When you travel to Japan, isn’t Japanese food one of the highlights? Sushi, ramen, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, tonkatsu, sashimi… there are so many options!
In Japan, there is a genre of restaurants called “Local Chinese restaurant.” In Japanese, they are called “machi-chuka.” These are restaurants that serve Chinese cuisine adapted to suit Japanese tastes. The EYT management team has never been to China, so as of June 2024, we can’t articulate the exact differences between “Chinese cuisine” and “machichuka,” which is a bit unfortunate.
However, one thing I can say is that machichuka is not very spicy at all! Even those who can’t handle spiciness can enjoy it without worry. These restaurants are found all over Japan, so be sure to give them a try! They offer rice dishes, snacks, and alcohol, and the prices are reasonable! Most dishes are around 500 to 700 yen, and some can be as cheap as 200 yen. There are both national chain stores and individually owned establishments.
One of the difficulties of traveling abroad is “not being able to read the text.” Japanese uses kanji, hiragana, and katakana, which might make it hard to understand what’s written. So, here’s a tip for finding these restaurants! Look for places with an “authentic Chinese appearance.” It’s a bit abstract, but once you’re in Japan, you’ll likely get a sense of it.
Just as you can recognize a “Japanese look” in design, Japanese people can intuitively recognize a “Southeast Asian look” when visiting a café in Southeast Asia. Similarly, when you’re looking for machichuka, if you see a place with a “Chinese look” in its design, it’s probably a machichuka restaurant!
Now, let me explain what kind of food you can enjoy at machichuka.
Oharaimachi and…
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