On Saturday night, I visited this restaurant that I had been curious about as the second place to go. I was already quite full from the first place, so I just had two beers and the stir-fried bean sprouts with tomatoes. The stir-fried bean sprouts (which was actually called "Champon" and was the specialty of the restaurant) was incredibly delicious! The restaurant was spacious and next time I will make sure to come here as the first place to visit. It is non-smoking, but there is a smoking room available, so it's not a problem for smokers. The staff, who seemed to have been working there for a long time, had a great atmosphere. I will definitely come back again!

I went to "Hachioki" and "Okisan" in Hibiya because I wanted to try a lively, non-chain restaurant. The restaurant is located under the train tracks, with the seating area on the second floor. It was quite spacious inside, with about 70% full on a Saturday night. They have various table sizes, suitable for both small and large groups. I tried the strong Umeshu Highball for 450 yen, so be careful not to drink too much at once. The signature dish, Charumen for 420 yen, is a savory stir-fry with bean sprouts, minced meat, and leeks. It's a hearty dish that's popular among male customers. They also serve large portions of fried chicken and octopus. The yakisoba is light on ingredients, perfect for those who enjoy drinking. They close at 11:30 pm with the last order at 10:30 pm, making it a great spot for a second round of drinks or a lively gathering. I will definitely visit again for another fun night out. Thank you for the meal! *Note: It may be difficult to reach them by phone, so it's recommended to make reservations during off-peak hours.

After receiving a casual business meeting in Ginza, I decided to stop by Hakkoshi for a light drink before heading home. I had been here a long time ago, but it was a nice revisit. The restaurant is located on the second floor, and it is quite spacious inside. There is also a smoking room available, which is appreciated by smokers. There are no table charges or seating fees, and you are not required to order a certain number of dishes, so it's a great place to just have one more drink before leaving.

This restaurant is one of my favorites in Yurakucho. It's not fancy, more like a typical under-the-tracks kind of place, but it's spacious and has a relaxed atmosphere. Everyone is usually loud, so you can be too without any issues. It's popular with salarymen. If you want a quiet, intimate atmosphere, this might not be the best choice. The staff is laid-back and even though it's common to be asked to leave after 2 hours nowadays, they don't mind if you stay for 3-4 hours.

"Hachioki @ Yurakucho Char-men ¥420, grilled pork skewers (5 pieces) ¥480, large bottle of beer ¥630, hoppy set (black) ¥550, grilled mackerel with salt ¥490, medium size ¥240. Established in 1954, the popular izakaya "Hachioki". I thought it was a small shop, but it turned out to be quite spacious. The grilled pork skewers set of 5 for ¥480 is a good deal. The Char-men was not noodles as I expected, but rather a salty meat, leek, and bean sprout stir-fry. Even on a Friday night, if you're dining alone, you can easily find a seat. The grilled pork skewers include liver, heart, tongue, cartilage, and white meat. The sauce is slightly sweet, so you can add some spiciness with the shichimi on the table. #Yurakucho #Ginza #izakaya #Hachioki #Char-men"

The reviewer used to frequent this place when working in Kyobashi. It was usually the third or fourth stop of the night, offering a wide selection of drinks. The food was not the main focus for the reviewer, but the atmosphere was like a paradise. On this particular day, they had "squid grilled whole" and "leek and egg" as their dishes, finishing off with white beer. They usually end their night with a solo ramen at Mitakeya in Nerima. The bill included a large bottle of Kirin Lager beer for ¥630, a large tokkuri of dry sake for ¥990, hormone stamina fried for ¥420, grilled eggplant for ¥400, squid grilled whole for ¥690, leek and egg for ¥460, rice for ¥300, totaling ¥4,190.

After Il Pontentino, I briefly visited this place. Despite being right in the heart of Yurakucho, it was my first time here. I was surprised by the size of the interior. Enjoyed some fried potatoes and the reliable highball. Around 500 yen per person. It's too cheap. In the end, we settled on the fact that this kind of thing is just right.

After a long time, I was invited to a drinking party at a popular venue known for its charm. I thought it was a Chinese restaurant because of the popular menu items, but I couldn't find a place that looked like it. We toasted with a large bottle of beer for 630 yen and a highball for 450 yen. The dish that caused the confusion was the Char Siu for 420 yen, which turned out to be a stir-fry dish with bean sprouts, chives, and ground pork. I was surprised that it wasn't a noodle dish! We also had grilled pork skewers (5 pieces) for 480 yen, which included various parts like cheek, cartilage, tongue, intestine, and liver, costing less than 100 yen per piece. The Popeye Egg for 470 yen was a foil-baked egg dish, not the scrambled eggs with spinach I had imagined. The Goya Champuru for 510 yen was a simple dish of bitter melon and eggs, which I now enjoy the bitterness of. I requested the Buttered Potatoes for 440 yen, a foil-baked dish with corn, which is my current favorite. The Yakisoba for 460 yen was a simple version with few toppings, perfect for someone who likes simple dishes like ramen or soba. The sour drinks at the izakaya were cheaper than beer but mostly ice, making them not as cheap as they seem. One of my companions tried a shochu highball with less ice for 400 yen, and it turned out to have significantly less ice (see 8th photo)! We ended up ordering a total of 7 shochu highballs between the two of us. The bill came to 10,760 yen for the three of us. It was a fun year-end party after a long time.

