Ushikoi Shinjuku

Just north of Shinjuku’s popular Kabukicho district and Seibu-Shinjuku Station sits Ushikoi Shinjuku, the go-to place for affordable yakiniku in the area. It’s a popular choice for Kabukicho frequenters for a night out on the town — though it’s just a few blocks from the Godzilla head and just north of the Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, it sheds the seedier image that most Kabukicho outlets tend to have. Nonetheless, it maintains the quiet, relaxed atmosphere of an establishment frequented by locals. Its interior decor uses an abundance of wood, leading to it being a common shooting location for local dramas. But the popularity of Ushikoi’s Shinjuku outlet doesn’t just stem from its location, but rather also its commitment to affordability and price-performance ratio. This is the philosophy of its founder “Koinosuke,” who only appears as a fictional superhero, wearing a full Superman-like outfit and paper lantern on his face to hide his true identity. Growing up in a lower-income household, Koinosuke made it his life’s mission to make yakiniku an everyday luxury for the common man, rather than the once-a-month indulgence imposed on his family by their limited budget. As such, the first Ushikoi was founded in 2012 in Kanda, with a clear focus on not providing the most fatty and marbled meats, but those that would give the best price-performance ratio. This meat comes from the finest wagyu producers in western Japan, incorporating some of the finest brands from suppliers based in regions famous for their wagyu beef, like Saga, Kagoshima and Miyazaki Prefectures. But unlike most yakiniku restaurants, Ushikoi eschews the typical practice of choosing the most marbled meat possible, in favor of serving leaner meats. The logic is that eating too much fatty meat leaves one with a sickly feeling afterwards, explains Koinosuke. As such, each cut at Ushikoi is chosen for its “lean flavor,” and is prepared in a manner that brings out the characteristic flavor of that specific cut of meat. This emphasis on lean meat makes the restaurant popular with women and athletes, or those looking to indulge in a lot of yakiniku without feeling too guilty afterwards. Perhaps the dish at Ushikoi that best reflects the philosophy is the “Peace Beef.” Dubbed “pure edible protein,” the Peace Beef is a hand-cut piece of beef that is said to have half the fat of a typical beef loin, and an even deeper flavor. Another popular item is the “neginchu,” which is chopped green onions in spicy sauce, meant to be wrapped in meat for an explosion of spice, umami and pure lean meat flavors in a single bite.