Real Chinese Food Is Taking Japan by Storm—Inside the Banquet That Sold Out Overnight

If you’re interested in Chinese cuisine, you may have heard of restaurants such as Weibō Group, known for its delicious lamb dishes, and Chen’s Private Kitchen, which specializes in Sichuan cuisine. Both are bustling with customers at lunchtime and dinner, but they also host banquets organized by the restaurants themselves or by their fans. Some of these events have become so popular that even gatherings for around 80 people sell out almost immediately. So what is it that draws Chinese-food enthusiasts to them?

Sold out immediately! The Frenzied Weibo Grand Banquet

On May 18, I attended a whole-roasted-lamb banquet held at Kofuku Weibō, a restaurant operated by the Weibō Group in Akihabara. The restaurant was reserved exclusively for the event, which drew around 80 guests. A total of 15 dishes were served, including the star attraction—a whole roasted lamb—as well as chicken steamed in lotus leaves. The event also included all-you-can-drink beverages, and toward the middle and latter part of the banquet, Mr. Hayashi, president of the Weibō Group, went around to each table serving baijiu. The event ended on a high note.

The Weibō Group’s banquets have been held once a month since the COVID-19 pandemic, and this was the 24th installment. The Weibō Group operates more than 10 restaurants in Tokyo, and the banquets are held at different locations, mainly at restaurants with larger capacities.

Announcements for the banquets are posted on the Weibō Group’s X (formerly Twitter) account, and people can participate by purchasing tickets in advance through Peatix. Especially since 2026, perhaps because awareness of these banquets has gradually grown, the 80-seat capacity has consistently sold out within less than a day of the announcement on social media. On some occasions, all 80 seats have sold out in as little as 16 hours. If you hesitate even briefly about whether to attend, the event can quickly sell out, leaving you unable to participate.

One reason these restaurant-organized banquets have become so popular is likely the opportunity they provide to enjoy a Chinese-style banquet even when you’re on your own. Chinese food is often associated with large groups gathering around a table and having a lively time, but at the Weibō Group’s banquets, although guests may share tables with others, even individuals can attend alone.

Dishes featuring lamb, cilantro, spices, and other ingredients can be divisive in terms of taste, making it difficult to gather a large group of friends who all want to eat them. These banquets, however, have precisely tapped into the demand from people who want to try such food even if they have no one to go with. Whole-roasted lamb in particular normally requires a minimum of 15 people to order, so being able to join such a banquet as a solo diner is a fairly rare opportunity.

A woman in her 20s who had attended the Weibō Group’s banquets at least three times said, “The best part is being able to eat all kinds of unusual Chinese dishes even when I’m by myself.”

A Special Mapo Tofu Too! The Buzzing Banquets at “Chen’s Private Kitchen”

While the Weibō Group’s banquets are organized by the restaurants themselves, the banquets at Chen’s Private Kitchen, a Sichuan restaurant with eight locations in Tokyo, are organized primarily by its fans.

These gatherings have been held roughly once a month since around 2017—several years earlier than the Weibō Group’s events—and typically attract between 40 and 80 participants each time.

The organizer is Hashizume, a devoted fan of mapo tofu who became so obsessed with Chen’s Private Kitchen’s version that he even runs a social media account called “#IOnlyBelieveInMapoTofu.” He says the gatherings began because “I wanted to share delicious food with everyone.”

Like the Weibō Group’s events, the Chen’s Private Kitchen gatherings are held in cooperation with the restaurant, with participants recruited through the restaurant’s LINE account and social media. Owner-chef Chen and company president Dang also sometimes join the events, offering explanations about the dishes. Mapo tofu that is available exclusively at these fan gatherings is particularly popular.

At a gathering I attended in the past, the menu featured not only the restaurant’s signature stone-pot mapo tofu, but also mapo tofu with potatoes and white mapo tofu—three different varieties in total. I was amazed both by how delicious they were and by the surprising depth and variety of mapo tofu.

Chen’s Private Kitchen is already popular for its reasonably priced lunch menus, but the banquets attract people with their special dishes available only at these events, as well as the fact that individuals and small groups can participate. There is also a stamp card specifically for the fan gatherings, with rewards such as homemade chili oil and original Chen’s Private Kitchen T-shirts based on the number of times participants attend. This system gives fans even more incentive to keep coming back.

