I visited an izakaya located at 3-17-13 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, in the Sparrow Uncle Building on the 1st floor, nearest to JR Shinjuku Station East Exit. I felt like I hadn't had enough to drink the last time I went to an izakaya, so I visited this place on Monday at 7:36 PM. I was guided to the 2nd floor. The restaurant was filled with people who seemed to be coming from work. I enjoyed grilled small fish, hanpen, and kamaboko, which are specialties of Isomaru Suisan, along with Isomaru sake served in a kettle. I also had sea grapes with vinegar soy sauce and crab miso shell baked on a baguette as a snack. It was a delicious meal.

I visited the restaurant with three friends. One of my friends was in a wheelchair, and the staff kindly escorted us to our table. The unique feature of this restaurant is that you can cook your own seafood. However, it can get quite hot during the summer, so it would have been better if the air conditioning was more effective. The restroom seems to be located on the second floor, but I did not use it so I cannot comment on it.

The other day, I went to Isomaru Suisan with an acquaintance after playing futsal. It was packed even though it was past 10 PM. We had a great time drinking there! I will definitely visit again!

Anyway, when you're craving fish and hearty white rice, this is the place to go. Just be aware that the service can be slow at times, so it's best to go when you have extra time or in the evening. The staff are friendly and provide great hospitality, even the foreign employees are welcoming. There's always a slightly old-fashioned music playing in the background. Lunch is often at the counter, with a rotation of salmon or salted mackerel, both with thick cuts of fish. The salmon tends to take longer to be served. The fried dishes are delicious, whether it's croquettes or squid, and the mango pudding is a must-try. The grilled fish is so tasty it's almost tear-inducing. The set meals are prepared with care and are great value for money. I always feel grateful and say thank you from the bottom of my heart when paying. Thank you so much every time we visit!

I visited during the day. The place was bustling with customers of all ages, and the staff and kitchen were very busy. There were some order mistakes and missing items, but the staff's apologetic attitude was evident and no one seemed upset. It was nice to watch the explanations while grilling shellfish for the first time in a while, and it was delicious! It cost around 6000 yen per person. Thank you for the meal!

I really wanted to eat crab miso, so even though it was early in the evening on a holiday, I went to the restaurant alone. The place was quite crowded due to the holiday. I was seated at the counter, and I was impressed to see that there was a stove in front of each seat. It was my first time at Isomaru Suisan, so I ordered crab miso and a lemon sour from the monitor. As soon as the appetizer was brought out, the staff lit the stove for me. I was told to grill and eat all the appetizers, so I grilled and ate them all. Although I was not sure what the small fish were, they were delicious and I finished them quickly. Finally, the crab miso arrived, and I grilled it until it was bubbling. It was an excellent dish to accompany alcohol! It was even more delicious than I expected, so I thought I could keep drinking endlessly with about three servings of crab miso. It was surprisingly fun to grill and eat freshly grilled food right in front of me. Thank you for the meal! 🦀🍋

I visited around 11:30 am on a weekday, and the lunch was not crowded, but there were foreign customers enjoying themselves drinking at lunchtime. I ordered the tuna three-color bowl in large size and miso soup with fresh seaweed, which arrived in a few minutes. It seems like the staff member may be new because the presentation of the dish still needs improvement. The quality of the ingredients is good, so it's just a matter of improving the balance and presentation. I will visit again, so keep up the good work and strive to improve! Thank you for the meal! ☀️

On New Year's Day, I was looking for a restaurant where I could have lunch while taking a walk, but there were few places open in Shinjuku. I stumbled upon Isomaru Suisan, which was open, and decided to go in. The first floor had a kitchen and a counter surrounding it, as well as a few tables for 2-4 people. There were also seats on the second floor, but since there weren't many customers, I chose to sit at the counter on the first floor. There was no physical menu, but instead, a tablet was handed to me. I ordered a beer and bara chirashi, which I could customize the condiments for on the screen. A complimentary dish was served, consisting of grilled shishamo and a mysterious small packet. I thought it might be mochi due to the season, but it turned out to be a small fish cake. The grilled fish had eggs inside and was delicious, while the fish cake had a chewy texture when grilled to a golden brown. I enjoy bara chirashi and often order it for lunch at other restaurants. The overall flavor was well-balanced, so it was tasty even without adding soy sauce. The portion of rice was just right, allowing me to avoid overeating at the start of the new year. Thank you for the meal.

