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In fact, a restaurant like Wakin's Kitchen, the eatery owned by Jackie's pal Emil Chau,
would surely succeed in Japan right along with the rest~!
The review below was written just when the Jackie's Kitchen in Tokyo was getting started, and its 4th-floor diner had
yet to open. 881.....
Here's What's on the Menu at Jackie's Kitchen in Tokyo
(Location map for Shibuya shop below)
Step on in to Jackie's Kitchen and you'll find a simple and homey atmosphere, though it's a bit cramped. Coming in through
the entrance, you'll see creme-colored walls and wood and vinyl furniture. On the left side of the seating area there is a
computer-monitor-size video screen showing action scenes from Jackie's movies (I wish it had been at least twice as big!),
and on the right-side wall there's a nice large collage of monochrome images of Jackie's expressive mug. The stainless-steel
counter and fixtures of the cooking area are at the back of the shop. In the customer seating space,
the square brown wood tables have cute silhouette kung fu poses at each corner, while the chairs are simple red vinyl
with the Chinese character for "dragon" on the back. Marked with the Jackie's Kitchen logo are the chopsticks and
holders, the napkins, the china and the condiments containers.Not familiar with Cantonese cuisine, I tried the Hong Kong-style
"kayu," a kind of rice gruel with bits of fish, pickles, cabbage and other things in it, and I found it quite good
but with a relatively low-key flavor.
That may be typical of Hong Kong-style kayu, but I'm used to a bit more taste from certain types of Japanese kayu, and
in fact at a shop in Yokohama's Chinatown I ate the very best kayu I've ever had, which was rather more rich and flavorful
-- more rice in the rich, scallop and seaweed broth and many delicious chunks of seafood and vegetables -- compared to the
one I ate at Jackie's Kitchen. But "Jackie's kayu" was good and plentiful, and I especially liked the pickles in
it. Included on the side were spring rolls or wonton, and I tried both types.
These I must say were rather too oily but very crunchy, and the sweet-sour sauce was a vivid red and tasty. The prices
on the menu are a little on the spendy side for a kitchen-style eatery . . .
but it's Jackie's Kitchen, after all!Behind the cash register at the entrance there are shelves holding some Jackie goods,
including the keychain I bought for ¥500 (approx. US$4.70), and such a price is quite standard for a souvenir-type keychain
in Tokyo. This one is the Chinese "dragon" letter about 6cm (2.36in.) made in a kind of layered rubber material
-- feels like an eraser! Recently Jackie's dragon letter in both a gold-colored and silver-colored pendant has been on sale
at the shop for ¥400 each (chain not included).
Also displayed on the shelves for sale are Jackie's Kitchen mugs, "Jackie's Reserve" wine (didn't see the price
tag, but prices for these have ranged from ¥5,000 to ¥28,000 -- you do the math!), and Chinese steam cakes and tea.One summer
Sunday I passed by Jackie's Kitchen in Shibuya with the hope of having lunch there, but I gave up on joining the line that
had spilled out the front door and into the lane since it was way too hot outside. However, after enjoying a great (and well
air-conditioned!) art exhibition at Bunkamura a short distance up the hill, I dropped back by Jackie's Kitchen and could get
in without waiting even though it was still bustling with customers.
This time around I tried the spicy ground pork pot rice (the kind of pot rice that Shu Qi yearned for in the movie Gorgeous)
and it was really very good! Lots of gingery ground pork with sauce and a poached egg on top of the rice was baked in a covered
clay pot and came to the table piping hot.
Mixed all together and eaten in large mouthfuls, it was fragrant and delicious. Plentiful too, and a pretty decent deal
for ¥750. It looks like business is good for Jackie's Kitchen in Shibuya--Tokyo could definitely do with a few more branches!
(^_^)Speaking of kitchens, JC buddy Emil Chau now owns three "Wakin's Kitchen" restaurants in Taipei, all doing
excellent business
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