingly funny.