Matsushima

This Chinese restaurant that's tucked away in an alley in Yoyogi-Uehara is not like any other. Instead of creating any of the four main types of Chinese cuisine — Cantonese/Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sichuan, and Beijing — Matsushima represents the ethnic minorities of Yunnan in Southwest China and Guangxi. Run by a humble couple, with the husband manning the kitchen and the wife handling the service, this unique Chinese restaurant offers a few different courses. One of them is an original menu curated by the chef himself surrounding unusual ingredients like fermented beans. But the more popular option is the seven-course omakase tasting menu. A mix of appetizers including duck's tongue and cod milt with napa cabbage. The main priority of Matsushima is flavor. The lamb spare ribs are covered with a cumin-driven herbal coating and chicken rich with star anise and other aromatics. The restaurant even has its own rendition of Shanghai crab and Sichuan-style oyster hot pot.