Robata Musashi Shinbashi

The first word in the name of Robata Musashi Shinbashi isn’t a Japanese pronunciation of “robot,” it actually refers to the style of traditional hearthside cooking used here. The chef works his wide charcoal grill, which is surrounded back and sides by boxes and plates of his fresh ingredients for the evening. You and the other customers will be seated around a counter on the other side of that wall of ingredients, shouting your orders across to him (or giving them to the hostess). Once the chef plates up your dish, he’ll hand it across the counter to you, perched on the end of a long wooden paddle. Despite the unique service, the prices are very affordable. In fact, most of the dishes are crazy cheap! You can enjoy some big portions of charcoal grilled food for as little as 300 yen — the price of the vast majority of the choices. This includes whole grilled fish, yakitori skewers, and alternative options like oden stew and sashimi. The atmosphere is (as you would expect when everyone is enjoying such fantastic and cheap food and drink) cheery and lively. This is a proper local izakaya with plenty of old timers sitting around, enjoying a beer and a chat, and young couples meeting up to grab a bite after work. Why not pull up a seat at the hearth and join them?