Shinjuku once again has a Shakey’s, and it’s got an amazing all-you-can-drink deal too!
For the better part of the year, we’ve felt a specific sense of melancholy walking the streets of Tokyo’s Shinjuku district. That’s because there was something missing, a place that used to be part of the neighborhood and filled us with joy until it closed down in May.
Yeah, maybe we’re being a little overly sentimental. Maybe you could even call us cheesy…and you could definitely call the place that we were mourning cheesy too, because May is when Shinjuku’s Shakey’s, arguably the most iconic branch of the all-you-can-eat pizza joint, closed down.
But like a phoenix both rising from the ashes while being covered in mozzarella, Shakey’s has returned to Shinjuku. Monday marked the grand opening of a brand-new Shakey’s with an even better location closer to Shinjuku Station. Luckily for us, it’s still within walking distance of the SoraNews24 head offices, which means it’s also within running distance, so our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun, the biggest Shakey’s fan on our staff, sprinted over as soon as he could.
Just like in its home country of America, Shakey’s in Japan operates as an all-you-can-eat buffet with pizza, pasta, salad, desserts, and those iconic potato wedges. There’s also soup and curry, the latter of which is unique to Shakey’s Japan.
Compared to the old place, the new Shinjuku Shakey’s is a lot roomier, no longer having the low-ceilinged cave-like atmosphere of the now-closed branch.
In total, there are 106 seats, including booths, which are kind of rare in Japan and look, to P.K.’s eyes, very American.
But along with the curry, there’s something else at the Shinjuku Shakey’s you probably won’t see in the U.S.: a self-serve alcohol station!
This is for use by customers who tack on an additional 800 yen (US$5.35) to their buffet price for the all-you-can-drink option. In addition to taps for Kirin draft beer, the alcohol bar has ingredients for making shochu sour cocktails and highballs.
▼ A beer or cocktail in a restaurant in downtown Tokyo can easily cost you 500 yen, so as long as you drink two, you’re coming out ahead here.
Heading over to the buffet with his stomach suitably empty and his heart full of dreams, P.K. swiftly dished up pizza and potatoes for himself.
He also hit up the salad bar, not just in an attempt to appear healthy, but also because it genuinely had a nice variety of fresh, tasty veggies.
Don’t let P.K.’s consciousness of his nutritional intakes make you doubt, even for a second, that he was going to get multiple desserts, including a dessert pizza with marshmallows and strawberry sauce and a purin custard pudding.
To his great satisfaction, P.K. confirmed that while Shakey’s has changed locations in Shinjuku, it hasn’t changed its recipes, and everything tasted just like he remembered it.
Shakey’s charges 1,750 yen (US$11.65) for adults until 3 p.m. on weekdays and 2,350 yen after that, and 2,600 yen all day on weekends and holidays. Considering it’s all-you-can-eat, it’s a very attractive deal, and we plan to make frequent use of the place with our Shinjuku commutes, so we’ll ask P.K. to leave at least some of the potatoes for you.
Restaurant information
Shakey’s (Shinjuku Seno Building branch) / シェーキーズ（新宿セノビル店）
Address: Tokyo-to, Shinjuku-ku, Shinjuku 3-18-4, Seno Building 4th floor
東京都新宿区新宿3丁目18-4 セノビル4F
Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Website
Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]