There was a restaurant called "Jinpachi" in the area under the JR elevated tracks heading towards Akihabara from Kanda Station. I had the opportunity to visit for lunch back in March 2019 when I was working in Otemachi, and I left a review with a rating of 3.1 points for their lunch set, mentioning that the atmosphere was a bit dark. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed shortly after. However, I recently came across a review by a user named soleil_5791, who is known as the Lunch Queen of Kanda, and it seems that the restaurant has relocated rather than simply closed down. The review mentioned that they had the Shanghai-style jumbo dumplings for lunch, which I also found out was the same menu item offered when I visited the restaurant under the name "Jinpachi". The official name of the restaurant seems to be "Zhang's Kitchen JINPACHI", although it is registered as "Jinpachi" on Tabelog. It appears that the restaurant may have changed its name from "Jinpachi" to "Zhang's Kitchen JINPACHI" and reopened at a new location. I was intrigued by the positive review from soleil_5791, known for being critical, and decided to visit the restaurant. The lunch hours are limited to three days a week, with only 10 servings available each day, making it quite challenging to secure a spot. The location of the restaurant is a short walk from Kanda Station, near the intersection where the famous ramen shop "Somei Yoshino" used to be. Unfortunately, Somei Yoshino closed its doors after about 10 years in July 2023, which was a place I had fond memories of from my time working in Otemachi. Upon arriving at the restaurant, I found that it was already open, and I was greeted warmly by Zhang himself at the entrance. The interior had a counter with 6 seats and two tables with a total of 9 seats. Zhang, who appeared to be in his 30s or 40s, was running the restaurant alone, in contrast to the previous setup at Jinpachi under the elevated tracks. There were a few customers already seated when I arrived, and I was promptly seated at the counter. The lunch menu consisted of Shanghai-style jumbo dumplings priced at 980 yen, which now also includes a mini fried rice set. The waiting time was about 8 minutes, during which Zhang prepared the dumplings. The Shanghai-style jumbo dumplings, more like large dumplings than wontons, were served with a flavorful soup.

I learned about the lunch at our restaurant in Nishi-Kanda 1-chome from a review by My Reviewer. The lunch at our restaurant is as follows: ====================== Open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays only Opening hours from 12:15, limited to 10 servings ====================== This is a very high hurdle. For me, it is difficult to adjust my schedule to the early lunch time, regardless of the day of the week. I couldn't visit during the week I learned about it from My Reviewer's review, but the following week, I managed to make time and went to Nishi-Kanda 1-chome. The location is on the 2nd floor of the building where Somei Yoshino is located. When I entered the shop on the 2nd floor at 12:15, there were already 2 customers ahead of me. I informed the lady, presumably Ms. Zhang, that I was alone and was seated at the counter. Since the lunch is a one-shot handmade Shanghai wonton, they do not take orders. As soon as I sat down, they served me piping hot Chinese tea. In the meantime, 3 more customers arrived as a group and one more person. I was surprised that all the customers, except me, were men. I had thought that women would be more eager to try the handmade Shanghai wonton menu than men. Since Ms. Zhang was the only one handling everything, I had to wait for about 15 minutes until the Shanghai wonton was served. What was served was a Shanghai wonton in a ramen bowl-sized container. When I tried to touch the container, it was scorching hot. I lifted the Shanghai wonton with a lotus flower and saw that it was huge! First, I tried the soup, which was delicious. The balance of the seaweed flavor and the rich aroma of the cherry shrimp was excellent, and the taste of the soup was solid. When I tried the wonton, it was thick. The meat filling was juicy, and the skin wrapping was chewy. This is so delicious! There were 6 wontons, and it was quite satisfying. ... for women. As someone with a man-sized stomach, I usually satisfy my hunger with extra rice or noodles for lunch, so I thought I would be full, but it was only temporary, and I soon felt hungry again. I was even more puzzled by the fact that all the customers in the shop were men (^_^;). After finishing the meal, Ms. Zhang asked me if I would like coffee. Huh? Didn't it say "Chinese tea or coffee included" for lunch? Since I had already been served Chinese tea, I thought there was no coffee, but since she asked, I said yes, please. She served it in a cup and saucer. Recently, when it says "coffee included," it is usually served in a paper cup for takeout, so I could enjoy the coffee leisurely. However, the service was also leisurely, so the stay time was over 40 minutes. Please visit with plenty of time to spare ☆ As My Reviewer also mentioned in the review, I became full with the three types of fluids - Chinese tea, wonton soup, and coffee (lol). Payment is cash only. Rather than feeling warm from the wonton, I felt refreshed when I went outside and felt the breeze. This warmth might be perfect for summer (^m^). The handmade Shanghai wonton is delicious and highly recommended. Keep up the good work. Thank you for the meal.

