Along Akarenga Street in Shinbashi, at the corner of Shinbashi 3-chome near the traffic light, there is a izakaya located underground. Masukame Shinbashi branch has a narrow and unassuming entrance, but as you descend the stairs and enter through the entrance on the basement floor, you will find that the space inside is surprisingly spacious. There are semi-private sunken kotatsu-style seating areas, and the restaurant can accommodate up to 50 seats. Despite this, the table seats are almost full, and the place is still bustling. The interior of the restaurant has a traditional Japanese izakaya atmosphere, with sake labels and brands displayed on the walls. As the name suggests, this place offers a wide selection of local sake. While they also serve typical izakaya dishes like skewers and fried foods, the highlight here is the seafood. Upon being seated, we ordered a sashimi platter, as well as some turban shell and bonito tataki. We also ordered a bottle of Juyondai (from Yamagata) to accompany our meal. The friendly owner was busy moving around the tables, taking orders and serving customers. The sashimi was quite generous and delicious, especially the turban shell. The sake was served in masu cups, just as the name of the restaurant suggests, and the owner poured us a full cup of one cup of sake. While my memory of the taste is a bit hazy, the Juyondai was also very good. For the second round, we tried Tateyama River (also from Yamagata), continuing with the Yamagata theme for the evening (though it was not planned). Recently, there has been a rise in izakayas that specialize in Japanese sake, but it's nice to know that you can still enjoy delicious local sake at a place like Masukame, which is also quite affordable. The Shinbashi area is filled with popular izakayas known for their delicious seafood, such as Uogashi Group, but there are many hidden gems like this one where you can enjoy great food without having to wait in line for a popular spot. Masukame might just be one of those hidden gems.

I arrived at the restaurant after about an 8-minute walk from Shinbashi Station. I was a bit lost at first, but eventually found it in a corner of the Akarenga Street, surrounded by many affordable izakayas and bars. The restaurant was bustling with office workers on a weekend evening. Despite arriving an hour late due to a delayed flight, they kindly kept our reservation and we were grateful for that. The food and drinks were served promptly after ordering, and the full house was very lively! Although I didn't take many photos, all the dishes were generous in portion and delicious. I didn't hesitate to order the top-ranked New Politics, which was fruity and delicious like white wine. We also ordered another dish and left the restaurant feeling satisfied. Thank you for the wonderful meal! I will definitely visit again!

I visited a restaurant known for its sake and fresh fish. I tried the all-you-can-drink local sake and the sea bream shabu-shabu course. There were over 10 different types of sake available, which allowed me to enjoy a variety of flavors. The sashimi and sea bream shabu-shabu were delicious. The only downside was that the restaurant was noisy, but the food and value for money were excellent.

It's Friday night. Tonight, five middle-aged men are having a New Year's party. Although our workplaces are now scattered, we used to share the same hardships and experiences in the past. It's been two years since we last met. The organizer chose "Masukame" in Shinbashi as our meeting spot, a place that holds special memories for us. As I enter the restaurant at 6:30, there is only one other group of customers. But by 7 o'clock, the place is packed. The atmosphere is lively, just like an izakaya should be. We, the rowdy middle-aged men, enjoy our food and drinks while following the rules, only lowering our masks when eating and drinking. We have all mellowed with age. It's a precious time spent with good friends, immersed in conversation. I walk to Kasumigaseki station alone after saying goodbye to my friends. The night air is cold but refreshing. And that's the end of a wonderful meal. Summary: We opted for a la carte dining with a two-hour all-you-can-drink option. The selection of sake was impressive, with over ten varieties available. The female owner was charming, adding to the izakaya atmosphere. The food included items like fried tofu, sashimi platter, chicken karage, grilled skewers, and more. The sake list featured popular brands like Bakuren, Kido, Kubota, and more. According to the owner, we consumed over two liters of sake in total.

It seems to be a shop that specializes in Japanese sake. I was recommended the whale dish, so I ordered the whale karaage. It was a fairly large portion of meat, different from the typical round karaage. The taste was unique. Eating it with Korean seaweed and sesame salt was also a good idea. The restaurant exuded a nice izakaya-like atmosphere.

