Uzumaki

Set up in the back alleys of Kagurazaka, Uzumaki is one of the most famous Chinese restaurants in town. Owned by chef Kazumasa Matsushita, who became independent after working in kitchens for almost a decade, he uses his culinary skills from his experience with Japanese cuisine and fuses them with Chinese cooking techniques. Japanese vegetables are the key ingredients in the popular dishes of Uzumaki. On top of purchasing organic ones directly from farmers in Hiroshima, Matsushita himself will go down to the markets and select the ingredients himself. Recommended dishes at Uzumaki are the organic vegetable stir fry, roasted mackerel with sansho sauce, and the signature Uzumaki dish made of black and white pork — cooked with black vinegar and Shaoxing wine— with a side of seasonal vegetables. The restaurant's historic authenticity isn’t limited to just the flavors of the dishes. In fact, antique Karatsu tableware decorates the space, giving the whole restaurant space a nostalgic atmosphere.