Nidaitoyokuni Seafood Restaurant

Nidaitoyokuni is a great example of the good value bars and eateries around Shinbashi Station. While the set lunches for 900 yen are not that unusual around here, the addition of all-you-can-eat maguro (tuna) sashimi, rice and chazuke dashi (a hot/mild-flavored soup poured over rice) is quite exceptional.

The specialty of this place is apparent from the tank of live fish just next to the nondescript entrance. If you can’t read any Japanese, take careful note of our exterior photo and let Google Maps take care of the rest. The signage included, Nidaitoyokuni makes absolutely no concessions for English speakers.

Luckily, the lunch menu is well illustrated and the pricing is straightforward—all lunch sets are 900 yen. If you come here for dinner, don’t expect the cheap sets—or a menu with photos on it. An evening at Nidaitoyokuni will probably set you back about 4,000yen.

On our visit, there were four sets available. A tempura donburi* and sashimi set, a maguro chazuke set, a grilled fish set and a set of the day. All of the sets come with as much rice and soup as you want. The maguro chazuke set also comes with as much maguro sashimi as you can eat.

*donburi = a rice bowl dish

Chazuke is a cross between a donburi and a soup. You put various ingredients including the sashimi on your rice and pour the chazuke dashi over your bowl from a small teapot.

We’re not talking top grade maguro here, it’s what’s known as akami—the redder meat of the fish with a lower fat content. It was still good enough for us to have 5 bowls between us!

In addition to the good food, the interior of the restaurant is going for a traditional feel with a stone paved floor, tiled eaves above the tables and a couple of private booths for diners. For a filling, healthy lunch, Nidaitoyokuni is thoroughly recommended.

by TC Team