I have been following the tradition for the last 27 years. I am proud to spread the flavors of Sichuan cuisine. I have confidence in it. This time, I interviewed the kitchen of a Sichuan restaurant. Its name is "Chinese Daiming Hot Pot Castle". Talented chefs from China. It is full of overwhelming cooking scenes. They have been in Japan for 27 years. They stick to traditional Sichuan cuisine. And they still keeps it. Is there a difference between Chinese food in Japan and authentic Chinese food? . What is Japanese food culture from the perspective of a Sichuan chef? A interview with the owner is a must-see. The most distinctive feature of Sichuan cuisine is ``spicy''. socializing with people. trust. That's what I learned when I came to Japan. A cook's happiness is "customer satisfaction". I think hard and cook for my customers. It is the flame of the heart that is burning. A hot feeling that never goes away. Characteristics and origin of Sichuan cuisine. Indescribable surprises and discoveries. Please take a close look at it until the end! Sichuan restaurant "Chinese Daiming Hot Pot Castle". Simply put. The difference between Chinese food in Japan and ours is whether there is an authentic chef. For 27 years in Fukuoka, we have been conveying the authentic taste of Sichuan cuisine to everyone. I am from Chongqing, Sichuan. Since I was a child, I grew up eating the taste of Sichuan as it is. And the taste will never be forgotten. I can tell if this is authentic without looking at the recipe. We come here with confidence. JKT) Sichuan is it around the center of China? It's almost in the middle. It's a rich place. To put it more simply, it is the country of Shu in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". JKT) Where was the country of Shu? Like Chengdu? that's right. Chengdu is now the capital of Sichuan province. Speaking of Sichuan cuisine, simply put, Chengdu and Chongqing. There are two types of that. Chongqing also has Sichuan cuisine. Chengdu also has Sichuan cuisine. Both are Sichuan dishes. There is a subtle difference in taste that only Chengdu people and Chongqing people can understand. I was shown the inside of the kitchen. Chef Xie. It's a fairly large kitchen. It's extremely hot near the pot. Stir-fried minced pork and garlic sprouts. Stir-fried minced pork and garlic sprouts. pork leg. Sweet and sour spicy stir-fried pork leg. Please. This is "Yui Xiang Zi Qi". In Japanese, it's pork leg with sweet and sour spicy sauce. Please. I don't think you can find this type of food anywhere else. JKT) This is delicious. JKT) sourness, sweetness, and spiciness. JKT) You can see why people who eat it once want to repeat it. This is an appetizer. Beef and beef tripe tossed with hemp sauce. Put soy sauce on it. spicy sauce. It also contains a lot of spices. All kinds of things. dozens of spices. It's not Chinese medicine, but it's that kind of Chinese spice. JKT) This is really delicious. JKT) This is really delicious. JKT) This texture. JKT) Delicious. Really delicious. JKT) The texture is also very good. JKT) The scent is also very good. JKT) The taste is also the best. It is also popular. This is a Sichuan specialty dish. This is pork. There is also beef. Pork is more common now. The soul of this dish is “Sichuan Doubanjiang”. Doubanjiang is the soul of Sichuan cuisine. The most distinctive feature of Sichuan cuisine is ``spicy（Mala）''. "Ma" means "numb". "Mala" is the most distinctive flavor of Sichuan cuisine. chicken meat. Sichuan spicy stir-fried chicken. This is a Chongqing specialty. "Chinese chicken". JKT) Is this fried chicken? that's right. Can you see the black grains? on top of the chicken. This is "hemp（Ma）". Please take a bite. JKT) This is "hemp". "Hemp" and chilli. These two are called "Mara". If you eat it, you will immediately understand the meaning of "hemp". If you're not used to it, it's a bit of a surprise. JKT) Wow! JKT) I'm numb. That is the feeling of "hemp". JKT) But this is delicious. The scent is amazing, isn't it? JKT) The feeling of coming out of the nose. JKT) It's spicy, but it's really delicious. Dandan noodles with wonton. Dandan noodles. JKT) I think those who watch this YouTube are watching it saying, "It looks delicious." JKT) I'm the only one who feels this delicious (laughs). thank you. Not at all. First of all, when I make food, I always want to make what I think is the most delicious and give it to the customer. I wanted you to eat the food first before shooting the video. I want you to decide whether or not you can introduce this. That's why I prepared this. I was really happy when I heard that it was delicious. thank you. Stir-fried chicken and cashew nuts. Stir-fried chicken and cashew nuts. Sweet and sour spicy stir-fried chicken and peanuts. Sweet and sour spicy stir-fried chicken and peanuts. Ankake of bok choy and shiitake mushrooms. Ankake of bok choy and shiitake mushrooms. Mabo tofu. Mabo tofu. JKT) Were you born in China? that's right. This restaurant opened in February 1996. My father made this restaurant. He really want to spread his cuisine and delicious Sichuan cuisine overseas. I first came to Japan in 1998. I lived in Fukuoka for half a year at the time. I thought, "This is good." After returning to China, I came to Fukuoka in 2001 to study Japanese. My father said that we will come to Fukuoka from inland Chongqing. It's about 3,000 kilometers away. If we come to Japan and adjust the taste to suit the palate of Japanese people, there is no point in coming from Sichuan. After all, If possible, I want to spread the taste that is not in Fukuoka. I think it would be a great contribution to the people of Fukuoka if we were to preserve the original taste of Sichuan . There is also a Chinese cuisine association in Fukuoka. All members are Japanese. I joined this group 