No need to feel self-conscious when you can use this automatic ordering and delivery system.
Drinking in Tokyo on your own might sound like a daunting prospect for solo travellers in Japan, but if you know where to go it can be a fun time to remember, especially when it doesn’t break the bank.
Our team of reporters are seasoned solo dining pros, always on the lookout for new places to eat and drink on their own, and their most recent find is one of the cheapest deals in town, letting you drink as much as you like for 90 minutes for the one-coin price of 500 yen (US$3.13).
The so-called “One-Coin All-You-Can-Drink” campaign comes from Yakiniku no Watami, a yakiniku chain that’s been taking over locations that formerly belonged to the now-phased-out Watami izakaya chain.
Our reporter Ahiruneko discovered the deal and immediately set out to try it, and when he arrived at his nearest branch shortly after midday, he was shown to a table seat as the solo seats at the counter were already full.
Settling into the booth, Ahiruneko was impressed by the setup – food is delivered via a “Special Express Lane” beside the table, and orders are made using a touchscreen panel.
▼ Like conveyor belt sushi, only with meat and alcohol.
Ahiruneko was here for the “One-Coin All-You-Can-Drink” deal, and sure enough it was being advertised with a laminated flyer at the table, which details of the 18 types of alcohol you can order over 90 minutes.
▼ Highballs, Sours, Gins and Mixers.
Bracing himself for the fine print, he looked closely at the details and was impressed again. Ahiruneko had assumed there would be restrictions like a table charge, an appetiser charge, or a requirement for at least two dishes per person, but the only real condition was ordering at least 500 yen worth of food, which was totally fine as he wouldn’t want to drink on an empty stomach anyway.
This is the full list of fine-print details:
・You need to order at least 500 yen worth of food (including tax)
・You can combine it with either an all-you-can-eat plan or individual dishes
・It can be ordered during either lunch or dinner hours
・You can also use the soft drink bar
・Last orders are 15 minutes before the 90-minute mark
・Draft beer is not included
You don’t often come across an all-you-can-drink deal with such easy requirements, so Ahiruneko wasted no time in ordering the “Watami Kalbi Lunch” for 1,089 yen, as the accompaniment for his day drinking.
When ordering his all-you-can-drink option, he found that he had to call a member of staff over first, as they needed to set up the touchscreen panel for the all-you-can-drink menu to appear.
▼ Highballs, lemon sours, tea-based drinks and Suntory Sui gin soda are some of the included options.
He made his selections and then, after waiting a little while…
▼ … his lunch and highball arrived on the lane.
The sight of his meal arriving, like a train pulling into a station, added a fantastic touch of excitement to his solo meal. Plucking his meal tray off the delivery tray, he saw that the Watami Kalbi was thicker than expected, making him one happy diner.
Giving it a light grill, Ahiruneko was very pleased with how his meal was turning out, and things got even better when he took a sip of his drink.
▼ Ahhhh, that hits the spot.
It didn’t take long for Ahiruneko to polish off his drink along with delicious bites of succulent meat, so he immediately ordered another beverage, and…
▼ … it arrived on the express lane.
This all-you-can-drink delivery system is one you don’t encounter very often, and it was Ahiruneko’s first time seeing it. Usually, even if you order by touchscreen, staff deliver drinks to your table, and as someone who feels slightly awkward with staff interactions, this system was ideal.
▼ In fact, it was so ideal that he ended up downing seven drinks in 90 minutes.
Doing the math, that works out to about 71 yen ($0.46) per drink, which is pretty mind-blowing. Even when he factored in the meal cost, which brought the total to 1,589 yen, it was still a great deal that he would definitely go back for.
So in the end, Ahiruneko left the restaurant with a heavier belly, a lighter mood, and only a slightly lighter wallet. The one downside to the deal is it’s only available for a limited time until 17 September, and at limited locations, which we’ve listed for you below.
Participating Restaurants
Tokyo: Otorii Station Front, Kinshicho South Exit Station Front, Kokubunji South Exit, Chofu South Exit, Shimura-Sakaue, Ikebukuro East Exit, Kameari Station Front
Saitama: Kawagoe East Exit Crea Mall, Asakadai Station Front
Kanagawa: Yokohama
Aichi: Meieki, Higashi-Okazaki Station Front, Motoyama Station Front
Osaka: Namba, Umeda Chayamachi
Hyogo: Kawanishi-Noseguchi Station Front, Akashi Station Front, Ono
Nara: Yamato-Yagi South Exit
Campaign Website
Photos ©SoraNews24
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