01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
At Nishi-Shinjuku’s きぬちゃん食堂, a wall covered in menu choices invites you to browse and pick: freshly fried kushikatsu skewers of beef, kisu and okra, for example, or an omelette filled with soft, melting cheese. Alongside five- and eight-skewer kushikatsu assortments, there are plenty of individual skewers, including pickled ginger, quail egg and pork with shiso. They also suit a quick drink and a few bites.
Specialties for lunch and dinner
A house specialty enjoyed alongside the kushikatsu is slowly simmered beef tongue. At lunchtime, set meals put that beef tongue in the starring role, alongside filling rice dishes such as a karaage set meal and curry rice topped with a menchi-katsu cutlet. In the evening, substantial plates include chive omelette with meat, stir-fried meat and bean sprouts, and a generous serving of yakisoba—good options for sharing with a group.
A relaxed two-floor setting
The first-floor counter suits a solo drink, while the second floor, with tables and a tatami room, is suited to lingering over drinks with friends. With a cold beer, a Kaku highball or a salted tomato sour in hand, you can take in the lively, unpretentious atmosphere of a traditional Japanese izakaya.