14-15 years ago. I am a board member now. I'm the only Chinese. I have a lot of respect for everyone there. Making foreign cuisine easier for Japanese people to eat. They are researching and devising the taste that Japanese people like more. It is amazing. What I've found to be even more wonderful recently is that they've been trying to recreate the authentic flavors of their dishes. They researched how to make the original mapo tofu and twice-cooked meat. They are trying to offer it to Japanese customers. Not sure, but I feel it. JKT) Japanese people are enthusiastic about research. JKT) There may be something like that. I agree. I truly believe that “cooking is a tradition” and I think that protecting tradition is the most important thing. My father wants to offer Japanese customers the taste of traditional Sichuan cuisine. Conversely, if you don't protect the traditional taste, you can't convey the taste of Sichuan as it is. For the past 27 years, we have kept the tradition. We convey the taste as it is to people in Fukuoka. Not wrong at all. Hot pot. Sichuan spicy stir-fried shrimp. Sichuan spicy stir-fried offal. Sichuan spicy stir-fried offal. Sweet and sour spicy stir-fried shredded meat. Sweet and sour spicy stir-fried shredded meat. Chinjaolose. Chinjaolose. Gomoku Yakisoba. Gomoku Yakisoba. Double pot meat. Double pot meat. What I think is good about Japanese people is their attitude towards work. Seeing the attitude of Japanese people towards serious work, I think it has had a very positive effect on me. Simply put, it's "people-to-people relationships". First, trust and confidence. The relationship between the store and the customer is one of trust. If you fail once, the customer will leave. As an education for our employees, I would like everyone to do their best in their work so as not to lose their credibility and trust. .That's what I learned when I came to Japan. JKT) So you value seriousness and credibility. for the last 20 years. I come to Fukuoka That's what I learned the most. Japanese people smile a lot and bow their heads a little when their eyes meet , giving them a gentle feeling. I felt that there was no resistance between people here. The most important thing in life is socializing with people, but even when I couldn't speak the language, I didn't feel bad about it. I'm still not good at Japanese, but I have a lot of good Japanese friends around me. I also like Japanese food quite a bit. However, I think it's not enough without the spicy flavor (laughs). Soft sweet and sour pork with black vinegar. Soft sweet and sour pork with black vinegar. Mapo eggplant. Mapo eggplant. shrimp tomato sauce. Soft sweet and sour pork with black vinegar. Special green onion oyaki. Special green onion oyaki. Stewed. Chinese Cuisine Association. The chairman is Kenichi Chen. It's been more than 40 to 50 years since this meeting was held. We also have a branch in Fukuoka. I am a director of that association. This association now has 150 people in Fukuoka. There are about 30 companies (participating). What I am joking about is that there are currently four major Chinese cuisines and eight major cuisines, but I would say, "Then Chinese cuisine in Japan will be one of the nine major cuisines." It's Chinese food in Japan. JKT) "Chinese food in Japan". yes! I said it earlier. "Why is chinjaolose spicy in Sichuan?" They are all made the same way, just the ingredients are different and the taste is different. Someone said , "We don't serve authentic Chinese food..." , they said, "This is not authentic Chinese food." No! They all know Chinese stir fry. They know how to steam and They know how to bake. Why do they say "The food I make is not authentic"? Chinese food isn't about "Cuisine in China", it's about how to make it. French food, Italian food. Isn't there some kind of Italian food that's been re-imported from Japan that's popular over there? Shrimp chili was also born in Chinese food in Japan, and on the contrary, there are many places where Chinese people think it is delicious and are doing it now. I don't think you should ever lose confidence in that. JKT) Do you see the Chinese restaurants in Japan that we often go to as delicious Chinese restaurants? that's right! Of course, everyone has their own preferences. I do my best to serve my customers. "There is no such taste in China"? There is no such taste in China... The people eating this dish are Japanese! Then, when that dish goes to China, it should be improved to suit the tastes of the Chinese people. Same thing. JKT) I have a slightly strange question. JKT) Do you go to Chinese restaurants run by Japanese people? I will. I visit various restaurants at the cooking association meeting. JKT) Did you eat at that time? yes. I am studying there as well. JKT) How is it? What is that dish? Recently, on Mother's Day, I asked the president of a Chinese restaurant in Gofukumachi, Mr. Shibasaki, to provide a budget, and I ate a dish that really moved me. It was delicious. My mother is completely Sichuan, but she said, "This mapo tofu was delicious." JKT) There are some Japanese chefs doing Chinese cuisine who are really doing research. There are many. Chicken with herb-boiled green onion sauce. Chicken with herb-boiled green onion sauce. Chili Oil. Pepper oil. Sichuan fried rice. The happiest thing is, "It was delicious. Thank you." Those words make me very happy. One more thing, even if the customer doesn't say anything. When I saw the plate after eating everything cleanly. All my work fatigue disappearing at once. I am very happy to be recognized. After all, I'm happy that my work has been recognized. The happiness of a cook is the satisfaction of the customer. Even if I say, "I'm having a hard time today...", the moment I see the customer's smile, I think, "It was good." Really.
