On July 18th (Saturday) at 18:00, I had the pleasure of attending a special private event at the renowned and highly sought-after restaurant, Shin Zen Bi, in Aichi, thanks to the invitation from a trusted and prominent Tabelog reviewer. My wife and I were thrilled to join this occasion! ♡♡We parked at a nearby coin parking lot and met up with everyone just before the start. We climbed the stairs and entered through the unmarked entrance, as usual.Chef Kawai greeted us with a warm smile from behind the counter. This marks our seventh visit as a couple.Today, we opted for the "Shin Zen Bi Course" priced at JPY 33,000 (tax included, service charge extra). Each visit brings new delights, and we were excited to enjoy more exquisite Sichuan cuisine today! ♪♬Shin Zen Bi has been recognized as one of the top 100 restaurants on Tabelog in 2026, earning the 2026 Silver award, and currently holds an impressive rating of 4.41, showcasing its immense popularity!Now, let’s get started...- **Kirin Ichiban Shibori**: JPY 900 (for me)- **Yamazaki Sparkling Water**: JPY 770 (for my wife)Cheers, everyone!Here’s a rundown of the dishes we enjoyed today:◎ **Appetizer**: Pecans.◎ **Chicken Clear Soup (Tori Chintan)**: A soup made from Mikawa Nishiki Sō Chicken. The surface glistens with a beautiful, clear fat, and the umami from the chicken is incredibly refined.◎ **Botan Shrimp**: Served with chopped jellyfish, myoga, and a sauce made with doubanjiang. Garnished with Sichuan sprouts and a squeeze of sudachi. The flavor of the botan shrimp pairs perfectly with the crunchy texture of the jellyfish.◎ **Kyoto Pearl Corn Spring Rolls with Caviar**: The sweetness of the high-sugar pearl corn and the crispy texture of the spring rolls, combined with a generous amount of marinated caviar in sesame oil, create an addictive flavor!◎ **Miyazaki Kurakaba Beef Chateaubriand**: Served on fried yellow zucchini and cashews, with sliced green asparagus. Enjoyed with a garlic sauce infused with spices underneath. ♪♬◎ **Medicinal Soup**: A nourishing soup made with Kinugasa mushrooms, angelica, goji berries, Nagoya Cochin chicken, jujubes, scallions, ginger, Jinhua ham, dried scallops, etc. It warms the body and soul! ♡♡- **Shaoxing Wine, Kōkuyue Longshan, Aged 10 Years**: JPY 1,200. Today, we enjoyed this 10-year-old Shaoxing wine straight from a large jar. It pairs excellently with Sichuan cuisine! We also had **Fuji Mineral Water** as a chaser for JPY 660.◎ **Black Abalone**: Tender, thickly cut black abalone topped with garlic chives, green onions, and a delicious abalone liver paste sauce.◎ **Kesennuma Mōkazame Shark Fin**: High-quality shark fin braised in a rich sauce made with four types of condiments. Absolutely delicious! ♡♡♡◎ **Fried Rice with Australian Winter Truffles**: The combination of oyster sauce and winter truffles is fantastic! After savoring the shark fin on its own, I poured a generous amount of the fried rice with winter truffles over it to create a shark fin rice bowl. ♪♬◎ **Peking Duck**: JPY 1,760. The large, beautifully roasted Peking duck was expertly carved by Chef Kawai right in front of us, with the crispy skin dripping with delicious fat, making our mouths water! Wrapped in a soft, chewy **Kao Ya Ping** with scallions, red daikon, sweet bean sauce, and fried ingredients, it was a perfect blend of flavors and textures.- **Another round of Shaoxing Wine, Kōkuyue Longshan, Aged 10 Years**.◎ **Awaji Island Conger Eel**: Topped with sea urchin from Nemuro, white hair onions, and chili peppers, garnished with purple flowers. Served with a sauce made from scallions, Sichuan pepper, and ginger.◎ **Mapo Tofu**: The first Mapo Tofu introduced in Japan (about 50 years ago). Made without Sichuan pepper, using aged doubanjiang and fermented black beans, this version by Chen Kenmin features a mild spiciness that resembles the original.◎ **Clay Pot Rice**: Freshly cooked clay pot rice (white rice) topped generously with Mapo Tofu, making for a delicious Mapo rice dish.◎ **Shrimp Wontons**: Served in a chicken broth seasoned with soy sauce. ♪♬◎ **Dessert**: Shine Muscat grapes, junsai, roasted sesame, and black syrup.- **Keemun Black Tea**: Enjoyed a hot cup of delicious Keemun black tea from China.Before we knew it, three delightful hours had flown by...Every dish we tasted made us exclaim, "Delicious!" ♡♡Of course, the Peking Duck, shark fin, black abalone, Kurakaba beef Chateaubriand, pearl corn spring rolls with caviar, Mapo tofu, and botan shrimp, among others, offered flavors that cannot be found anywhere else!Today was filled with continuous amazement! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. ♡♡♡If the opportunity arises, I would love to visit again.It was a great meal!*Today's total bill: JPY 82,885 for two people.**You can also find images from this occasion on Kojiro-chan's Instagram: "koujirochan"! ♪♬