Just 30 minutes to kill before meeting up... A sudden rain shower started outside, but I managed to snag a seat at Gin Dako Highball, where it's mostly standing room only. Luckily, a couple had just finished up and I got a chair. I ordered a large lemon sour with extra green onions, chugged it down due to the humidity outside, then switched to a gin palm highball with added bell peppers. The bill came out to just over 2,000 yen. I've got the hang of making a quick stop at Gin Dako Highball. Thanks for the meal!

I entered the store around 12:00 pm on July 15, 2023. There were only three people, one couple and one woman. We ordered beer and 4 pieces of takoyaki to start. The takoyaki was delicious as always, but slightly expensive. I tried to order potato salad, but they said they didn't have it today. How can they not have it at noon? I thought the menu was limited. We also ordered octopus with wasabi and lemon sour, which were okay. I am considering revisiting in the future.

The second place we stumbled upon was a standing bar called Gin Dako Highball Sakaba where you can casually enjoy a highball drink. We were seated on the second floor, which had a cozy atmosphere with enough space between seats. You can choose from four different types of highball drinks, and they even offer a mega-sized option. It's a great place to have a drink casually, whether for a quick drink or to pass the time. Check out my Instagram @mynamestsukasa and TikTok @gourmet_nikki for more food reviews in Tokyo!

In November 2022, a Gindaco Highball bar opened on Shibuya Dogenzaka. Both the first and second floors are standing-only. The staff on the second floor seemed to be new and quite flustered, as the first drink took a while to arrive. It's understandable since they are new, but what caught my attention was the taste of the takoyaki. It had been a while since I last had Gindaco, but I couldn't help but think, "Was it always like this?" The texture was not quite right, with the outside being crispy but the inside being a bit too soft.

This is Gin Dako, a takoyaki shop. The first floor is standing-only. I ordered the specialty Lemon Sour for 390 yen, 4 pieces of takoyaki for 310 yen, and 4 pieces of Cheese Mentaiko for 370 yen. The takoyaki is quite large, with a crispy exterior and a gooey interior. It is generously topped with bonito flakes and comes with a packet of mayonnaise. The Mentaiko is topped with Mentaiko mayonnaise and powdered cheese, allowing you to fully enjoy the flavor of Mentaiko. I also ordered a refill of the Highball for 390 yen. The Highball comes with a lemon wedge. It's a great place to enjoy takoyaki and drinks.

Category: [Tokyo] Fast Food ☆ Shibuya Lunch Oh my, I was surprised to see a Gindaco here and decided to give it a try. Gindaco Highball Sakaba Shibuya Dogenzaka Store. Takoyaki has become quite a luxury food lately. With 8 pieces for 580 yen and 6 pieces for 500 yen, that's about 72.5 yen and 83.3 yen per piece. Even at the most expensive golf driving range monument in Shibuya, it's 33 yen per ball. The staff told me that the take-out menu and the in-store prices are different, but when I entered the store... 4 pieces of takoyaki for 341 yen. The take-out menu is tax-inclusive, while the in-store menu shows prices before tax, making it a tricky move. That's about 85.25 yen per piece. Today, even a large iodine egg costs 58.8 yen per piece. 4 pieces of Gindaco's fried chicken for 528 yen. That's a dreamy three-digit price of 132 yen per piece!! The current exchange rate is 1 dollar to 136.2 yen. Thinking back to 2008 when 1 dollar was 12 trillion Zimbabwe dollars, it makes me want to eat fried chicken in Zimbabwe. 4 pieces of black pork shumai for 528 yen. The total bill today was 1397 yen. Since they were all considered appetizers, it's not surprising that the price was high. I regret not buying Gindaco's lucky bag before entering the store. I wonder if they have fried chicken in Zimbabwe...

On the second floor, there is standing room only with no chairs, but it was full so we sat on the first floor. It was cold with the door open even in winter, but it's okay if you wear a jacket. The three of us ordered beer, highball, and lemon sour. We had octopus balls (8 pieces), cheese mentaiko octopus balls (4 pieces), spicy skewers (5 pieces), regular skewers (2 pieces), potato salad, green pepper appetizer, 4 pieces of fried chicken, and french fries. The octopus balls were delicious as always. I preferred the non-spicy skewers over the spicy ones. The spicy one was too intense in flavor. We were full with just a light meal. The total bill for three people was 7,260 yen.

It's easy to enter casually. The first floor is for standing while drinking, and the second floor is for sitting and eating. This time, I stopped by on the first floor. It's fun to drink while watching the takoyaki being made on the first floor. The takoyaki is a must-try. Everything is delicious. The tori skin stick that I tried for the first time was also delicious! It's a must-order. The shumai is good too. The snack bell peppers also go well with drinks. Takoyaki comes in sets of 3, which is just right for a snack. The lemon sour was also delicious. It's a spot where you can easily enjoy yourself even if you're alone. I'm planning to go with my daughter next time.

I was watching as they were preparing the store, and when they finally opened, I decided to drop by. I was thinking of having lunch, so instead of ordering drinks, I ordered quite a few dishes. Honestly, it had been about 10 years since I last had fried octopus like this, and I was reminiscing about how it tasted. I chatted with the staff and found out that the owner's main job is in real estate. There is a bar on the 3rd or 4th floor of the same building, and now I feel like checking it out. I don't remember ordering the dumplings, but it seems I did, so I paid for it and ended up going over budget! 😂

Is it too oily? It's too crispy - I want something more fluffy! But the atmosphere inside the restaurant was really great!

Standing bar. Tomato sour? Looks amazing!

The best restaurant for a first date.

After almost reaching the top of Dogenzaka, I found a new Gindako Highball Izakaya across from the police box. It's a two-story establishment where you can dine in, but I opted for takeout from the small window along the road. I tried the mentaiko cheese takoyaki, which is my favorite from Gindako. It was reliably delicious!

I took a break in Shibuya and had some takoyaki to satisfy my hunger. The takoyaki here is freshly cooked, piping hot, with a crispy outer layer that is different from the Osaka style. The inside is soft and gooey, with plenty of octopus inside. It was delicious.