Niku 9 Yoyogi Park

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Niku 9 Yoyogi Park (にく久 代々木公園)

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Kaisendon / 📍 Yoyogi

📓 Visits: 2

Now that's a picture worthy of #sushiporn!  Niku 9 Yoyogi Park is ostensibly a niku kappo restaurant but in July they pivoted to selling a single item of maguro kaisendon.  This is in part due to the fact, like many places, they've suffered considerably during the pandemic but also because there's an oversupply of tuna.

 

The source of the tuna varies day-to-day but includes Oma hon-maguro, the most highly-prized source of tuna in Japan and from where the tuna in top sushi restaurants comes, when available.  Did I mention it's tabehodai?  Did I also mention the price is 1,098 yen?  Well, it's tabehodai and 1,098 yen!!

You'd think that with a deal as good as this there would be queues going back to Shibuya Station but it's not that difficult to get a seat.  There are 8 counter seats and table seating four.  At lunch there are six 40 minute rounds starting from 11:30 and at dinner three rounds starting from 17:00.  Reservations for lunch are taken from 11:00 and from 16:30 for dinner, on the day in person.  Dinner is less busy than lunch.  If you turn up just before 5 you should be able to get a seat at the 5pm or 5:45 sitting.  For lunch if you arrive after 11:30 the next available sitting is likely to be 2:30 or 3:15.  If they don't get any reservations for later slots they will close early.

Service was upbeat, slightly cheeky but still polite and you can have top-ups of maguro only (you tell them when to stop).  Rice is decent quality and there's a mix of different cuts of tuna.  Depending on what's available, you might get a tasting of otoro as well or there might be some suki mi.  There's really nothing to fault here and you have to stop yourself from eating too much.  The restaurant is open every day and this is a limited-time deal as long as Tokyo is under a state of emergency.  This is set to expire on the 12th but will almost certainly be extended.  Either way, don't waste any time.  This is a pinch yourself it's too good to be true offer.  Put any visit to Kimura Don on hold and go here ASAP!!

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1318/A131810/13242398/

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0

📱 Booking: No bookings.  See above.  No English spoken.

📍 Location: 1-8-8 Tomigaya.  Opposite Yoyogi Park station Exit 2 or 2 mins East from Yoyogi Park station Exit 1 or Yoyogi Hachiman station South Exit.  Dedicated street-facing entrance.

Map data ©2021 Google

💴 Damage: 1,098 (cards accepted)
⏱️ Time taken: 40m