Porridge @ Shatenki Okayuya, Chinatown, Yokohama

 

Kanagawa, despite being just one prefecture, has so many things to offer. From its picturesque lake in Hakone, the historical and religiously significant city of Kamakura, and the beaches of Enoshima, there is so much to offer. And being so close to Tokyo, it is pretty accessible via train. However, when it comes to the most popular attractions, few pop out the way Chinatown in Yokohama does. 

Welcome to Chinatown!

Being the biggest Chinatown in Japan, Yokohama's Chinatown has been the center of  Chinese culture but also made an impact on Japanese pop culture too. Various music videos and movies were filmed in their alleyways and the city itself was the epicenter of the events in the recent Yakuza games. And speaking of that, nothing resonates with a culture like food. Well, this is a food blog, after all, I need to keep it consistent with the theme. 

So many people!

Also being one of the oldest Chinese settlements in the country, there will be certain food places that go back for decades. One such place is the porridge restaurant of Shatenki Okayuya, which has been in operation since 1951. It is older than my parents! And once you see the line, it is probably no surprise how they were able to stay up for so long. It took me 45 minutes before I was allowed to enter, but the wait for really worth it. 

What an interesting menu. But its too early for Santa though. 

Once you step foot, it felt like a time warp. It had a simple and humble, yet comforting vibe of a traditional Chinese tea house. The menu also reflected that where the main star was the rice porridge or congee for some people. There are various toppings to choose from. From classic pork and chicken to something more upscale like seafood, you can be spoilt for choice. But for me, I took the century egg one, as to me it is an essential ingredient for any good bowl of porridge. 

Perfection. 

Called the "stamina bowl", not too sure why, it stood for 880 yen. And to round it all off, I ordered a youtiao as well. For some people, I just describe it as a long, fried Chinese donut. This deep-fried beast stood for 200 yen. Although it took a bit of time, what stood before me was just simple comfort in a bowl. Everything was just spot on. 

Well deserved close up

The texture was soft and silky, with a bit of the chunky bits of rice left remaining. It was well-flavoured, probably due to a possible seafood and chicken base infusion that provided the liquid for this dish. The century egg gave me that earthiness I always enjoy. Also, there were some chunks of pork which help round out the meal. Some chopped youtiao worked like croutons, which was a nice touch. This was really satisfying. 

Such a beast.

To compliment the dish, the giant donut, which was longer than the bowl itself, was a great tag-team partner. Rather than eating it as it is, I dipped it into the savoury and silky congee and let it soak before taking it down. This was pretty tasty and did that for almost the entirety of said donut. It was well-fried and had a salty hint to it. Imagine fried bread and you probably have the idea. It was a bit cold though, but probably more due to the springtime weather cooling stuff down faster than the donut itself. And once it was done, I left totally satisfied. 

The time stamp that says it all

Once I left, I can really see why this place stood the test of time. It was unpretentious yet very tasty. The food was also of good value. Yet, it was thoroughly comforting and made you feel like you want more. But of course, Chinatown is not just built on rice and water. And with that in mind, I may write more about this place in the future on the other great food places in has. In the meantime, why not visit Shatenki? The address is as follows:

165 Yamashitacho, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0023

Another angle of the front of the house.