SHINJUKU: Yakitori MaruKin 299yen-30min Nomihoudai (all you can drink)... I've landed on Gulliver's Island with tiny yakitori chicken sticks! Lets drinks!!

March 20 is a national holiday "Spring Equinox Day" (shunbun no hi) so it was time to begin drinking at an early 6pm... where to start?  

I've passed by this sign many times in Shinbashi... 60yen Yakitori and 299yen all you can drink for 30 minutes.  Just had to check out their Shinjuku branch.

Its your very own bar!  They had everything... lots of Sake (even Okinawan Awamori), Korean Makkori, Wine, Hi-Balls, Sours, Draft Beer, Hoppy and you can create your own mixed drinks.  All self service...

The yakitori sticks are mostly 60yen... I've never seen it so cheap before... but there is a very good reason for this pricing. 

Honest to goodness... the yakitori sticks were sooo tiny!  Its felt like we were ordering off the kiddy menu.  But I guess you really only get 60yens worth... and nothing was really that good.

Special ultra garlicy sauce for your sticks.  Had a great kick.

Potato salad... pretty good.  

Normally my absolute favorite... but it was rather hard here.  Not the usual crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Shop recommended Tofu.

This was interesting... I think it was like a chicken ball with red radish normally seen as a topping on Okinawan Soba.  Hmm....

Oh boy... I really can't remember what we paid for this tiny bowl of seasoned bean sprouts.  If you are broke in Japan and really need to eat just goto the supermarket to get a pack of this for 29yen.  Its THE least expensive veggie in all of Japan.

Oh, there's a mandatory 1 hour minimum for the drinks so just think about 600yen per hour for Nomihoudai (all you can drink)... atmosphere was cozy, BGM was alot of famous Japanese hits from the 80s, nice mixed crowd of salarymen-young girls-college students... Overall the food was very lackluster but who really enters this place for the food.  Our bill came out to 4,200yen for 1 hour... so be careful.  Its really not a bargain if you order too much mediocre food.  I suggest using this place as a Ichijikai (1st spot) for an hour then move onto a place with better food.

Restaurant: Yakitori Marukin Shinjuku Main Branch

Restaurant J: やきとり○金 新宿本店

Foodie Website: https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1304/A130401/13134341/

Address J: 東京都新宿区新宿3-34-16 池田プラザビル4F

Address E: Tokyo, Shinjuku-ku, Shinjuku 3-34-16, 4F

Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/7f4nqe7wgPzeSK2n7

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焼き鳥、もつ鍋、居酒屋, 新宿駅, Japan, Japanese, foodie, yelp, tokyobelly, cheap, pub, bar, chicken, skewers, izakaya, shinjuku, 

SHINJUKU: Men-ya Musashi. 1000yen Ramen!

There's always a line at Musashi and I just had to check it out.  

If you are lost then hit the top left button... that'll give you the house recommended special.  But never ever have I seen 1,000yen Ramen!  Just had to see what this beast was... 1,000 yen ($11) bye  bye.  I think actual cost to make a bowl of ramen without all the toppings is 100-200yen.  Some of these shops can make an excess of  USD1 million per store.

All counter seating and a lively ramen staff.  I sat next to a nice couple and the dude kept coughing to clear his throat... dude... enough already.  Its a hit and miss who you sit next to.

And there it is!  The Ramen dude will ask if you want "Asari" (Light soup base) "Kotteri" (A more oily flavorful soup base) and what type of noodes "Futsuu" Regular or "Futo-men" Fat noodles.  I went for the Kotteri Futo-Men noodles!  

Very tasty ramen and so filling.  Its not ranked very highly on Tabelof at 3.20 points but worth a try if you are in the area.  I probably will never go back because consuming such heavy ramen just kills me in the calorie department.  The meat was so melty tender, noodles thick and chewy.  There' garlic in a tiny container for taste.

SHOP: Menya Musashi
Location: Shinjuku (Near Prospect AXE or the former Oakwood Shinjuku Apartments).
Foodie Website: http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1304/A130401/13001013/
Shop Website:  http://www.m634.com/634/
Address J: 東京都新宿区西新宿7-2-6
Address E: Tokyo, Shinjuku-ku, Nishi Shinjuku 7-2-6
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