Cocktails, wine also part of unbeatable package.

KFC got our hearts all aflutter twice in 2016. In the spring, we visited its branch in the Takadanobaba neighborhood of Tokyo, which in the evening serves not only fried chicken but also beer and cocktails, and a few months after that the chain announced an all-you-can eat fried chicken deal.

And now comes what might be our favorite KFC offer yet: unlimited beer, wine, and cocktails at prices starting under 10 bucks.

KFC’s Takadanobaba branch is located just a short walk from Takadanobaba Station, which is the closest major rail hub to Waseda University. Waseda has a reputation for academic excellence and enthusiastic drinking, and the pubs and restaurants in the area offer an array of all-you-can-drink plans.

KFC’s is available nightly from 5 p.m. Ordinarily priced at 1,600 yen (US$14.50), you’re allowed as many drinks as you want for 90 minutes, and you’re not cut off from requesting a refill until the entire hour and a half have passed.

Four kinds of beer are on tap, with two from Suntory: Premium Malts and the extra-fragrant Premium Malts Kaoru Ale. Sapporo contributes its Edelpeis pilsner, and Kirin offers it Heartland sub-brand.

The house highball, called the “Colonel High,” has a spicy flavor that pairs extremely well with KFC’s fried chicken. Red and white wine are also part of the all-you-can-drink package, as are soft drinks such as classy Sanpallegrino sparkling water.

In addition to the familiar KFC fried chicken, the Takadanobaba branch has a menu of bar snacks, most priced in the 400 to 700-yen range.

We decided to order the smoked chicken thigh with coarse-ground pepper for 480 yen, and followed it up with some crispy chicken crackers for another 360 yen.

1,600 yen, with no obligation to order a full meal, is already a great deal for all-you-can-drink alcohol in Tokyo. But things are even better on Wednesdays, when the Takadanobaba KFC discounts its unlimited booze plan to just 1,000 yen (US$9) for starting times after 6 p.m., provided you’ve made a reservation at least one day in advance.

Considering how many restaurants in Tokyo charge 500 yen or more for a single draft beer, as long as you’re going to knock back two, you’ll come out ahead on KFC’s Wednesday deal, making one of the most economical ways to power yourself over the mid-week hump to be found in Japan’s capital.

Restaurant information
KFC (Takadanobaba branch) / ケンタッキーフライドチキン（高田馬場店）
Address: Tokyo-to, Shinjuku-ku, Takadanobaba 1-28-10
東京都新宿区高田馬場1-28-10
Open 7 a.m.-11 p.m.
Website

Photos ©SoraNew24
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