01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Settle into a booth near Machiya Station and steaming plates from a neighbourhood Chinese kitchen soon arrive at the table. At KAWABATA, the bustling satisfaction of local Chinese cooking blends effortlessly with the slower, lingering pace of a retro kissaten coffee house, where diners can transition smoothly from savoury staples to traditional sweets and iced drinks.
The foremost order here is the signature gyoza, whose generous size catches many diners by surprise. Lifted with chopsticks, each dumpling feels distinctly substantial: beneath a thick, chewy skin lies a filling packed tightly with finely cut cabbage and other vegetables. Notes of ginger and garlic lend savoury balance while allowing the clean sweetness of the vegetables to shine through, keeping these oversized dumplings surprisingly easy to enjoy one after another. They can be ordered à la carte in batches of 3 or 5, or enjoyed as a full meal with vegetable soup and rice in the Vegetable-Packed Gyoza Set.
The fried rice is another crowd favourite, dished up in portions so generous they hardly look like single servings. Even the half-size fried rice included in combination sets rivals an ordinary standard plate elsewhere, offering moist, savoury grains seasoned with straightforward, comforting depth. Paired with a bowl of classic soy-sauce ramen, it makes for an undeniably filling meal, accompanied in true kissaten fashion by iced coffee or oolong tea.
Remaining at the table for dessert is one of the distinct pleasures of dining here. The dessert selection includes mitsumame and anmitsu laden with agar jelly, sweet adzuki bean paste, and a rich pour of dark brown sugar syrup, alongside nostalgic cafe classics like melon cream soda. There is even a set pairing ramen directly with anmitsu. Chasing a piping-hot meal with chilled sweets offers an unhurried, thoroughly satisfying way to spend an afternoon in Tokyo's downtown shitamachi.
