Address - Tokyo-to, Shinagawa-ku, Gotanda 1-4-8 Opening hours - Open every day Map - Yes Telephone - 3490-8961 Menu - In Japanese CC - OK

As you have probably noticed, the Chinese is not one of my favorite cuisines. It's one of my heresies, because, as we know, it's the mother of everything else in Asia. Anyway, I find it less interesting than others, maybe because familiarity breeds contempt. I felt however I had to start adding restaurants a little bit out of the beaten path for those who do not go often to places like Shinjuku and Ginza, and Chinese ones for those among you who like them. Shintoen is a good restaurant. Spacious, easy to find, comparatively cheap (2000 apiece with no drinks for a very abundant meal) and it has pictures on the menu which make choosing dishes fairly easy. Try the fried chicken in vinegar sauce and the suigyoza; they are excellent. Shintoen also has a good variety of Chinese liquors that you might want to try.

Russell Stodghill had a very different experience:

"I have to disagree with your opinion about that Chinese restaurant in Gotanda. I went there the other night about 9:15. The place had the atmosphere of a funeral parlor and was filled with exhausted looking oyaji. The atmosphere I'm willing to overlook in search of good food but imagine my surprise when I was told that the restaurant was "out of rice" and, hence, unable to make any rice dishes. The food we did get was served in four different colors of salt flavor and the server took personal offense to our request for tea. All in all I can only give it thumbs down."