Japanese cuisine is the most widely recognized by Japanese nationals in Chengdu, and the diners are mainly Japanese. Since its opening in 2012, the Japanese restaurant has been open for more than six years, and is open from 4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. every day. At present, there are two stores in the pavilion, one is located in Tongzilin, where foreigners gather, and the other is located in Lushan International, an emerging high-end community in Chengdu.
Li Yun, the manager of the Japanese restaurant in Tsurutei, used to study with Japanese chefs and has been working in Japanese cuisine for 16 years. Japanese cuisine is based on Japanese home cooking, with less fresh food and more cooked food. In Japanese home cooking, there is no deluxe sashimi platter, no sushi, and no eye-catching Californian version of fancy sushi, but chicken, potatoes, turnips, and onions are the daily routine. As a result, Japanese cuisine is also relatively simple in terms of cuisine. The ingredients of the pavilion come from the local seafood market in Chengdu, and they are eaten on the day of purchase, and the freshness of the ingredients is subject to the seafood market, which can still be passed. The sauce used in the restaurant is home-brewed to replicate the taste of Japanese home cooking as much as possible, which is one of the reasons why many Japanese customers come to the restaurant. In addition, most of the eels in Chengdu come from Shanghai, Fujian and other places, and there are very few real Japanese river eels, so considering the problem of ingredients, there are few eel rice served in the pavilion.
The pavilion is full of human touch. In the eyes of many Japanese people in Chengdu, the Japanese restaurant has become a place for their daily gatherings and leisure. The simple and traditional Japanese elements in the store create the atmosphere of a Japanese bistro, and the TV screen shows Japanese TV programs all the time, and there are many photos of Japanese companies and Japanese clubs in Chengdu eating at the store on the walls of the store. The manager also befriended the regulars and formed a tennis club, where they would gather at the end of training sessions or competitions.
The service attitude of 気楽亭 is very good, treating guests as family, but whenever a guest enters the store, they will say "いらっしゃいませ" (Chinese translation: welcome), and the whole service is in place. In addition, almost all of the staff at the store can communicate in Japanese, which makes many Japanese customers feel comfortable.