At the start of the year-end party season in December, I visited a place with some excitement to try the famous dish called "Charmen". I arrived a bit early, so I took a stroll around the Yuraku-sanjiki market next door. The surrounding shops all looked really run-down, so I assumed that only foreigners or those in desperate need would be drinking there. I returned to the restaurant and saw my companion, who had already finished his drink. It was still early, and the place was empty, so we chose a seat and started ordering. I had imagined "Charmen" to be a fusion of ramen and fried rice, but what arrived was a stir-fry dish with minced meat, bean sprouts, and leeks. It was a salty vegetable stir-fry, lacking any resemblance to what I had imagined. It seemed like a dish meant for a heavy drinker.

Today, there was a drinking party in Yurakucho. The designated restaurant was the Yurakucho branch of the old-fashioned bar "Yakki" in Akabane Okachimachi. The atmosphere of the spacious interior is like a true public bar. Last time I visited, it was packed, but this time it was empty. Well, it's December and a Monday, and with the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, maybe there's a self-restraint mood? Each person ordered their favorite drink and... Cheers! Ah, Hoppy is delicious indeed. When ordering, the staff informed us that the Akabane Yakki had closed down. Yakki was established in 1954, and the closure of a bar representing the Showa era is sad for various reasons. I wanted to visit one more time before it closed. - Charmin ¥420: A must-order with its catchy name, a specialty dish of Yakki. Stir-fried Charmin with crunchy bean sprouts, leeks, and minced pork in a secret sauce. When you take a bite of the hot dish, the aroma of garlic and sesame oil spreads in your mouth. - Grilled skewers (5 pieces) ¥480: Includes various parts such as pork cheek, knuckle, tongue, white meat, liver. 5 pieces for ¥480 is a great deal. - Popeye Egg ¥470: Sorry, I couldn't help but order it. A mysterious object wrapped in aluminum foil, with parsley next to the foil, what's the meaning of that? When you open the foil, spinach with a little bacon on top, and an egg in the middle. - Goya Champuru ¥510: Bitterness of Goya wrapped in a mild egg. - Chikuwa Mentaiko Age ¥450: Idea dish of stuffing mentaiko in chikuwa and frying it. - Yakisoba ¥460: Simple yakisoba with noodles as the main, the red pickled ginger on the side stands out. Soft and chewy noodles, the taste of the sauce is nostalgic. I noticed that many customers were coming in. Yurakucho is known for having many salarymen, and the conversations around provide a good background music. Also, another thing to note is that since it's under the viaduct, you can hear the sound of trains passing by. People who have a soft voice, muffled voice, or are hard of hearing might want to avoid this place. We switched to room temperature halfway through. Since I was with people who spoke clearly and loudly, the conversation went smoothly. We had a great time until late.

This is an izakaya located under the elevated tracks in Hibiya, between Yurakucho Station and Shinbashi. It's on the 2nd floor, so it might be a hidden gem. When the situation with COVID-19 was starting to improve, around 9 PM, the place was packed with salarymen having a great time! This is how an izakaya should be. The staff are plentiful and everyone is drinking cheerfully. The menu has a wide variety of options, so you can enjoy many different dishes. If you want to feel the energy of the city, you should definitely check this place out!

This is a zone located about a 5-minute walk from the Yurakucho Line, an old drinking street that exudes a pretty deep atmosphere (laughs). I came here to enjoy the famous spicy miso ramen and hoppy, and to have a relaxing time with yakitori. The combination of spicy miso ramen is perfect. The combination of yakitori and pickles is also perfect. I started with a draft beer and then switched to hoppy, and the atmosphere was good! You can also smoke cigarettes here, but the staff kept a distance between those who smoke and those who don't! They also have salads and sashimi, making it a convenient izakaya.

This is a great place to use for a second party. Even with around 10 people on a Friday night, we were able to get in. It's a favorite among salarymen! The atmosphere is like an old-fashioned izakaya, with food that is relatively cheap and quite tasty (with a traditional izakaya flavor). It's a fun night to enjoy with a large group of people.