The other day, on my way back from lunch, I found a sign for lunch service next to Kanda's ramen restaurant "Someiyoshino". I had no idea that there was a restaurant called "Hari-san's Kitchen Jinpachi" on the second floor. It is primarily an izakaya that operates at night, so there are no reviews for their lunch service and it is unclear when they started, but it seems they quietly offer lunch. I visited later to find out that they were not open. Upon checking, I found out that they only serve lunch on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 12:15 onwards, with only 10 servings available. This proved to be quite a challenge. I prefer to avoid the lunch rush, so I usually go before 12 pm or around 1 pm. If I can't get in after 12 pm, there's a risk of wandering around in the crowded Kanda lunch scene. To be prepared in case I can't get in, I thought of alternative restaurants and decided to try again today. I visited around 12:20 pm and nervously climbed the stairs to enter the restaurant. There were already two customers at the counter. A woman who I assumed was Mrs. Hari welcomed me. Both the 4-person and 6-person table seats were available, so I was seated at a 4-person table assuming I would be sharing it with someone else. It seemed I made it in time for the limited 10 servings. They brewed a hot jasmine tea for me. The menu consisted of handmade Shanghai-style jumbo wontons with coffee for 980 yen. If you add a small side dish and a special salad, it costs 1,280 yen, but if you don't specify, they start preparing it assuming you want the 980 yen option. Enka music was playing inside the restaurant. I waited for my order. And here it is. Indeed, there were 6 large wontons filled with plenty of ingredients. I never thought a wonton could fill me up in one bite. I had always thought of wontons as small bite-sized pieces. However, using a wonton-like skin, the amount and size of the filling made it more like a jumbo dumpling. It's impressive how they packed so much filling without it breaking. It was piping hot and warmed me up. It had dried shrimp and seaweed which added a nice flavor. The wontons were quite substantial to eat. However, since there was no rice or noodles, it didn't fill me up completely. They served me coffee after the meal. But with jasmine tea, wonton soup, coffee, and water, I had consumed too many liquids. Time to go get some solid food. Thank you for the meal.

JINPACHI, run by Mr. Zhang, is a hidden gem where you can enjoy a mix of Japanese and Western cuisine, as well as various homemade Chinese dishes. Mr. Zhang, with his elegant demeanor and warm smile, will welcome you with open arms. While there is no set menu, he will delicately prepare the finest ingredients of the day to satisfy your taste buds. Feel free to discuss your preferences. When you feel like unwinding with a drink on your way home, be sure to give JINPACHI a try. It is sure to become a soothing escape from the daily hustle and bustle, where you can relax and unwind.

Today, I met up with a customer I met at this restaurant last year and had a drink together. As it's the start of the new year, the owner is full of energy. The set meal includes 3 dishes, with more and more coming out, and in the end, there was a delicious sardine meatball soup. There were also fried foods. The real finale was sweet and sour pork! Even after drinking a lot, the bill was just over 5,000 yen. The food here is delicious!

I came here for the first time. There were sudden stairs and the sign on the street was dark and not noticeable on a dark night. When I went to another shop, they said there were no seats for solo customers and I thought this was annoying, but then I realized it was just fate. I thought about what to do, and then remembered seeing a sign at the previous shop saying it was okay for solo customers, so I went back. However, I couldn't find the sign and wandered around. Finally, I found the sign blending into the dark night. The second floor was a counter-style izakaya, mainly serving Japanese cuisine. They brought out 3 dishes without me ordering. The mama, a Shanghai native living in Japan for 18 years, recently became a Japanese citizen. She said she can serve both Japanese and Chinese cuisine, and after enjoying the Japanese food, I ended up finishing the sour spare ribs recommended by the customer I befriended. I had a good time with a customer who was on a business trip from Nagoya and was going back home that night. I felt good while looking forward to the souvenir shrimp senbei. We brainstormed together on how to make the sign more noticeable. I thought the mama was a hardworking and kind person, so I will visit this place again soon as it's a good place to relax alone or with a friend! My only personal issue is that they serve Suntory beer, so I wish they had bottled beer available!

Located in the direction opposite to the Kanda Nishiguchi Shotengai intersection from the Kanda Nishiguchi Shotengai, on the second floor of the popular ramen shop "Someiyoshino," a stylish small izakaya called "Jinpachi" has opened. In fact, it seems that this place is a relocation of the Chinese-style izakaya Shinpachi that was located under the guardrail of the Kanda Fureai Street. There was a standing sign outside. The set menu costs 1,500 yen and includes a choice of draft beer or sake, along with three appetizers. The second-floor interior has a counter with eight seats and ten table seats. At the table seats, six to seven customers were chatting amicably. One of them welcomed us with a warm "Irasshaimase♪," and it turned out to be the mama of the restaurant. We ordered the set menu (1,500 yen) with a draft beer. The draft beer served was Premium Malt's in a glass. The appetizers included vinegar-marinated konoshiro, burdock pickles, boiled bamboo shoots, simmered bamboo shoots, salami & cucumber on crackers, and rolled omelette. Despite being called three dishes, there were actually six items♪ I ordered a hot sake (400 yen) as well. The sake served was Kinmon Sekai Taka. It's a nice little izakaya. The previous izakaya Shinpachi used to employ Chinese chefs, but now with just the mama, the atmosphere has completely changed. Interestingly, the mama used to work at the cozy restaurant Midori under the guardrail of the West Exit before the izakaya Shinpachi. The set menu of three appetizers and a drink has been around since those days. And it seems like the regular customers from back then are still coming. The quality of the customers is probably due to the mama's charisma.