Heichinrou
in Yokohama-shi, JapanCategory: Attraction
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Japan, 〒231-0023 Kanagawa-ken, Yokohama-shi, Naka-ku, Yamashitachō, 聘珍樓横濱本店 Print route »
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Heichinrou (Kanji: 聘珍樓, Hiragana: へいちんろう, Chinese: Pìn-zhen-lou), is a Chinese restaurant located in the Chinatown of Yokohama, Japan. It is privately held and is the oldest operating Chinese restaurant in Japan. The Zhang (張) family first started the restaurant and operated for it for two generations, then the Bao (鮑) family for three generations until Tatsuo Hayashi (林達雄) took over. Today his son, Yasuhiro Hayashi (林康弘) operates as the seventh president. Heichinrou Japan and Heichinrou Hong Kong are separate entities with no financial association but both represented by Yasuhiro Hayashi.The three Chinese characters of Heichinrou, (聘珍樓), means “a place welcoming distinguished, good, and wonderful people.” The logo was created by Alan Chan in 1988, presenting a basket filled with peaches, lily bulbs, lotus roots, laichees, bergamots and pomegranates, which represents longevity, forever love, good harvest, wealth, health, and children accordingly.
In 2009 “A Grand Exposition for Yokohama's 150th Year” took place due to 150th Anniversary of Yokohama, and Yokohama Archives of History edited and published “Yokohama Chinatown 150th Year.” An article which featured Heichinrou revealed that the restaurant was found in 1884 and that it was one of two stores which still remain on the same site with same name today, therefore, the establishment date was modified from 1887 to 1884 in year 2009.
Heichinrou was featured on the Japanese television series Iron Chef, with its chefs competing against Chen Kenichi (陳健一). Chen managed to defeat two of their head chefs before losing to the very famous Heichinrou's grand chef Xie Huaxian (謝華顕). Xie Huaxian was once on the worldwide TV series Yan Can Cook when it featured Heichinrou. During the show, Xie Huaxian was introduced by the host Martin Yan as the greatest Chinese Chef in our time. Xie was the acting Executive Grand Chef of Heichinrou Group from 1981 to 2009. The successor of Xie in Heichinrou Japan now is Hideyuki Nishizaki (西崎英行), the first Japanese national appointed as a Head Grand Chef of Heichinrou.
