I came up from the underground passage and saw a sushi stand in front of the escalator, which wasn't there before. I had 15 minutes until my next appointment, so I decided to grab a quick bite. The sushi stand had only one group of customers, so I decided to eat there. I had squid for 132 yen, medium fatty tuna for 352 yen, and a trio of seared sushi (conger eel, salmon, and blackthroat seaperch) for 750 yen, totaling 1234 yen. The sushi rice was slightly warm and held together well when picked up, but melted in the mouth with a delicate texture. It was delicious! The location is convenient for grabbing a quick bite while drinking, and the place seemed newly opened and clean. Overall, I think it's a pretty good option!

I had 2 shimesaba, salmon, buri, akami, and chutoro for a total of 6 pieces for 1298 yen (tax included). Buri was 242 yen, chutoro was 352 yen, and the rest were 176 yen. I found out about this place from Rocket News. I visited on a weekend afternoon and there were always empty seats available. It's a standing counter-only shop with no baskets or storage space for belongings. There are hooks under the counter (although some places don't have them). There were two sushi chefs and one person handling the orders and payments. I wasn't sure if I could just take a seat at the empty spots, so I stood around waiting for a while. Finally, someone noticed me and I sat down at the counter. They have set menus, but I didn't plan on eating a lot, so I ordered a la carte. The sushi pieces were on the smaller side, which is great for those who want to try a variety of things. The quality of the fish was decent for the price. However, there wasn't anything that made me think "I have to come back here!" The shimesaba wasn't as fatty as I had hoped, which was disappointing. It's probably because it's the peak of summer. I'll have to come back in the fall for a rematch. It's tough with raw fish, as the best fish for the day isn't guaranteed. The chutoro that the person next to me was eating looked really delicious, so maybe ordering a set (they have sets of 3 pieces, for example) is a good idea here. They asked me about drinks first, and I chose tea. The tea cups were cute and not what you'd expect at a sushi restaurant. They didn't ask me, but I heard they also have cold tea available.

In the basement of Kinokuniya bookstore, there is a standing sushi bar. Today's main dish is here! I arrived 5 minutes before opening time, so I was able to enter early while staring at the menu. The Miyagi prefecture's early summer oysters were delicious. When asked for recommendations, the Matsusaka beef seared sushi was suggested. I usually don't go for meat sushi at a sushi restaurant, but let's give it a try. I had the following: early summer oysters, Matsusaka beef seared sushi (special for the opening), salmon sushi trio, scallops, and scallop sushi. The quality of the ingredients and the firmness of the rice were both excellent. The milky and juicy flavor of the early summer oysters was impressive. They also serve alcohol, and I noticed that the customers who arrived later were ordering beer. It seems like a great place to enjoy seasonal sushi and drinks while visiting Kinokuniya bookstore.

During renovation work, famous shops like Monsnack moved, and a standing sushi restaurant that had just opened after the construction was completed. Until July 2023, the entrance from the subway side was closed due to construction, so you could only enter from the back side towards Kabukicho, giving it a hidden gem sushi bar atmosphere. Even on a weekday evening, quite a few people were coming in. They offered set menus and a la carte options for sushi, with my family ordering the premium set with rolls and soup, while I opted for a la carte. Everything was delicious, especially the Hokkaido abalone and tuna. The oysters that my family ordered also looked plump and delicious. With draft beer, sake, and eating plenty of sushi, I thought it would cost around 10,000 yen per person, but it turned out to be just under 5,000 yen per person! If you feel like having casual sushi at a standing bar in Shinjuku, this place is highly recommended.

It's Sunday afternoon. The weather is so nice that I couldn't resist coming to Shinjuku. I plan to have meat in Kabukicho at night, so let's have lunch around Shinjuku until then. As I walked around, I noticed long lines at tempura, ramen, curry, and tonkatsu restaurants near the south exit. Most people had their trolley cases beside them, probably inbound tourists. How do they know about these places? Google Maps? Instagram? I remembered how weekends used to be before Corona, with crowded lunch spots. But what should I do now? As I walked behind the Kinokuniya Building, I remembered there was a cluster on the basement floor. Maybe there's at least one place that's open? I went down the stairs and found most of the shops closed, probably for renovation. But there was one place still open. Oh, it's Yachiyo, a sushi restaurant from Araki-cho. It's standing-only. Oh, there are seats available at the counter. Let's grab a few pieces easily. First, I had a cold beer because of the heat. Looking at the refrigerated case in front of me, here's what I had. It was a proper sushi restaurant, much better than conveyor belt sushi. The prices are different, so there's no point in comparing them. And that's how my lunch went. <Items I had> - Medium Fatty Tuna - Boiled Shrimp - Small Skin - Squid Legs - Ark Shell - Eel - Ark Shell with String - Tuna with Vinegar Sauce <Drinks> - Draft Beer

A sushi restaurant that has been in business for 100 years in Yotsuya has opened in the basement of Kinokuniya Bookstore. The restaurant is a standing counter style where the chefs prepare fresh and satisfying sushi right in front of you. The interior is clean and the quality of the sushi is top-notch. Customers are limited to a maximum of 1 hour. Eating and drinking until you are full at this place can add up to a hefty bill. It seems like the best value is to quickly eat a few pieces of sushi that you want at the moment and leave.

After watching a movie at Balt 9, I initially tried to go to a certain set meal restaurant in Shinjuku Sanchome, but unfortunately, it was full. So, I went to the Kinokuniya Bookstore main store because I wanted to read a magazine. After finishing my business there, I went to the basement floor and found a new restaurant that had opened in the former restaurant floor that had been closed for a long time. The new restaurant is called "Sushi Dokoro Yachiyo Shinjuku Sanchome Store". There were congratulatory flower stands in front of the store, which looked beautiful. I quickly took a seat at the available counter and considered the menu. I ordered the most intriguing item: Yachiyo Jounigiri for 1650 yen. First, a hot tea and appetizer were served. Then, a lacquered square tray with pickled ginger was placed in front of me, and sushi was lined up on top of it, along with a bowl of miso soup. ・Battera - This time, instead of mackerel, it was topped with anago (conger eel). The conger eel had a good texture, which was a good start. ・Chutoro - The fatty tuna had a perfect amount of fat and melted in the mouth along with the sushi rice. The sushi rice was expertly prepared, which was delightful. ・Shiromi - Ikura - A shiny and beautiful jewel-like appearance, with a delightful popping texture. ・Akami Ebi - I don't usually eat red shrimp, but this time it had a sweet taste like sweet shrimp, and I reconsidered my opinion. ・Tamagoyaki - Squid - Salmon - Hikarimono (Horse Mackerel) - The freshness was immediately noticeable, and it was truly delicious. ・Toro Takumaki - Negitoro and pickled daikon radish wrapped in crispy seaweed. The person who came up with this exquisite combination deserves respect. Each ingredient's flavor was perfectly expressed in the mouth, making me happy. ・Kobachi - Okra with sesame dressing. It had a deep flavor, making me want to drink sake. ・Wan - The miso soup was very rich and delicious. Standing sushi doesn't require a long stay. I finished my hot tea and paid in cash. My stay was about 15 minutes. Personally, I often pass through the Kinokuniya underground passage when going from Ginza Station on the Marunouchi Line to Shinjuku Piccadilly, and this standing sushi place has high quality, so I would like to use it again. Thank you for the meal.