Small but lovely place to spend time with friends or colleagues to enjoy food and drinks. The staff are very nice and welcoming. It is a very relaxing place, the food is good, and the drinks are also good. The prices are not expensive and the food presentation is beautiful. Large groups are also welcome in the same as small groups.

If you have not experienced RAW paper, I can recomend this restaurant.

Chinese food with a punch of pepper and Sichuan pepper that guarantees a return visit! My 2nd visit. I arrived around 11:45 on a weekday and got in without waiting. It filled up all at once after 12, so coming early is the right move. Inside are tables for 4 (including round tables) and for 2, with an atmosphere welcoming to groups and solo diners alike. 【This time: pork belly bowl 1,100円 + 1.5 times the pork 200円】 A mini salad and soup arrived right after ordering. The main dish came in about 5 minutes too, which was pleasantly quick. It looks more like “pork belly rice” than a “bowl,” and the braised pork, simmered until meltingly tender, is exquisite. The sauce is a little sweet, but adding the Sichuan pepper (huajiao) or pepper on the table instantly transforms it into a sharp, punchy flavor. 【Previous visit: mapo tofu】 This comes in a hot stone bowl, so you can enjoy it piping hot to the end (and drenched in sweat). Since the main heat comes from “pepper and Sichuan pepper” rather than chili, I could enjoy it to the last bite without a stomachache afterward, even though chili tends to upset my digestion! Particularly recommended for anyone seeking a refreshing numbing sensation. Both dishes were highly satisfying, and I'd like to return to explore other menu items.

For lunch, I went to 胡椒饅頭KIKI＠Shimbashi (Shimbashi１, Minato-ku). It calls itself a creative Chinese eatery, but what exactly is “胡椒饅頭” anyway? I heard a friend worked here, so I waited for a chance to have lunch in this area and visited. I'd only checked the location, so I had no idea what dishes they recommended or what I should eat. Looking at the display outside, it was obvious they were promoting tantanmen. There seemed to be lunchtime specials too. The restaurant is underground, and the stairs without a handrail are tough for us older folks. The floor you enter has rows of mostly 4-person tables. When I told a staff member I was alone, they guided me to the back room. The back room has 4 tables for 2 and 2 tables for 4. The menu has lunchtime specials and noodles. The lunch specials turn out to be rice dish or fried rice sets. Noodles include gomoku noodles 1,000円, hot-and-sour pepper noodles 1,000円, and tantanmen 1,000円. Summer-only options include chilled tantanmen 1,100円, hiyashi chuka 1,100円, and reimen-style chilled pepper noodles 1,100円. On the table are alcohol, chili oil, soy sauce, Sichuan pepper, and pepper. Order verbally and pay afterward; when you order, they provide a black paper apron. I washed my hands before eating and was glad I happened to spot my friend and could say hello. Before long, the chilled tantanmen 1,100円, prepared just for me, arrived—thank you. Ingredients used in the chilled tantanmen I had at my friend's restaurant last week, I think, appeared again. The lighting fell beautifully, and I was happy that even with my poor photography skills, I could take a nice picture of the food. Let's eat. Rather than impressions of the flavor, what follows for a while is a description of the toppings. First, the tomato. Tomatoes are in season during summer, when the chilled tantanmen is sold. Half a seasoned egg. We live in an age when even tantanmen comes topped with a seasoned egg. Peeled shrimp. Generously sprinkled with pepper, giving you a glimpse of 胡椒饅頭's character. The chashu is the firm type. It's often cut into thin strips for chilled dishes, but here it's left whole. A slightly firm texture, delicious with the chili oil and soup worked in. A generous amount of boiled bean sprouts. Mix them well into the soup and eat them with the noodles. The medium-thin noodles are thoroughly boiled and then firmly chilled in cold water, making them a delicious match for the cold soup. The soup has just the right amount of sesame paste, and I'm enchanted by its flavor, which even feels clear and clean. I'd like to try the pepper noodles. Cucumber I picked up along the way. That crunch is irresistible, isn't it? It all went down smoothly—thank you for the meal. Paid at the register with Ｐａｙｐａｙ as usual. I got to say hello to my friend too, and I'd like to find another opportunity to come and eat.

+3

I had the summer-only hiyashi chuka! It was delicious. The air conditioning wasn't very strong inside, so it was a little tough on a day above 35℃ haha So the people eating hot noodles looked seriously hot haha Some seats are a little cramped. We could pay separately at lunch. They accept various payment methods, including electronic money and QR.