Looking for authentic Chinese food on 04/21/2022. A kind and fluent Japanese-speaking lady welcomed us. She explained the dishes to us. The small pork buns were easy to eat. The wonton soup had a strong salty flavor. The Jajangmyeon had a sweet miso sauce and flat noodles. None of the dishes were spicy and were easy to eat. The chili oil on the table was extremely spicy.

On the way to eat in the direction of Kyoto, I found a sign behind Tenkaippin in Taketa and entered a new restaurant with orchids displayed. What was authentic was that there were 3 groups of customers inside, all eating Chinese food. I tried the meat buns, with 3 pieces where the skin and filling were separate, and only oil-splashed noodles were available. The noodles were flat and delicious when eaten with vinegar soy sauce. I decided to try other noodles as well. I was recommended the specialty, Beijing-style liver stir-fry, which had soup and offal in it, but I couldn't taste the liver. Two more groups of customers came in, all of them Chinese. It felt like authentic Chinese home cooking. The chef was an older woman.

Today's lunch was at "Lao Pao Er Baozi" in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto. It is a Chinese restaurant located at the intersection of Taketa Kubo-cho. There is a large sign that stands out beyond Tenkaippin. When you go around the back road, the shop looks like a normal residential house. There is a sign indicating that they are open, so I entered. Inside the fence, it feels like a normal house. As expected, when you enter with your shoes on, the living room, dining room, and normal rooms are open to customers. The conversations inside the shop are mostly in Chinese, both from the staff and customers. The menu is not very extensive, with baozi being recommended. Not knowing much, I ordered the "Spicy Minced Meat Noodles + Baozi" for 920 yen. A staff member who spoke Japanese asked me something, but I didn't understand well. I answered that I was okay with spicy food. There were two bottles on the table, one was soy sauce and the other was unknown. By the counter next to the register, there were pre-made dishes lined up like a local cafeteria. The baozi I imagined and the noodles that exceeded my expectations arrived. I didn't know how to eat them, so I just took a bite and the soup inside the baozi splashed out. It seems like xiaolongbao, but with a rich sauce and delicious filling. The Malatang noodles were full of vegetables, covered in plenty of bok choy and cabbage, with a lot of cilantro on top. When I ordered, the staff probably asked if I was okay with cilantro. The noodles were flat and when mixed thoroughly, the oily sauce coated them with a strong flavor. There were small nut-like things that added a crunchy accent. It was quite spicy but at a manageable level. However, I couldn't figure out how to pronounce the shop's name. I didn't have the courage to ask, nor the confidence to understand. Both the food and the atmosphere of the shop made me feel like I was in a different country while traveling abroad.

A friend recommended this place, so I decided to try it out. I also wanted to see if my Chinese language skills would come in handy. The staff at the restaurant spoke good Japanese, but everyone else was speaking Chinese. I tried to order the "Yufa noodles" and "baozi" after practicing the pronunciation, but was told to order using a QR code. The Yufa noodles were like oily soba with various ingredients mixed in. It was flavorful and not too spicy. The texture of the noodles was excellent, and the balance of ingredients like green onions, nuts, and garlic was perfect. The baozi was like a small meat bun and tasted delicious. I would love to try other dishes like "dalu noodles" or "lamian with minced meat and spicy sauce." Overall, the food was really good! I ended my meal with a beer, but since it was still daytime, I only had one. I would like to come back with someone to try more dishes, like liver, pig's feet, or pig's ears. I said "tai meiwei le!" on my way out, and it was well received. It was a satisfying experience.