The sign that runs across the dining room window at Kakan does not mince words: “The best mapo tofu in town.” For a casual, backstreet restaurant that has only been open a couple of months, that’s quite a substantial boast.

Māpō dōfu, that magical Sichuan alchemy of minced meat, heady spices and cooling tofu, is now almost as well established in Japan as it is in mainland China. At most restaurants, though, it’s usually just one option on the menu. But for Kakan, this palate-tingling dish is the star of the show, its raison d’etre.

Kakan’s recipe treads a middle ground between the jacked-up Chinese original and Japan’s more anemic take on the dish. The angry-red oil covering the minced pork warns that it packs a punch, but it never reaches five-alarm pain levels. At the same time, tongue-numbing huajiao (Sichuan pepper) is kept low in the mix, with customers encouraged to adjust the intensity for themselves from cruets brought to the table. This all adds up to a subtle depth and balance of flavors that is quite addictive.