03/07/2003 Note: JACKIE'S KITCHEN had opened in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, on April 25, 2000, and The Man Himself christened the kitchen and its 4th-floor diner on November 15th that year. Unfortunately, JC packed up and pulled out of Japan starting from November 17, 2002, just two and a half years later, closing all three of his Kitchen franchises (Tokyo, Yokohama, Machida). The Tokyo location is now a Hong Kong kitchen-style restaurant under a different name and ownership. Despite the failure of Jackie's Kitchen in Japan, however, Hong Kong-style fare — not to mention Taiwanese, Szechuan, Cantonese and everything else — is experiencing a popularity boom around the country. High-quality Chinese restaurants and shops of all kinds are thriving in Japanese cities, even in the tight economy.
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.......
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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,
Speaking
of kitchens, JC buddy Emil Chau now owns three "Wakin's
Kitchen"
restaurants in Taipei, all doing excellent business! |
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.
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. 
It looks like
business is good for Jackie's Kitchen in Shibuya — Tokyo could
definitely do with a few more branches! (^_^)