Initial Iso Maru Suisan! The self-grilling style is so much fun!! Each piece is large and the portions are generous. It's so enjoyable!! (2nd visit) It feels like having a barbecue by the sea ^_^ / They seem to focus more on grilled dishes than sashimi. Many items were sold out when I visited before 8 pm. There were a few things I couldn't try, so I want to go back for a rematch. Thank you for the meal ^_^

Today's lunch was at a restaurant located behind Kinokuniya bookstore at the east exit of Shinjuku Station. The restaurant is not open 24 hours, but from 11 am to 5 pm, although it stays open until 5 am. The lunch menu mainly consists of rice bowl dishes, but they also offer set meals with sashimi, grilled fish, and fried dishes. This was my second time having lunch at Isomaru. I ordered the Grilled Mackerel Set Meal for 989 yen, and added natto for 109 yen. I placed my order using the terminal and waited for 21 minutes until it was served. The mackerel, grilled to perfection with a crispy skin, was delicious and flavorful. The set meal also included a side dish of fried white fish, potato salad, rice, pickles, seaweed soup (I requested miso soup), and a mini dessert (mango pudding). The natto topping added an extra touch to the meal. Overall, the meal was satisfying with a good portion size, but it didn't leave me eager to come back. The total cost was around 1,000 yen even without the natto. I haven't tried their new concept restaurant "Isomaru Suisan Shokudo" yet, but I would like to visit it next time.

I visited the Isomaru Suisan restaurant located near JR Shinjuku Station, specifically the Shinjuku 3-chome branch, around 3:30 PM on a holiday to have lunch (lol). Since I was dining alone, I was seated at the counter. This branch uses a tablet ordering system, and after being seated, a tablet was provided for me to place my order. I was relieved to find that they did have a lunch menu, with options like set meals and rice bowls. I decided to order the "Tuna 2-variety set meal" (tax included ¥1,098) and chose the regular rice portion and warm udon. The meal arrived in about 7-8 minutes, and the staff explained that the yellow item in the middle was a mango pudding dessert. The tuna set meal included two varieties of tuna, rice, a weekly side dish, pickles, tororo udon, and mango pudding. The tuna slices were thick and generous, with a total of 8 large pieces - 4 of lean tuna and 4 of fatty tuna. I enjoyed them with plenty of wasabi, although I learned the hard way that too much wasabi can be overpowering. The meal had a luxurious feel, and the tuna slices were satisfyingly thick. The rice portion was decent, although the texture was a bit disappointing. The weekly side dish appeared to be boneless fried horse mackerel with a side of pickled cabbage, which was tasty with the accompanying sauce. The udon had a strong salted seaweed topping, which paired well with the noodles. The pickles were heavily salted and better suited as a side dish for rice. The mango pudding was average in taste. I used my last shareholder benefit coupon on this meal, so I wanted to spend over ¥1,000. The portion was quite generous, and the staff provided excellent service, even escorting me outside with a warm farewell. I hope Isomaru Suisan continues to thrive. Thank you for the meal.

I had lunch at a chain seafood izakaya located between Shinjuku Street and Yasukuni Street in the Shinjuku 3-chome area. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant has shortened its business hours and there was plenty of space during lunchtime. I was seated at the counter as a solo diner and ordered the extra-large Tekka-don for 868 yen. When the Tekka-don arrived, I noticed that the color was quite pale. It lacked the redness typical of tuna, which was a bit disappointing. The portion of rice was quite generous, so I had to eat a whole piece of tuna to balance it out. I managed to finish it with a good balance. The prices displayed were excluding tax, so I was momentarily misled into thinking it was more affordable than it actually was.

I went to have lunch with a friend at Isomaru Suisan in Shinjuku. Instead of a set meal where everything comes at once, we could choose various dishes freely at this izakaya. It was great because usually izakayas only serve set meals during lunchtime. However, Isomaru Suisan offers izakaya menu all day long. We both love shellfish, so we started with a "shellfish assortment" which included white clams, scallops, sazae, and surf clams. They were served live in their shells for us to grill ourselves. We didn't drink alcohol, so I had green juice and my friend had oolong tea. We enjoyed grilling the shellfish and eating them. It's challenging to grill fish without burning it, unlike shellfish. We also ordered sea grapes, which were served with sliced onions and tasted delicious. For the main dish, we had grilled Pacific saury, which was part of the "Pacific saury fair" they were having. It was served with rice and miso soup with seaweed. We had a satisfying and enjoyable lunch trying out various dishes.

Eel bowl for 989 yen. Today, I treated myself to a massage and a hair salon visit for some self-care. The advantage of having weekdays off is that you receive attentive customer service wherever you go. It's great to be able to eat eel of this size for less than 1000 yen. This is my second time having eel this year. ✨