In addition to the fan gatherings, Chen’s Private Kitchen also holds cooking classes where participants make dumplings together with owner Chen and company president Dang. Events that allow customers to cook and eat Chinese food alongside the restaurant’s staff have become popular, and reportedly have many repeat participants.

Incidentally, in 2025, Chen’s Private Kitchen and the Weibō Group teamed up to hold a joint banquet. The event offered both the Weibō Group’s lamb dishes and Chen’s Private Kitchen’s mouthwatering chicken and mapo tofu, and it immediately sold out. A similar event is eagerly anticipated in 2026.

Expert Insights at the Nanpō Express Chinese Wine Banquets

Nanpō Express is a restaurant in front of Shinjuku Gyoenmae Station operated by Mu, who also runs restaurants such as Mu-san’s Steamboat House in Ikebukuro, where diners can enjoy seafood steamed hot pots, and Shokusai Yunnan, which specializes in Yunnan cuisine and has locations in Yotsuya, Yushima, and elsewhere.

The restaurant focuses on cuisine from southern China. Its concept is to offer dishes from the various regions you would pass through on a train journey from Shanghai to Yunnan Province. In April 2026, it launched a new initiative: a Shaoxing wine by-the-measure program.

Shaoxing wine is found at most Chinese restaurants, but relatively few people order it by specific brand. With the aim of allowing customers to compare a variety of Shaoxing wines, Nanpō Express offers six varieties of Shaoxing wine served from ceramic jars and eight bottled varieties.

Since launching the Shaoxing wine program in April, Nanpō Express has also been holding restaurant-organized banquets roughly once a month. These range from intimate gatherings of fewer than 20 people to large banquets with more than 70 guests.

The Shaoxing wine program is supervised by Kadokura, a specialist in Chinese alcoholic beverages. At the banquets, guests can compare different Shaoxing wines while listening to Kadokura explain their characteristics. The talks cover not only Shaoxing wine but also Chinese spirits such as baijiu, as well as trivia about Chinese alcohol and the flavor profiles of the Shaoxing wines served at the restaurant.

In this way, the events satisfy not only your appetite but also your intellectual curiosity. Recruitment for the gatherings is announced periodically on Nanpō Express’s social media accounts.

Why Authentic Chinese Cuisine Creates a Loyal Following

Until recently, when attending banquets centered around “gachi-chuka—” authentic Chinese cuisine in Japan—I had the impression that most participants were in their 40s or older. However, the Weibō Group has recently begun regularly holding events exclusively for people aged 35 and under.

When I attended one of these events myself, many of the people seated at my table seemed to have discovered Weibō not because they were particularly interested in China itself, but because they were drawn to foreign cuisines and spice-heavy dishes. “Gachi-chuka” has traditionally been associated with people who have lived in China for work or study, such as expatriates and international students. It is encouraging to see it now expanding to include younger foodies who simply want to enjoy the delicious food served at these banquets.

The growing number of these “gachi-chuka” banquets has helped restaurants gain recognition not only among dedicated fans of authentic Chinese cuisine, but also among Japanese people who simply love good food and drinks. In turn, this seems to be helping restaurants build a loyal customer base of people who return again and again.

At banquets held by the Weibō Group, Chen’s Private Kitchen, and Nanpō Express, the owners and presidents themselves regularly attend and interact with guests. This personal connection is another major reason these restaurants have been able to attract more fans.

Competition among Chinese restaurants has intensified in recent years as more “gachi-chuka” establishments have opened in areas such as Ikebukuro and Ueno. Many Chinese restaurant owners are struggling with how to attract Japanese customers. In that sense, holding these kinds of “gachi-chuka” banquets can be seen as one effective solution for building a Japanese fan base.

With banquet-exclusive dishes served in a distinctly Chinese-style atmosphere, along with the opportunity to form communities of fellow Chinese-food and spice enthusiasts, “gachi-chuka” banquets are full of enjoyable discoveries. Check the restaurants’ social media accounts and consider joining one yourself.