ぷらだs
Next to the Gindako Highball stand near Kinshicho Station, where the popular izakaya "Beetle" used to be, there is now a flashy sign for a new era of casual izakaya chain called "New Era." I was always curious about their sign advertising beer for 190 yen and skewers for 50 yen, but it was always too crowded whenever I passed by at night, so I couldn't go in. However, this time, on my way to Kinshicho Station after drinking elsewhere, I saw that the counter was empty and decided to give it a try. I sat at the counter and ordered two draft beers and one highball since it was my second stop of the night. The highball was also only 150 yen. The appetizer cost 300 yen and was very small, but it had some kind of gatsu (guts?) underneath cucumbers, which wasn't bad as a snack. The jock size was normal, and the best part was the quick service. There were many staff members, making ordering easy, and they had four automatic servers and a dedicated staff member for making alcohol, which was very efficient and systematic. This was impressive. Since I had already been drinking elsewhere and didn't plan on eating much, I wanted to keep it around 1,000 yen, so I ordered two skewers and some quail eggs in soy sauce for 250 yen. The skewers were crispy chicken skin with a seasoning reminiscent of the famous "Yamachan" with pepper, sugar, and umami boost. It was a magical spice blend that went well with beer and highballs. The quail eggs were the classic "donguri" type. I used to eat them a lot at a cheap izakaya back in my student days, but now they are quite expensive. Getting 6 eggs for 250 yen was a good deal. In total, I had 2 beers, 1 highball, an appetizer, 2 skewers, and quail eggs for about 1,300 yen. With some control, you could have 3 drinks for just around 1,000 yen. It's a good place, but as DEN mentioned, the tax-inclusive pricing was so small you could barely see it. They should just display it clearly instead of trying to hide something. Also, some of the skewers other than the chicken skin were a bit pricey, but if you're drinking alone, it's still affordable and the lively atmosphere is great. They didn't accept QR payments, but I appreciated the clear itemized receipt. If the counter is empty next time, I might drop by again. This cheap beer chain near the south exit might just surpass Teketeke and Torimero.