(Prologue... Drinking party) - The state of emergency due to Corona has been lifted, so we decided to have a light drink in Shinbashi. We chose this restaurant based on a recommendation from a former regular at Masukame in Kanda. It was located about a 5-minute walk from Shinbashi. We reserved a course that includes dishes (5 types of sashimi, 3 types of delicacies, mountain and sea skewers, tofu dishes, soba) and all-you-can-drink sake for 4480 yen. First, we toasted with draft beer. It had been a while since we had drinks with friends, so we drank like water. After about three glasses, we switched to sake. (Sake we drank) - Kubota, Ichinokura, Kudoki Jozu, Urakasumi, Yauemon, Suigei, Karahige *Up to this point is the basic set. Unfortunately, Kuro Ryu was sold out due to a previous customer, so the sake after this will vary daily. - Kido, Shimetsubaki, Dewazakura *I don't remember much after this. Before I knew it, the closing soba was brought to us. (Summary... It was a great deal.) - After drinking a lot, 2 hours had passed and it was time to close. Everyone was very satisfied. Due to the impact of Corona, there were fewer customers that day, so there was no delay in the all-you-can-drink service. It was a fantastic experience for sake lovers. As a result... the next day, I worked diligently with a serene attitude like Jizo Bodhisattva.

The assorted sashimi, grilled chicken skewers, whale tataki, and whale namero were all delicious, but the whale tataki was a first for me! By searing it, the gaminess was reduced compared to sashimi, and it had a savory flavor. There were also other whale dishes like whale tempura available. All dishes had generous portions that were perfect for sharing with friends. This restaurant is great for group events like company dinners, as well as for casual drinks with friends due to its welcoming atmosphere.

There was someone who doesn't like seafood, so we used the "Steamed Shabu-Shabu All-You-Can-Eat Course + Premium All-You-Can-Drink" course with 8 people. The food was delicious, and there were about 10-20 types of sake available for all-you-can-drink, which made our sake-loving bosses very happy. Highly recommended.

I used this restaurant for a welcome party at work. It was a great place for a large group, with smoking allowed and private rooms available. We enjoyed the course meal which was very filling, and there were even all-you-can-eat dishes. I was very satisfied and would definitely like to visit again.

It's great that they offer all-you-can-drink delicious sake.

We used this restaurant for a year-end party at work. The variety of dishes and drinks was good, but the taste of the food was neither particularly good nor bad. Smoking was allowed inside, so it was fine when there were smokers at the table, but it might be better to avoid it if there are no smokers.

I visited this restaurant for a company drinking party. It's a small place, but the seating is packed tightly with no gaps. Smoking is allowed inside, so almost all seats are smoking and the ventilation is not sufficient, making it a tough environment. They have a good selection of sake, but it's not really an atmosphere to enjoy a meal. Thank you for the meal.

This is truly a typical izakaya in Shinbashi. The biggest selling point is the all-you-can-drink option with several kinds of local sake available. The selection may vary depending on the day, but this time they had Kuro Ryu, Tsuchidokawa, Urakasumi, and Kubota Senju. From regular to special brews, it was sufficient. Maybe a bit too crowded though. The long, narrow tatami room at the back with only one entrance was squeezing in different groups at the front and back. There were about 10 and 6 people, I think. Since it's rare to have a group of more than 16 people, they must be used to operating like this. The food was quite ordinary, but having well-known local sake in the all-you-can-drink lineup was definitely a plus. That's probably why the organizer chose this place. On the other hand, I wonder about the service from the older lady. When we asked for more soup because the pot was getting low, she mumbled about us not eating fast enough. And when someone with low alcohol tolerance left their first beer untouched and ordered a non-alcoholic drink, she muttered something about it being a one-time thing. The other younger staff members were doing their best though. It's a shame. You can drink good sake cheaply here, but...

There are various kinds of Japanese sake, delicious food, and it seriously makes you want to drink! The recommended sake shop by my boss was perfect, but I forgot to take a photo. The cozy atmosphere of the shop was great, and chatting with the owner was enjoyable. I will definitely go back again.

It was delicious. A bit expensive? The staff, who seemed to be part-time workers, were bright and cheerful.

The fish is delicious. It can be enjoyed in various ways such as sashimi, fry, simmered, and hot pot, all of which were really delicious.

I also visited the Shinagawa store, and the consistent deliciousness and the friendly staff there are really great.

It was quite noisy, probably because it's the year-end party season. We had a reservation for 5 people in a semi-private space, but it felt cramped. The food was average.

Snow crab is delicious! Horse sashimi is delicious!

It's nice that you can drink all-you-can-drink sake at a decent level, but the food is just average izakaya quality. Nothing particularly noteworthy.