We play culinary roulette at a cheap restaurant in Kabukicho.

When you’re looking for somewhere to eat in the middle of Kabukicho, Tokyo’s notorious red-light district, the choices can be as overwhelming as the bright lights and multi-storey buildings towering over you. What can help in these situations is some advice from a local who’s eaten in the area before, and that’s where our reporter Yuichiro Wasai steps in, with a recent review of an izakaya (Japanese-style tavern) where the price of sushi starts at a super low 100 yen (US$0.63).

Eating at such a cheap place, especially in the middle of a red light district like Kabukicho, can be like playing culinary roulette, so Yuichiro decided to bite the bullet and find out what lay inside the multi-storey building, which attracted his interest with its super slim appearance.

▼ This has got to be one of the narrowest buildings in all of Tokyo.

According to the signs outside the izakaya, the prices are as tiny as the plot of land it stands on, with 120 minutes of all-you-can-drink starting at 980 yen, skewers at 90 yen, and, as we mentioned previously, sushi at 100 yen.

▼ The name of the izakaya is “Umi no Chikara“, which translates as “Power of the Sea“.

Stepping inside a place like this can be intimidating for a first-timer, but Yuichiro is used to visiting these types of under-the-radar spots. After walking in boldly, he headed over to the lady at the reception desk on the ground floor, and as he was dining alone he asked her if they had tables for one. She replied, “Yes, that’s fine. Please go up to the fifth floor.”

Yuichiro thought it was interesting that the izakaya stretched across so many floors, and it was a unique quirk as the slim building design meant the store had to expand vertically instead of horizontally.

▼ When he made his way up to the fifth floor and was shown to his seat, it was a tight space as well.

The passageway beside the table was so narrow that only one person could pass through at a time, and several customers brushed their coats against the edge of Yuichiro’s table as they made their way through.

▼ Checking out his surroundings, Yuichiro found an ashtray at his table, as smoking is allowed at all seats, making it a smoker’s paradise.

In a way, the space was very typical of Kabukicho, as it was casual and unpretentious, and when he browsed the drinks menu, he saw that draft beer was 380 yen, highballs were 150 yen, and lemon sours were an unbelievably low 50 yen.

Looking closer, the prices all excluded tax so that’s something that can crank up prices a little – the sushi, for example, might be listed as 100 yen but it’s actually 110 yen including tax.

With or without tax, these prices are undeniably cheap, so Yuichiro opted for a bottle of beer, placing his order on his smartphone. Shortly after, a waiter appeared with a serving of edamame, which he hadn’t ordered, but he was told it was an otoshi, the appetiser that acts like a seating charge in Japan.

This was a nice surprise for Yuichiro, as it was a large serving for an otoshi, and cheap too, at 380 yen, showing a sense of generosity you don’t usually see at a cheap izakaya.

▼ Then his sushi arrived: lean tuna (110 yen), medium fatty tuna (280 yen), and squid (110 yen).

Yuichiro was relieved to find that the cheap price point didn’t reflect the quality, as every piece was delicious. The texture of the rice beneath the fish toppings was a little on the dry side, but other than that he had no complaints.

Then his next dish arrived – the Mega Fried Chicken (830 yen). Like the edamame, this was another larger-than-expected serving, with 11 chunky pieces of fried chicken, and it left him feeling very satisfied.

Continuing with the meal, the yakitori was the second most satisfying item after the fried chicken, with a platter of five skewers costing 650 yen.

Happy with the skewers, Yuichiro felt emboldened enough to try the eel, which was only 380 yen. It was tasty and good quality, but if he had to choose between this and the fried chicken, he’d probably go with the fried chicken.

▼ Another better-than-expected menu item was oyster gratin in the shell (430 yen).

By this stage, Yuichiro was now feeling full so he didn’t have enough room in his belly to try any of the other options on the menu, and there were many to choose from.

▼ The menu is written in Japanese, Chinese and English, so foreign tourists are welcome here.

The only downside to this izakaya, in Yuichiro’s eyes, was the narrow seating, as this is what the table he sat at looked like.

So is this an izakaya you’ll want to visit next time you’re in Kabukicho? Well, it might not be for everyone, but if you prefer a casual atmosphere over refinement, don’t mind the smoking policy, and can cope with a small space, then this is a very cheap option that’ll leave you with more money in your back pocket to spend elsewhere.

Despite being the narrowest izakaya Yuichiro has ever visited, there’s nothing narrow-minded about the place, with a sense of boldness in its prices and offerings. He likes to think that this boldness, hidden in what can seem like an intimidating building, attracts customers who have a little boldness hidden in them as well.

Restaurant information
Umi no Chikara / 海のちから
Address: Tokyo-to, Shinjuku-ku, Kabukicho 1-18-7, Shinjuku Daiichi Building
東京都新宿区歌舞伎町1-18-7新宿第一ビル
Open 24 hours

Photos ©SoraNews24
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[ Read in Japanese ]