Founded in 1924, Kyoto-Chūka Hamamura is one of Kyoto’s oldest Chinese restaurants. While the closing of its popular Kawaramachi Sanjo-sagaru branch came as a shock to many regulars, the restaurant soon reopened at a new location. Family-run for over 90 years, this successful Chinese restaurant’s current owner-chef is the grandchild of the founder’s younger brother. Although painting on the ceiling is always a challenging task for the muralist, Ki-Yan wished to intrigue the guests by painting a mural of giant kuruma-ebi (Japanese tiger shrimp)-the most popular ingredient at this restaurant-directly above the counter seats.
Popular among a wide range of customers, Hyakuren known as a canteen, an izakaya-style pub, a nabe (hot-pot) restaurant or as just a bar-is located in a back alley of Kyoto’s vibrant Shijo Kawaramachi area. As Hyakuren serves alcohol all day, it is a perfect spot to enjoy an early drink. Steep stairs lead you to the bar on the second floor, which features both table and counter seating. Ki-Yan intentionally painted the elegant roses on the rough plywood panels of the staircase to contrast to the pub’s casual atmosphere. Although the gorgeous roses are so outstanding, apparently many of the customers notice them for the first time on their way back down the stairs…