I used this place to casually drink with a friend. The first floor was full, so we were initially offered the third floor, but after seeing the narrow staircase, we declined and were seated on the second floor. The staircase was very narrow, barely meeting building code standards at around 80cm wide, making it impossible for people to pass each other. There have been frequent fires in the mixed-use buildings in Shinjuku's entertainment district, so I was a little worried about whether we could evacuate smoothly in case of a fire. The tables were small, with a gas stove and ashtray on top. The smoke and smell from cigarettes weren't noticeable due to the grilling. We ordered draft beer (¥549 each including tax x3), edamame (¥329 including tax x1), grilled squid and mushrooms in foil (¥549 including tax x1), and oolong highball (¥461 including tax x1). They didn't have bottled beer, which was a bit disappointing. Opening a bottle of beer yourself is part of the fun, as you can trust that it's from the manufacturer listed. However, with draft beer, you can't be sure what's inside, which is a bit unsettling. Along with the beer, we were served a compulsory appetizer (¥406 including tax x2). We started with a toast with the beer. Since the staff probably wouldn't tell us the brand of the beer, we had no choice but to think of it as a genuine, authentic beer. This made me doubt if it was really authentic. The waitress pointed out that the small fish they served as an appetizer were smelt, from Alaska or Norway, but she didn't call them smelt. Even if they were real, they were probably cheap males. The edamame was bland and watery because it was pre-boiled and cooled. It lacked saltiness, which was good to avoid consuming too much salt. The grilled squid and mushroom in foil was a typical dish in a Shinjuku izakaya. The steam rising from the foil was a sign that it was ready. Opening the foil to reveal the squid and mushrooms was the highlight of the dish. The squid was minimal, not even enough for one person. It lacked tentacles. The mushrooms were shiitake and shimeji. The squid's flavor seeped into the broth, enhancing the mushrooms. Overall, I think this place is average for a Shinjuku izakaya, but the uncertainty about the beer quality detracts from the overall experience.

From Nagoya to Tokyo, if you pass Yokohama and Shinagawa, you'll find yourself at a place like this. I never even thought about the scenery while commuting to practice with a script in hand, music playing through my earphones, completely engrossed in pursuing my dream. I was determined to succeed, to achieve my goal which had always been my dream. Meeting with friends who shared the same goal, we made a promise to meet again since our last gathering. We arrived 30 minutes early for the start of the year-end party, unable to resist having a drink. We ordered a red wine, then another friend arrived and also ordered a red wine. As half of the group gathered, we finished our third glass of wine just before the start time of 6:00 PM. We notified the staff that we would be late for the 7:00 PM start of the year-end party, and they kindly agreed to delay the start. We settled the bill and the party with 10 participants began. Cheers! We enjoyed drinks like Yuzu Honey Shochu Highball, and one friend mentioned how much they enjoyed the same drink, saying it was quite addictive. They seemed happy, talking about appearing in a commercial and being the lead in a stage play. Without realizing it, we were all celebrating each other's growth and wishing each other well. "What are you doing?" It was the same as always, but recently I've been feeling a bit old. We ordered dishes like whole grilled squid, grilled scallops, and sashimi platter. When I made the reservation over the phone, I mentioned that one person in our group couldn't eat fish due to allergies, and they were able to provide alternatives like thick-cut bacon and sausages, which was amazing. Thank you, Isomaru Suisan Shinjuku Minami Exit store, for a satisfying year-end party for one at ¥3500. I look forward to seeing these people again, the ones I can boast about, my friends. Just one more stop from Tokyo to Nagoya, I had forgotten something, dropped something, my scarf. I will visit again! Thank you very much☆彡

I went to the Isomaru Suisan izakaya chain in Shinjuku San-chome on a Friday night around 6:00 PM with a foreign friend. We were seated on the 3rd floor and had to climb steep stairs. We had to take off our shoes. My friend loved the lovely interior. The prices for the food were reasonable. The sashimi was okay, but the grilled fish and sea grapes were delicious.

I went with a friend to the restaurant. As soon as we entered, the smell of seaweed smoke filled the air. We ordered drinks and snacks, and then the staff started a rock-paper-scissors tournament. The winner's table would get half off the bill, and I won, so I really got a discount! I thought I could drink a lot, so I ordered a few glasses of shochu, but it was weak and I didn't get drunk at all. Even though the alcohol wasn't great, I was satisfied because I ate a lot of sazae, scallops, and clams. It was a fun experience!

We were drinking in Shinjuku Sanchome and one of the members really wanted to eat the crab miso grilled in the shell here. We were seated at a table on the second floor. As usual, we ordered three servings of crab miso grilled in the shell and two servings of Otoko Yama sake (4 small cups). We enjoyed the crab miso grilled in the shell little by little, taking sips of Otoko Yama sake. When it started to get burnt, we added more sake, which turned out to be just the right balance. Towards the end, it became too much effort to eat with chopsticks, so we used a spoon (laughs). In the end, we had five servings of crab miso grilled in the shell and eight servings of Otoko Yama sake before we disbanded.

When searching for Isomaru in the Shinjuku area, a ridiculous number of stores pop up. It's surprising how many stores they have. It's amazing that they're open 24 hours. Since it's a seafood-focused izakaya, the restaurant smells of grilled seafood. The appetizer is seafood and satsuma-age. The fish, maybe kibinago? The color looks good. You grill it yourself, which is delicious. The satsuma-age is a bit on the salty side, but perfect as a snack. Overall, it's an easy-to-use restaurant.

Isumaru Suisan is usually used as a drinking establishment by most people, but in my case, I don't drink alcohol so I mainly used it as a seafood set meal restaurant. My favorite dish there was the squid rings tempura. It was the ultimate combination that I could be fully satisfied with just that and rice. However, when I went there recently, the squid rings tempura was no longer on the menu and had been replaced with fried squid. Fried squid just doesn't cut it as a main dish with rice...