This is the second installment of the series of restaurants recommended by foreigners living in Japan where you can enjoy the real taste of Japan! In the last issue, Vietnamese residents Mr. Ngoc and Ms. Han introduced us to delicious Vietnamese restaurants, and in this second installment, we asked Chinese resident Hitsu-san to tell us about "recommended Chinese restaurants".

This time, we would like to introduce you to the Chinese restaurant "Niu Bai Wei" where you can enjoy the Chinese national dish "Lanzhou Ramen". We will introduce you to the charm of Chinese food culture.

Click here for the previous article
▼“ PHO NGON”, a Vietnamese restaurant in Osu that is seriously recommended by Vietnamese people living in Nagoya
https://life-designs.jp/webmagazine/pho-ngon/

What kind of ramen is Lanzhou ramen?

Lanzhou ramen originated in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province in western China, and is one of the most standard ramen in China. In recent years, the number of specialty stores in Japan has steadily increased, and it is attracting a lot of attention.

The special feature of this dish is the chewy noodle soup made from beef and beef bones, not pork. The light flavor of the soup has won the hearts of Japanese as well as Chinese people.

The place where you can enjoy such authentic Lanzhou ramen is “Niu Bai Wei”.

Hitsu-san, who has been living in Japan for 3 years, will teach you! She works as a web marketer at Alive Co., Ltd., which Life Designs belongs to.

Hitsu-san says that there are times when she visits almost every day on weekdays.

Hitsu-san: "I went every day last week! There are many other recommendations besides Lanzhou ramen, so please look forward to it."

Niu Bai Wei is a 5-minute walk from Kamimaezu Station Nagoya Municipal Subway. It is located at the intersection of Uramonzencho-dori and Higashi-Niomon-dori. Since it opened last autumn, it has quickly become a popular restaurant and is crowded with many people during lunch.

The spacious store is clean. There are also counter seats, so it's a nice point that even a single woman can easily enter the store.

Recommended menu

Healthy tofu appetizer "Xiangzai Kansu"

This time, Hitsu-san ordered everything for us!

Hitsu-san:"First, let's start with the appetizer. This is an appetizer salad of dried tofu and coriander. It is one of my favorite dishes."

When you take a bite, the scent of coriander and the right amount of saltiness spreads in your mouth. This seems to be addictive to coriander lovers!

– Is this ingredient often used in China?

Hitsu-san:"It's a very popular ingredient in China. It's often used as an ingredient in aemono (mixed salad) or stir-fried dishes. It's also used in appetizer salads and soups."

Authentic Szechuan "Chen Mapo Tofu"

Hitsu-san:"Ta-da! Next is 'Chen Mapo Tofu.' I know Japanese people love it too! All the seasonings used for the mapo tofu here are from Sichuan. The taste is just like the real mapo tofu! It's very delicious.

I love spicy food, so I can't get enough of beef flavored mapo tofu. ”

The Chen mapo tofu that comes out in a stone pot is piping hot! Even though it's spicy, there's a strong umami, and it's really delicious. Plenty of sansho pepper is enough to make your tongue go numb, and it's hot from the inside out.

Hitsu-san: “Sichuan cuisine has an image of mapo tofu, but in China it is too standard and is a minor dish. After coming to Japan, I was surprised to learn that mapo tofu is a very popular dish. I feel like I've been eating more since I came to Japan.

Especially here, it is the authentic taste, so if you want to eat authentic Chen mapo tofu, please order it! ”

Chinese people's soul food "Lanzhou Ramen"

Next is the appearance of the long-awaited “Lanzhou Ramen”.

– Do you often eat Lanzhou Ramen in China?

Hitsu-san:"I eat a lot. I'm originally from Lanzhou, but there are Lanzhou ramen shops all over the country, so when it comes to ramen in China, Lanzhou ramen is the most famous. When I first ate here, I immediately fell in love with the local flavor. Since I found this restaurant, I've been going there almost every day (laughs)."

Ms. Hitsu:“The main feature of Lanzhou ramen is that it uses beef instead of pork. In Lanzhou, there are many Hui people (people who follow Islam) who don’t eat pork, so the char siu isn’t pork. We use beef instead. The soup, which is made by slowly boiling beef bones, is light and has a very addictive taste. In China, there are Han Chinese like me and 55 ethnic minorities, so there are so many ethnic groups in each region that even I don't know. ”

Ms. Hitsu:“Furthermore, in Lanzhou ramen, there is a saying of '1 sei, 2 white, 3 red, 4 green, 5 yellow,' and 5 colors are important. 1 sei is that the soup is clear. 2 white is the white of daikon radish. 3 red is the red of chili oil. The 4 green are cilantro and the green of garlic buds. 5 yellow refers to noodles. Only when these five things are put together can delicious Lanzhou ramen be prepared. ”

When you actually eat it, it is more refreshing than you imagined. You can really feel the depth of the beef from the clear soup. Coriander is also a nice accent.

*If you don't like coriander, you can ask without is.