Today, I met a junior colleague I used to be close with when I lived in Kansai, for the second time in Nakano. Since my training is ending soon and I will be returning to Kansai, we decided to have a drink before that. We chose Yurakucho as the location, considering it's on both of our ways home and close to Ginza. Yurakucho is known for being expensive due to its proximity to Ginza, but there are affordable izakayas under the train tracks. After some thought, we settled on Yaki, a place where you can eat anything. We ordered the Happy Set first, which offers a drink and food set for 800 yen, a great deal! I had a large bottle of beer and the Charumenn, a specialty here which is stir-fried bean sprouts with garlic and egg, perfect with beer. My junior colleague had draft beer and a set of five grilled skewers. He seemed to really like the Charumenn. We also ordered chilled tomatoes, fried cartilage, a sashimi platter, simmered tripe, yakisoba, grilled saury, and potato salad. Oh, and I had seconds of the Charumenn! For drinks, I had three large bottles in total, while my junior colleague had two chuhais in addition to the draft beer. And all of this cost less than 4000 yen per person. We continued our conversation from the other day, discussing updates on mutual acquaintances and our future plans. Since we both have children, as fathers, we are also concerned about their future. The dishes were nothing extraordinary, but they were all delicious for the price, making it a great deal considering the location in Yurakucho! I would definitely visit again. After seeing my junior colleague off at Yurakucho station, I headed to my next destination alone.

I can't believe I didn't know about this izakaya before, being a fan of them. What a wonderful place in Yurakucho! It's lively and everyone looks like they're having a great time. The staff is kind too. I enjoyed the famous champon, simmered dish, grilled pork, and two large draft beers. It was a happy time.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they seem to be consciously guiding customers to sit at the edges. The snacks are occasionally not cost-effective, but the home-cooked taste is reassuring. This old restaurant has been around for a long time and has a very "this is an izakaya!" vibe, with many older regular customers. Recommended for those seeking a cozy izakaya experience.

The shop had a strikingly flashy exterior, and I was drawn in by the Happy Set advertised on the storefront. Upon climbing the stairs, I found the interior surprisingly spacious. I ordered the Happy Set, which allowed for various combinations, and chose Hoppy and grilled skewers. While waiting, I looked at the menu and noticed that the Hoppy was priced at 550 yen, which seemed a bit high. The skewers, on the other hand, were priced at 460 yen for 5 pieces, which seemed quite reasonable. The drinks took a while to arrive, and by the time the skewers came, my glass was empty. I also tried the Nakao, which cost 240 yen. The skewers were decently tasty, with a slightly rough grilling but still worth the 460 yen. The total bill came to 1,040 yen, which was a pleasant surprise. While I found the prices of the dishes to be on the higher side overall, with the right combination, the Happy Set could be a good deal. I would say the Happy Set is quite nice.

I visited a izakaya called "Hachioki" in Yurakucho, Tokyo. It's a place I like for its affordable drinks. In the area, there are many izakayas mainly located under the elevated train tracks, making it a great place for drinkers. What sets "Hachioki" apart from the others is its size. It's a large izakaya, boasting a spacious interior with plenty of seats available. While there is no counter seating, there are usually empty seats, making it convenient for solo drinkers. The menu offers affordable options if you choose wisely, but some items can be pricey, so be careful. I ordered a small tokkuri of "Ranman" sake (tax included 340 yen) and opted for hot sake this time. For snacks, I chose the grilled skewers (5 pieces, tax included 460 yen), which you can't choose the meat type but offers great value for money. For a finishing touch, I ordered the yakisoba (tax included 450 yen), which has a high noodle-to-topping ratio. Despite the limited toppings, it's a good deal considering the price. There are no appetizers, and I had a satisfying evening for a total of 1,250 yen. It's a great place to visit.

Under the Yurakucho guard, there is a popular izakaya called "Yaoiki" that has a similar atmosphere to Shinbashi. The restaurant is spacious and has a Showa era vibe. It seems like they recently started serving lunch as it was not crowded when I visited. It is said to be a sister store of Yaoiki in Akabane. They offer a great value lunch menu with options like rice refills for free and draft beer for 200 yen. I tried their cheapest option, the fried horse mackerel set for 600 yen, which came with two large pieces of crispy fried mackerel and cabbage. The food was unexpectedly delicious, especially the fluffy rice. I didn't need a refill, but the rice was so tasty that I couldn't stop eating. Overall, it was a great meal.

Tonight, we're hopping from Yurakucho Guard to have a few drinks! Let's stop by for a quick drink after work in this area! When you enter the store, it's quite a large establishment! And it's bustling with customers! Let's start at the counter seats facing the wall! Unfortunately, the grilled chicken breast we were interested in was sold out, so we had to change our plans. But let's move on! Here we go! Stamina fried hormone! The crispy hormone tempura has a satisfying chewiness! The more you chew, the more delicious it gets! It goes well with beer! Grilled yellowtail collar! It's a bit small for yellowtail, but it has just the right amount of fat and firm flesh! It was on the menu posted on the wall, so it might be a limited item, but the cost performance is excellent! Liver and garlic chives! 2 garlic chives to 8 livers! With a strong seasoning, it goes well with beer! It's packed with pork liver for an iron boost! We added a hoppy set! Should we call it a night early tonight? No way, the night is just beginning! Let's head towards Shinbashi for a little sobering up!