Shinjidai is a popular izakaya with over 100 stores in Japan, with stores in Akihabara (their main store), Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Shimbashi in Tokyo – and knowing how expensive Tokyo can get, having a ¥190 / $1.21 glass of Asahi Super Dry draft beer and a ¥50 / $0.32 skewer of chicken skin skewer as bar chow is already an awesome value-for-money deal in this amazing city. And if you’re not in Tokyo, they also have stores in Osaka and Kyoto so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to visit this izakaya when touring around Japan.
What’s good at Shinjidai, you ask? Well, they they are known for their cheap AF chicken skin skewers that’s crispy on the outside yet chewy on the inside – this alone is worth the visit. Plus at ¥50 / $0.32 per skewer, you can have as much as you want without even denting your travel budget.
I went to Shinjidai’s Akihabara location which is their main store to experience it for myself. 🙂
Menu & Recommendations (What to Eat at Shinjidai)
Shinjidai offers an extensive menu, with plenty of food and drinks to choose from. There’s plenty on the menu so I’m just gonna go through my recommendations and the prices for each (do note that the prices I’ve listed down below are as of my last visit and can change at any time).
- Denkushi / Chicken Skin Skewers (¥50 / $0.32 per stick) – crispy and chewy chicken skin skewers that’s fried then drizzled with Shinjidai’s special sweet and tangy sauce and then finished with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. This is a must-try as this is the main star of the show at Shinjidai. At an unbelievable ¥50 a stick, it’s a no-brainer.
- Kushikatsu (¥180 / $1.15 per stick) – you can choose from curry kushikatsu, miso kushikatsu, or special sauce kushikatsu. Shinjidai is known for their curry kushikatsu so that’s definitely worth a try.
- Iron Plate bar chows – goodies served in sizzling iron plate includes Teppanyaki noodles (¥580), Corn and Butter (¥450), Pork with Green Onions (¥580), Tonpeiyaki or Pork Belly and Cabbage Omelette (¥580).
If that’s not enough and if you’re looking for some all-you-can-drink (nomihodai) experience, Shinjidai also offers this for a very reasonable price. They have All-you-can-drink with standard food course: ¥2,750 / $17.53 for 90 minutes and ¥3,300yen / $21.03 for 120 minutes, and All-you-can-drink with full course food: ¥3,300yen / $21.03 for 90 minutes and ¥3,850 / $24.55 yen for 120 minutes, respectively. It seems they have recently just upped their nomihodai prices though (maybe due to inflation) based on the updated prices on their menu board but still, prices are competitive.
As for Shinjidai’s drink menu, it’s equally as extensive and very affordable as their food menu with surprising and unexpected menu items. Below are some of the highlights and regular beer / drink prices when I visited:
- Asahi Super Dry Draft Beer – ¥190 / $1.21
- Highball – ¥350 / $2.23
- Garigari-Kun Sour (comes with Garigari-Kun ice popsicle) – ¥390 / $2.48
- Kahlua Milk Cocktail – ¥390 / $2.48
- Shochu with Tea – ¥290 / $1.85
- Peach Oolong Cocktail – ¥390 / $2.48
The Shinjidai Izakaya Experience
I went to Shinjidai’s Akihabara location which is their main store. Being their main store, Shinjidai Akihabara is pretty big consisting of two spacious floors and this store is open 24 hours so that’s a big plus since you know they’re open anytime you’re free to go.
The atmosphere inside is very lively and friendly with mostly locals ending the night chatting with friends and colleagues over beer and chicken skin skewers. At the first floor there’s a counter seating area that can accommodate customers who are dining alone, and on the second floor is a mess hall which can get even livelier.
If you’re a solo traveler, you’ll particularly like this Akihabara location because of their counter seating area at the first level where you face the showcase kitchen and maybe watch the cooking action and soak in the energy of everything that’s going on in the izakaya. I sat in this section, and there were also other locals going solo.
After I gave my initial food and drink order, they served me an otoshi (a small compulsory appetizer) of sauteed lotus root which probably accounted for the ¥300 ‘Seat Fee’ that they included in my final bill.
The food was great; I ordered 5 denkushi (chicken skin skewers) and a stick of their original curry kushikatsu which were already enough for me. Although I didn’t order beer because I wanted to try their other drinks, I can say that their denkushi and kushikatsu pairs perfectly well with a nice cold glass of Asahi beer (as well as their other drinks that I tried).
As for their drinks, I got their Garigari-Kun Sour (¥390 / $2.48) which is a glass of sour that came with Garigari-Kun soda-flavored ice popsicle which is a popular soda shaved ice popsicle in Japan. Tell you what, this was the perfect combination and it was a playful take on the beloved Garigari-Kun. I enjoyed dipping the popsicle into the drink and then mixing them both, which made for an entertaining experience on its own.
I also went for their Mega Kahlua Milk cocktail (¥780 / $4.98). I was surprised by the size of the mug when they served it – the drink’s so big and so heavy and you’ll occasionally have to use both hands just to drink because your hand will start trembling if you just use one hand. It’s that heavy (and very cost effective).
It’s not only their creative menu and cheap prices, it’s also their friendly and lively atmosphere that makes a visit to Shinjidai worthwhile.
Is Shinjidai worth it?
For their denkushi chicken skin skewers (¥50) and beer (¥190) alone, I can definitely say that this place is worth a visit when you’re in Tokyo (or Osaka, or Kyoto for that matter). I mean, if you’re just looking for a cheap izakaya to have a few bites and a glass of bear to end your long day walking around doing touristy stuff, then this place is unbeatable.
I also love how they mix things up and have unique dishes and drinks that are cheap – it seems “cheap” is a common thing among their menu items here. But at Shinjidai, cheap does not mean low quality. It’s actually really good and the atmosphere is lively and friendly so I highly recommend this place, especially if you want to try an authentic izakaya experience in Tokyo without having to spend too much!
Location Map
Head to JR Akihabara Station or Tokyo Metro Akihabara Station, then it’s just around 5 minutes walk from there. Check it out on the map below.
