ippinshan

Tucked into a side street in Kagurazaka, ippinshan (known in Japanese as Shanghai Home Cooking & Medicinal Cuisine Ippinshan) presents a menu built around restorative herbal soups and comforting Shanghai homestyle fare. A comforting meal can begin with a bowl of medicinal silkie chicken soup, where deep umami seeps through a clear broth, or a bowl of hot and sour soup whose tart, peppery heat perks up the appetite.

Noodles are another central draw here. The kitchen prepares hearty, satisfying options such as hand-pulled dandan noodles, spicy mapo tofu over noodles, and a mixed meat and vegetable noodle soup loaded with toppings. Midday diners can take advantage of lunch sets pairing hand-pulled noodles with miniature fried rice and almond jelly, alongside set meals featuring twice-cooked pork or stir-fried wood ear mushroom and egg, as well as rice bowls topped with braised pork belly and fermented greens.

For evening gatherings, the hot pot course is well suited to lingering over broth simmered with lamb, pork, prawns, abalone balls, and hand-pulled noodles. Alternatively, tables often share familiar Shanghai favourites such as sweet-and-sour pork, chilli prawns, and Shanghai-style fried noodles. Accompanied by Shaoxing wine or cold beer, unpretentious small plates and dim sum make it easy to settle into a relaxed meal.