Peking Tokyo, Lebanon, New Hampshire
I’ve been a lover of Peking Tokyo since before we moved to New Hampshire. Six years ago it was an hour-away destination, our favorite place to get sushi. Over the years and several sushi bars later, I still prefer Peking Tokyo over the big names around here like Koto. They are both a Chinese and Japanese restaurant which is great for dueling appetites, but I’m usually there for the sushi. This place is humble-definitely not flashy, and some might balk at its timid layout and design, but for me it’s about the food! This is your basic Chinese-Japanese menu as well, so don’t expect anything wild or trendy.
The staff at Peking Tokyo is very warm and friendly, and since we go so often (once a week at least) the waitstaff has pretty much memorized our favorite dishes and gives us that knowing grin. I prefer maki rolls, and while I like almost any variation I’m on a spicy tuna kick at the moment. Yes, not traditional Japanese, but so very delicious. Different restaurants have their own way of making this, and Peking Tokyo drizzles their addictive spicy sauce on the top of the maki instead of mixing it directly with the tuna. It makes a beautiful presentation. The addition of panko bread crumbs combined with the creamy avocado, toasty sesame seeds and tangy fish roe is heavenly. Aside from the specialty hand rolls, over the years I have tried all of their sushi and maki and they know what they’re doing over there. I personally don’t like red snapper or yellow tail, but I can’t NOT recommend anything off their menu.
Now, for the prices! How much will a lunch or dinner set you back? In this rare case, “you get what you pay for” does not apply. It’s a mere $6.95 for their maki lunch special- a dollar more if you want regular sushi, and their enormous bento box is just $8.95. Fast forward to dinner, and their most expensive sushi dish is still only $29.95 and it serves two. As for the Chinese menu, everything falls well below $20, most in the $10-14 range unless you order the roasted duck for $27.
I could probably write all day long about how much I adore Peking Tokyo. It’s small, very quiet, cozy, with flavorful dishes with quality ingredients. It’s a crime to pass up this place!
