Izakaya, traditional Japanese pubs, are one of the country’s unique culinary cultures.
One key feature that best symbolizes these establishments is the nomihōdai, or “all-you-can-drink” service. This service allows you to drink as much as you want from a selection of specified drinks for a fixed fee, a common offering at these pubs..
At “Yakitori Marukin Shinjuku Honten” (hereafter referred to as “Yakitori Marukin”) in Shinjuku, they offer a nomihōdai option with over 70 types of drinks available!
The restaurant has a system where just the right amount of alcohol is dispensed from a bottle when you lift your mug
Customers at Yakitori Marukin who order the all-you-can-drink option serve themselves, allowing them to drink at their leisure. In addition to beer and sake, there are also liqueurs and soft drinks, providing an endless combination of beverages.
The restaurant also has fruit wines, shōchū, and awamori
Yakitori to enjoy with your all-you-can-drink course
All-you-can-drink services really shine when paired with food.
What you’ll want to order along with the nomihodai at Yakitori Marukin is definitely their specialty yakitori chicken skewers.
“焼き鳥５種盛り合わせ（左から砂肝、ハツ、皮、ぼんじり、もも）,” Yakitori 5 Variety Platter (from left: gizzard, heart, skin, tail, thigh) 493 JPY (tax included)
The yakitori at the restaurant is made using intentionally smaller pieces of meat. This allows customers to eat the yakitori in one or two bites without removing the meat from the skewer.
Taking the meat off the skewer causes it to cool quickly, but this way you can eat the yakitori piping hot when it’s most delicious.
Another specialty at the restaurant is the “Famous Pot Garlic Tare!” (tare meaning sauce in Japanese), located right on the table.
In addition to the rich tamari soy sauce with extra sugar, it contains three types of garlic: Whole roasted garlic, grated garlic, and fried garlic soaked in the soy tare – giving it a bold, punchy flavor beyond just being rich.
Famous Pot Garlic Tare!
At Yakitori Marukin, customers season the yakitori themselves using this special garlic sauce. Since it’s prohibited to put partially eaten yakitori back into the sauce jar, make sure to coat your yakitori thoroughly the first time!
The rich tare is especially great with beer. You’ll definitely get caught in an endless loop of yakitori and drinks.
The “Tsukune Chicken Meatball 5 Variety Platter” comes with different seasonings
Tsukune (grilled chicken meatballs) are a particularly popular yakitori variety among international visitors to Japan.
The Tsukune Chicken Meatball 5 Variety Platter lets you enjoy the taste of plain tsukune, highlighting the chicken’s natural umami, plus varieties seasoned with mentaiko (spicy cod roe) mayonnaise, grated radish with ponzu, cheese, and ume plum paste.
“つくね５種盛り合わせ（上からプレーン、明太マヨ、おろしポン酢、梅肉、チーズ）,” Tsukune Chicken Meatball 5 Variety Platter (from top: plain, mentaiko mayonnaise, grated radish with ponzu, ume, cheese) 658 JPY tax included)
Highly recommended are the mentaiko mayo and cheese varieties.
The spicy cod roe and tangy mayonnaise is addictively delicious!
Meanwhile the cheese version adds a nice saltiness to accent the simple tsukune flavor. Fresh off the grill, the melted cheese also gives it a great texture!
The platter includes all five tsukune varieties, so you can find your favorite.
A wide variety of dishes! Order the “Makanai Omuyakisoba” to end your meal
In addition to yakitori, Yakitori Marukin offers many other dishes perfect for enjoying with drinks.
The restaurant’s “Makanai Omuyakisoba” (which can be translated as “Unwrapped Omuyakisoba”) is inspired by a traditional Japanese summer festival dish. The latter half of the dish’s name is a hybrid of “omelet” and yakisoba (Japanese fried noodles). One look at it will show you that it’s a fitting name!
“巻かないオム焼きそば” Makanai Omuyakisoba 658 JPY (tax included)
The dish features yakisoba noodles stir fried in a sweet and savory sauce, which are then topped with a thinly-sliced half-boiled omelet.
To finish, a massive amount of katsuobushi (bonito flakes) is sprinkled over the omelet, nearly covering it.
Katsuobushi is quite salty on its own, but paired with the sweet omelet it creates a balanced flavor.
Adding the richness of the sauce to the saltiness and sweetness forms a heavenly trio!
All-you-can-drink can be extended 30 minutes at a time up to 2 hours
All-you-can-drink service prices and time limits vary by restaurant.
At Yakitori Marukin, the service starts at 1 hour for 658 JPY (tax included). After the first hour, you can extend in 30-minute increments, up to a maximum of 2 hours.
The restaurant has a system where if you press a button, a machine will fill up your mug
Even among the reasonably-priced izakaya in Shinjuku, Yakitori Marukin keeps their prices particularly low as a budget-friendly option.
Despite this, they offer a wide variety of dishes, making it a popular spot after 6:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.
Seeing all sorts of people gathered around tables, merrily enjoying food and drinks together is the quintessential izakaya experience in Japan.
While Yakitori Marukin is great for solo diners, it’s even more fun with friends!
Yakitori Marukin’s interior
Information
| Store name | やきとり○金 新宿本店 Yakitori Marukin Shinjuku Honten |
|---|---|
| Address | Ikeda Plaza Building 4F, 3-34-16 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
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| Access |
Shinjuku-Sanchōme Station 1-minute walk from Shinjuku-Sanchōme Station Exit A5
Shinjuku Station（SJK） 3-minute walk from Shinjuku Station South East Exit
|
| Phone number | 03-5363-6340 |
| Reservations | Accepted Official website, Tabelog, GURUNAVI, Hot Pepper Gourmet |
| Payment |
|
| Service charge/Table charge | Service charge (including otōshi) 329 JPY (tax included) |
| Hours | 16:00-23:30（last order: food 22:15, drinks 23:15） |
| Closed | No fixed holidays
Unscheduled holidays |
| Seating | 50 table seats |
| Smoking | All seats are non-smoking A smoking room is available |
| Official website | https://www.dd-holdings.jp/shops/marukin/shinjyuku#/ |
| Other information |
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※Menu contents, prices, store information, etc. are current as of June 2024.
