ランチ向上委員会
This is a sushi restaurant located at the west exit of Shinjuku Station. The restaurant is situated in a commercial area crowded with Yodobashi Camera and eateries, but it is relatively close to the station and conveniently located near the Koshu Kaido. It is on the first floor of a building, and the exterior exudes the atmosphere of a typical sushi restaurant near a station. Inside, there are counter seats right as you enter, and table seats towards the left rear. The lunch menu offers two options: nigiri and chirashi, both priced at 1,100 yen with a side of chawanmushi and miso soup. The restaurant used to serve ikura, but now it has been replaced with tobiko due to the significant price increase of ikura in the fall/winter of 2022. I tried the Seafood Bowl Set (1,100 yen), which is recommended for busy individuals as chirashi is quicker to prepare. The sushi rice is cooked on the firmer side with a slightly strong vinegar flavor, reminiscent of traditional flavors from the Showa era. The chirashi sushi includes 2 pieces of tuna, shrimp, squid, scallop, marinated mackerel, tobiko, and egg, garnished with seaweed and served with pickled ginger. The presentation is symmetrically arranged and quite beautiful. The tuna is high-quality without any sinew, offering delicious lean meat. The shrimp is boiled shrimp prepared in-house, showcasing a substantial size and thickness. Despite the popularity of fresh/raw shrimp due to advancements in logistics and freezing technology, traditional sushi like this is also delicious. The scallop is sizable, cut from a whole piece sourced by the restaurant, providing a different depth of flavor compared to smaller pieces. The marinated mackerel has a strong vinegar flavor similar to the sushi rice. The egg is well-balanced in sweetness. The squid and tobiko are both tasty, and with the generous amount of sushi rice, the portion size is sufficient for a meal. The chawanmushi contains chicken and shiitake mushrooms, with a rich chicken broth flavor, though it also has a slight animal scent. The miso soup includes a shrimp head, offering a rich miso soup with shrimp stock. The restaurant's location, atmosphere, and consistent deliciousness contribute to its nostalgic charm, which may not appeal to everyone in today's era seeking more sophistication, but its unique Showa-era nostalgia is still appreciated.