Japanese fare with a Taiwan twist

A new restaurant, which has ambitions of becoming a chain, in the tourist haunt of Nanluoguxiang, is drawing crowds thanks to its unique take on a well-established cuisine

During winter, there are few things more pleasurable than to eat a delicious meal in a cozy restaurant, either by oneself, or with family and friends.

With its delicacies, stylish environment, and great service, Manbo, a Japanese restaurant, has captured the hearts of foodies since it opened in Beijing near the Workers' Stadium a few months ago.

The restaurant in the tourist haunt of Nanluoguxiang was opened in early October, and has since built up a reputation ensuring that it is always packed.

The restaurant, which has ambitions of becoming a chain, specializes in Taiwan-style Japanese cuisine and focuses on light meals.

| Grilled gingko. Photo: China Daily
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The owner, Qin Feng, picked up the model from Taiwan.

Born in Fujian province, Qin has been in catering business for more than a decade, mostly running Japanese restaurants.

He once even owned a Japanese cuisine buffet restaurant.

During a recent visit to Taiwan, when he visited light-meal Japanese eateries there, he felt that the Chinese might just take better to Taiwan-style Japanese cuisine as compared to traditional Japanese food, which favors sweetness in its dishes.

So, he shut the buffet restaurant and opened Manbo, offering Beijing's diners a different take on Japanese food.

Speaking about Japanese food in Beijing, he says, most Japanese restaurants here offer either authentic Japanese cuisine, or food with an American twist, but Taiwan-style fare is relatively rare.

Qin also says that Taiwan-style Japanese food uses locally sourced ingredients and Chinese seasonings, and is not that sweet.

Another reason Qin moved away from the old-format Japanese restaurants is the change in the city's dining habits.

He says that in the past, people typically visited restaurants to celebrate special occasions, but now dining out has become a daily activity for many, especially in big cities, when they don't want to cook, or just crave restaurant offerings.

There is also a trend of people dining out alone, or with one or two companions, instead of a large group, he adds. Thus, diners are more particular about their dining experience, and not only want delicious food, but also a pleasant dining environment and attentive service, he says.

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| Teriyaki ox tongue Photo: China Daily |

In Manbo, diners can indulge themselves.

The restaurant, in a tiny alley, has a private room for eight people, and an open area for about 20-30 diners, besides a kitchen and a bar area. And, covered with a blanket of soft light, the dark-colored wooden tables and stools, the fresh flowers and dainty tableware, the busy chefs in Japanese-style clothing and the aromatic flavors escaping from the kitchen that faces the entrance in the restaurant create a cozy, inviting atmosphere, and tempt customers to explore what lies inside.

Manbo has 50 dishes on its menu and a wide range of drinks, ranging from rice wine to tea. The pictures of every dish on the menu look eye-catching.

Moreover, every dish is served in a small portion, perfect for one person or a couple to share.

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| Mosaic sushi platter Photo: China Daily |
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While the sushi and sashimi are must-haves, for their beautiful presentation, freshness and taste, there are also appetizers, such as mixed okra, lobster salad and avocado and vegetable salad.

The lobster salad, a combination of lobster, corn, and potato, is delicious.

The salt grilled prawn is also a must-have. Here, chefs wrap big prawns in salt and grill them.

Among the other choices are grilled beef and pan-fried cod.

（China Daily）