"新宿 Me Shiya Hiroki Club 新宿" is a Neo Izakaya restaurant located a 3-minute walk from Shinjuku Station. It offers delicious dishes, and on Friday nights, it's always fully booked. The main seating area features a spacious open counter, but they also have tables and private rooms. On this day, we dined at a window-side table for two. We ordered a la carte (they also offer courses). One of the recommended dishes by the staff was the "Club's Potato Salad," which allows you to choose from dried sardines, pickled Japanese mustard greens, or smoked bonito flakes (the photo shows smoked bonito).
The "Serious Horse Mackerel Fry" is fried crispy on the outside but almost rare on the inside. I've never had anything like it – a perfect combination of raw horse mackerel and deep-frying! It's generously portioned, which is a plus. Don't miss the "Negi Shio Wagyu Yukke" – it's a bed of finely chopped green onions topped with a raw egg yolk. The overall flavor is rich, making it a perfect match for drinks. The "Club's Lemon Sour" was a refreshing lemon sour drink, just the way I like it.
The ham cutlet is served with mustard and is exceptional! It's wrapped in a crispy coating and features an incredibly thick slice of ham. We also tried the "Thick-Cut Beef Tongue," which was cooked to perfection with a pinkish hue and a delightful texture.
To finish, we had the Truffle Tamago Kake Gohan (raw egg over rice with truffles). I was expecting thin truffle slices, but it was surprisingly thick! It was incredibly luxurious from the moment it was brought to the table, with an amazing aroma.
The restaurant is not only great for drinks but also offers a tempting menu of delicious appetizers. It's a popular spot, so reservations are a must! Here's what we had:
- Otoshi (appetizer) - Spindle clam soup
- Club's Potato Salad (with smoked bonito)
- Serious Horse Mackerel Fry
- Negi Shio Wagyu Yukke
- Unzen Ham Cutlet
- Thick-Cut Beef Tongue
- Truffle Tamago Kake Gohan