Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2010

Photo by Steve Trautlein

When one of Chinatown’s most celebrated restaurateurs whisks you off the street and leads you into his place, it would be impolite to put up a fuss. That’s exactly the situation we found ourselves in recently when, while checking out the lunch specials in the window at Maa-san no Mise, the elderly owner sprang up from a nearby bench and ushered us inside. We were soon seated at a communal table, tucking into fried rice, wonton soup, and a heaping plate of simmered beef and vegetables.

Maa-san no Mise is celebrated in Yokohama for two things: its liberal opening hours, which give Chinatown’s legions of service-industry workers a chance to enjoy a late-night bowl of noodles or an early-morning serving of porridge, and the genki octogenarian who gives the restaurant its name. The plaudits are certainly well-deserved. Compared to other Chinatown eateries that we’ve been to—and, as locals, we’ve been to many—the buzz here seems livelier, the produce fresher, the cooking a bit more honest.

Maa-san’s menu is vast, with dishes that run the gamut from gently seasoned Shanghai specialties to fiery Sichuan fare. The lunch sets, which at other Chinatown eateries seem perfunctorily arranged, are generous and thoughtfully prepared. The offerings change regularly, as do the combinations of side dishes. Big eaters will want to order fried rice with their lunch; the bill will never come to more than ¥850, no matter what your main dish. A wide selection of dim sum items, from xiaolongbao soup dumplings to steamed and fried gyoza, is also worth the extra cost.