Located on Hengshan Lu, White Foods is a self-described “modern Chinese restaurant” with a calm, minimalist aesthetic and a menu built around claypot rice sets, matcha desserts, and hand-whisked matcha drinks. It sits just across from Union Trading Company.
The Space
The branding leans Chinese (新中式 “modern Chinese” on their socials), but the experience feels distinctly Japanese. Tatami seating upstairs, a zen-beige palette of natural elements, hand-whisked matcha, neatly arranged rice sets that closely resemble the Japanese teishoku (定食).
And yes, matcha did originate in China, whisking and all. But today the ritual is far more associated with Japan. Semantics aside, that’s the energy here.
There’s very little information about the place online. According to staff, the laoban is from Shanghai — that’s about all I could get. Whoever is behind the concept clearly has taste. The interior feels thoughtfully designed, with quality materials and careful details.
The Food – Rice Sets
I originally stopped in just for their wanghong-worthy matcha desserts, but they impressed enough that I returned for the meal sets. That second visit confirmed the real draw: value.
Most of the savory dishes come as claypot rice sets, served with a generous selection of sides that might include mushroom soup, simmered vegetables, tofu, rolled omelet, pickles, and a light dessert of peach gum and snow fungus, depending on the set.
Sets start at ¥88, which makes a strong case for a working lunch, or dinner for that matter, since the sets are available all day. There’s also a vegetarian option and other limited sets from ¥68.
The Black Cod Rice (¥138) comes with white rice mixed with green peas and green wheat, chewy kernels that add a pleasant texture. There’s some freshly shaved black truffle too, but it’s insignificant. The truffle flavor shows up more in its paired sauce. The portion of cod might look modest at first glance, but it’s plenty, topped with salmon roe.
The Wagyu Beef Rice (¥168) is richer: rice with mushrooms and peas, butter-roasted matsutake, orange peel and rose-cured Chinese sausage, and Longjiang wagyu tenderloin topped with sea urchin. The beef was perfectly cooked, paired with an umami-forward sauce.
Both were equally matched. I’d come back for either.
Wanghong Hype-Dish
Then, there’s the Signature Six-Flavor Toast (¥68), an item that has earned the shop its “wanghong” label on Chinese social media.
The Japanese milk bread, shokupan, is supplied by DearYou Zakka & Toast. The bread itself is excellent — fluffy, moist, and milky. This particular toast arrives with, surprise, six flavors: butter, truffle butter, matcha hazelnut spread, red bean paste, matcha cream, and strawberries with jam so you can assemble mini sandwiches. In theory, that’s the idea. But from what I’ve witnessed, most tables make a complete mess of it.
Personally, I think the above format distracts from the bread. The Katsu Sandwich (¥68) is far more enjoyable. The bread melts away while the crunch of crispy pork cuts through, giving way to a juicy, porky finish.
Matcha Desserts & Drinks
Then there are the matcha desserts, which more than delivered.
The Matcha Cream Sablé (¥18/à la carte) was excellent, topped with a thick cream that delivered a deep matcha punch. If I were passing by, I’d get the Sablé to-go if I could.
The Matcha Basque Cake (¥42) held its own with a velvety texture and strong matcha aroma, while the cheese stayed nicely restrained. The Matcha Red Bean Strawberry Mochi (¥28) was playful, balanced with red bean and strawberry, even finished with a small sprinkle of salt. If I had to choose one, it would be the Basque.
For matcha drinks, they split pricing into two categories: 明白 (Geppaku), which traditionally refers to a higher-grade matcha with stronger bitterness and umami, and 星白 (Seihaku), a brighter green, more vegetal ceremonial-grade matcha. They have everything from plain hand-whisked to ones with booze in them.
They also have sets for the matcha items; two sweets and two drinks for ¥118 to ¥138.
In Summary
In summary, the real strengths here are the claypot meal sets and the matcha desserts.
I came in with low expectations, mostly because of the circulating photos of the Six-Flavor Toast — but I left happily convinced otherwise.
White Foods
View the listing here.
