There is a Chinese restaurant in a quiet residential area of Kiba that attracts many customers. It is XIANG PEN PEN, opened in 2023 by chef Shuichi Kuki and his wife Sayaka. Guests can choose between a course or à la carte menu, and the drinks selection is outstanding. The menu focuses on natural wines, but also includes Taiwanese craft beer, Shaoxing wine with no added caramel coloring, and Taiwanese premium whiskey KAVALAN. The reason is that "when eating good food, you want good alcohol, but there weren't many places like that." Yes, that's right!
The main seating is a counter facing the kitchen, with table seating in the back. 
During his time working at Torana, he came across around 80 types of natural wine, with prices starting from 5,800 yen per bottle. 
Steamed shrimp and glass noodles with garlic, 2,200 yen. The aroma of green onion oil.
Ever since he began cooking at age 19, Chef Kuki's goal has been to open his own Chinese restaurant. He spent 20 years training to create a fully-featured restaurant that would encompass everything he wanted to achieve. He mastered the basics at a large Shanghai restaurant with nearly 400 seats, then honed his skills by overcoming the challenges set at each establishment: a Cantonese restaurant, a shark fin specialty restaurant, and the owner-chef's popular Hu Xue restaurant in Higashi-Nihonbashi. The dandan noodle specialty restaurant he opened in Kiba, intended as a way to fully launch his business, unexpectedly became a hit, with lines of customers lining up to get in. True to its name, which means "full of aroma" in Chinese, the restaurant uses a variety of condiments and aromatic oils to create fragrant dishes, from vegetables and fish to cold and hot dishes. They also offer natural wines with complex aromas and flavors. Sayaka is in charge of customer service. The harmonious chemistry between the couple is also key to the restaurant's comfortable atmosphere.
Chef Kuki and Sayaka. Sayaka's customer service sets the mood in the restaurant. 
Fried century egg and fruit tomato with balsamic sauce 1,100 yen. Sweet and sour sauce. Glass of wine from 950 yen.
