A note on the words: fukahire, shark fin, is served here sugatani — the fin braised whole and laid on top rather than shredded into soup, so it arrives as one fan-shaped piece with the cartilage still in ribbons. It has almost no flavor of its own; the point is the texture, slippery and faintly springy, and the broth it has been soaking in. Xiaolongbao are the small pleated steamed dumplings that hold a mouthful of hot soup inside the wrapper, which is why people warn you about the first bite. Yum cha is the Cantonese custom of tea with small steamed and fried dishes, dim sum. Bok choy, called chingensai in Japan, is the spoon-shaped green stalk in the bowl; blanching it briefly in oil before cooking is what gives it that glossy skin. Black oolong is a heavily oxidized oolong tea drunk in Japan alongside rich food.
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Zenshutoku Roppongi on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hey, this is Hangover Meshi. This time, to Zenshutoku, the Chinese restaurant on the second floor of the building above Roppongi Station. It has apparently been renovated once; I remember dropping in now and then before the renovation, and I wondered what it had become. It had been a while, so I decided to go. The entrance does feel as though it has been smartened up a little! Because we were a large group this time, we were shown to a big room. There really is a strong sense that the place has been done over. A very handsome room. Incense drifts through it and gives you a distinct feeling of being somewhere foreign, ha.
Whole braised shark fin set, with rice or soup noodles: 2,970 yen
Yum cha course: 4,400 yen
Shark Fin Deluxe Course, seven dishes: 4,400 yen
Duck Three Ways course: 5,500 yen
This time I chose the whole braised shark fin set, with rice or soup noodles.
Right, this is Chinese food. Let us order a black oolong tea first and prepare ourselves for the fat.
Hmm, so the cucumber in the middle does not count as a fourth item, then? Reasonably generous, and nicely done.
They were not scalding — more strongly warm, if that makes sense, ha — so eating one in a single bite was fine. The juice bursting out of it is delicious. It had been a while since I last had xiaolongbao, and they really are good.
For the main shark fin you get to choose rice or noodles! This is the rice version. Looks good.
And this is the noodle version.
The ingredients are the same for both noodles and rice. The only difference from the rice one is probably the strength of the broth. A sip of that broth and it is delicious! It really is solidly made. And that clean sheen on the bok choy — that looks like it has been properly blanched in oil! The noodles have a firm, springy bite. You can taste the noodles themselves too, and I thought they were pretty good noodles.
And the shark fin, the part that matters, has soaked up the broth thoroughly and is delicious.
That distinctive texture is a fine thing, is it not. All slippery collagen, so it seems good for the skin as well!
It was my first visit since the renovation, and the place itself has been made handsome and feels very good. It looks well suited to a business meal. The Chinese food is firmly seasoned and simply good! Although — I went for shark fin this time, but come to think of it, Zenshutoku is a Peking duck restaurant, is it not. I forgot to eat it! So next time I want to come back for something in the Peking duck line!
Zenshutoku Roppongi (Chinese / Roppongi Station, Nogizaka Station, Roppongi-itchome Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.4
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
