No trip to Japan is ever complete without indulging in some sashimi! Well, unless you don’t take raw food. Most of us think of Tsukiji Fish Market as THE place for best sashimi in Tokyo since it is not just a fish market, but the biggest one in the capital of The Land of the Rising Sun. However, if you are not so keen to travel all the way to Tsukiji Fish Market just for a sashimi meal, Takamaru Sengyoten in Shinjuku is your best bet! Their seafood is purchased directly from Tsukiji fish auction, as well as from fishermen in various parts of Japan.
There are a handful of Takamaru Sengyoten chains scattered in Shinjuku. As you can see, this chain was packed that night so we were asked to visit the next one which is just down the street.
We visited Takamaru Sengyoten No. 2 and this particular store was also crowded. See that empty table near the entrance? That was our spot.
Many locals flock to Takamaru Sengyoten for its thickly sliced fresh sashimi which is also priced very reasonably. One thing about izakayas is that patrons smoke freely even indoors and there is nothing you can do about it. We felt very uncomfortable as there was a guy sitting right next to our table and he was smoking throughout his entire meal. I counted five sticks. If you are pregnant, or have children travelling with you, this may be a huge concern.
English menu is available for tourists.
We were really in the mood for sashimi, so we were game enough to order the Big Super Special Sashimi Assortment at JP¥4980 (SGD$60.20). When the sashimi was served to us, we were initially a little taken aback by the food presentation as we were expecting something more refined. Alas, we forgot that we were dining in an izakaya. Lol. I suppose the fish head was included as a testament to the freshness of the sashimi served at Takamaru Sengyoten.
Apart from the more common salmon and tuna, we truly enjoyed the uni, scallops, ark shell, mackerel, yellowtail, plus some other fish that we weren’t able to identify.
For the kids who can’t eat anything raw, the Fried Rice with Crab Meat JP¥1280 (SGD$15.50) was definitely very tantalising to their taste buds.
We also had some Tempura Assortment JP¥1580 (SGD$19.20) to share. Fresh seafood such as fish, squid and other vegetables were lightly battered and deep fried.
Takamaru Sengyoten’s dons are also highly recommended, such as this Una Toro Don JP¥1280 (SGD$15.50) which includes slices of unagi and minced tuna.
Total damage was about SGD$170. All of us agreed that it was money well spent at Takamaru Sengyoten. We also had 6 to 7 glasses of beer at JP¥300 (SGD$3.60) each.
If are in Shinjuku, be sure to drop by any of the Takamaru Sengyoten chains for a mind-blowing sashimi meal!
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Takamaru Sengyoten
Address: 7-15-13 Nishishinjuku Shinjuku Tokyo
Tel: 03-5937-5969 (Takes reservations)
Opening Hours:
Daily
11am – 11pm (Last order)