Service: excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great cleanliness overall. Traditional
Prices: very reasonable, good value.
Strong points: Great use of local Shizuoka Vegetables and products. Great Chinese Teas! Full Shizuoka Course on reservation! Shizuoka sake!
Fully non-smoking!

Mr. Atsushi Tomura, after 3 years spent on the other side of town decided to move to a new address last April and adopt a new concept for his beautiful Chinese gastronomy, almost exclusively made, especially vegetables, with products of Shizuoka Prefecture.

Instead of continuing with a large restaurant and the subsequent staff, he chose an old traditional Japanese izakaya, whose former owner had just just retired after 34 years of business, sitting only 7 people (do reserve on the phone beforehand!) and with a kitchen large himself for himself alone!

This allows for a closer and more intimate relationship with his customers in the true izakaya tradition!

Talking of which, you can order not only beer, wine, shochu and so on but also beautiful Shizuoka sake! Non-drinkers will be glad to learn that they can order top-class Chinese teas!

Well-chosen and reasonably-priced white wine is available!

These enormous contraptions help Tomura San make his specialty; Steamed food!

He also proves great concern for healthy food with his own konbu shiyo/昆布塩/salt and seaweed mixture!
And incidentally, very unusual in an izakaya, the place is entirely non-smoking!

Although you can reserve a full Shizuoka Products Course in advance here is a suggestion for a first meal at Cham:
First, you must try Tomura San’s dish of steamed seasonal vegetables all coming from Furuya garden in Asabata, Shizuoka City.
These are served with two kinds of salt and soy sauce from Gotemba City in Shizuoka Prefecture!
You will discover the true taste of really delicious and fresh vegetables!

Next order a steamed combination of vegetables and fish, Suruga Bay isaki/chicken grunt in this case, seasoned with a very light dressing!
And do not be afraid to ask questions! Tomura san will be more than happy to explain everything in detail!

Next, the sweet and sour pork!
I know a lot of Chinese friends who will not bother going back home to savor it!

These are not minced meat balls but thin pork belly strips rolled into the shape of balls!

The perfect accompaniment, home-made and steamed Chinese buns!

Skip dessert and do try the scrumptious fried nira/Chinese chives dumplings!

Well, frankly and truly speaking, this is only the start of a long relationship: seasonal ingredients only, almost all Shizuoka ingredients, everything cooked in front of you and the whole in such a friendly and intimate atmosphere! What else can you ask for?

To be continued…

CHAM
Shizuoka Shi, Suruga Ku, Minami Cho, 6-7, inside Irifune Yokocho
Tel.: 054-285-7115
Business hours: 17:00~24:00; lunches on order only (1 day advance)
Closed on Sundays unless dinner is reserved at least 24 hours ahead
HOMEPAGE

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