Hibino Chukashokudo

The name of this restaurant literally translates to “everyday Chinese-style cafeteria”, reflecting Chef Suzuki Kimiya’s desire for Hibino Chukashokudo to be a place that diners can visit every day. Sure enough, the name has grown to suit it well — since its opening in October 2021, it has amassed a large following of regulars, so newcomers would do well to make reservations well in advance. What is the draw of this Yoyogi-Uehara restaurant? The reputation of its head chef is one: before arriving at Hibino Chukashokudo, Chef Suzuki trained at the legendary Cantonese restaurants Chuka Takase and the Michelin-starred Sense in the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo. It was with this pedigree in mind that he specifically chose to start a down-to-earth, everyman’s diner-style restaurant, where he could take a step back from the high-class dishes he was so used to creating, and bring everyday moments of joy through more ordinary fare. Of course, that doesn’t mean the dishes at Hibino Chukashokudo are any less delicious. Each is crafted with Chef Kimiya’s prodigious skill, especially the grilled dishes, like the signature crispy chicken, which takes two days to prepare, but has the perfect balance of fat, oil and crunch. Another popular option is the classic Cantonese claypot rice, made with koshihikari from the Uonuma region in Niigata Prefecture, and topped with healthy amounts of Chinese sausage and mouth-melting pork belly. Just in the mood for something light? Chef Suzuki has guests covered on that front as well. While the conventional perception of Cantonese food is huge table-sagging spreads of dishes of every style, Chef Suzuki lets guests order as little as a single item of dim sum. But the sights of glistening, crispy duck skin and steamers full of dumplings are guaranteed to break the wills of even the most determined.