Shu Xiang Xiang

Although Japanese cuisine tends to steer away from the fiery, zesty flavors of Sichuan, Shu Xiang Xiang is setting a red-chili standard for all things numbing, providing the right reasons to fall in love with this regional cuisine. The upscale, 10-seat restaurant, which sits on the hilly but wonderfully gourmet-focused area of Arakicho, is steered by owner-chef Kikushima Hirotsugu. His impressive background includes training under Sichuan master Cho Yang and stints as head chef at Roppongi’s Mebius 400. By 2009, he became the top chef at Ginza Cho Yang, where he oversaw the restaurant's signature banquet cuisine. In his independent concept, Kikushima makes sure to show off his encyclopedic knowledge of Sichuan spices. He throws in peppers like aromatic Chaotian dried peppers, dabbles with the sweetness of Wangdu peppers and tinkers with the numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns like a culinary alchemist. His recipe book is the essence of Sichuan cooking, and his food, the crafted potion that brings it all together. It’s not all daredevil, wizarding cooking, either. The flavors come together beautifully in renditions like mouthwatering mapo tofu, twice-cooked pork and Sichuan stewed beef. And if Kikushima can only serve one thing on the menu, it would probably be the tempting bowl of dry tantanmen, a creamy Japanese ramen with peanut powder, sesame and chili oil. Kikushima also taps into the medicinal properties of the cuisine, emphasizing vegetables, hotpots, and the belief that food can heal. iHs dishes are adjusted to suit Japanese tastes, allowing them to be served at any level of spiciness, from very hot to mild, depending on guests’ preferences. Although Chinese restaurants have flourished in recent years, Tokyo has long lacked one at the forefront of the culinary scene. With its stealth-luxe feel and its prime location near Shinjuku’s epicenter, Shu Xiang Xiang is becoming that figure.