A note on the words: eisbein is a classic German dish of salt-cured, slowly simmered pork knuckle, served in this course baked with vegetables, tomato, and melted cheese like a gratin. Kokuto is dark, unrefined brown sugar, used here with coarse black pepper to season thin slices of salt-cured pork shoulder loin over the salad. Yoshoku means Western-style dishes adapted in Japan, evoked here by the comforting gratin-like bake, and takana is pickled mustard greens; what seemed to be takana showed up in a soy-sauce pasta that ends the beer-hall meal on a Japanese note.
Munich on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Fellow drinkers, thank you for waiting! It is time for Hangover Meshi!
I had plans to go drinking with a fairly large group, and we had originally booked an outdoor beer garden, but unfortunately it poured with rain on the day, ha (there has been a lot of that this year), so at short notice we booked a place nearby — the beer restaurant “Munich” in Shinjuku! I was glad we could get a reservation on such short notice!
It is on the third basement floor (B3) of Odakyu HALC at the West Exit of Shinjuku Station. As you keep walking down and down the stairs, a beer hall with brick walls and an arched ceiling appears, looking like a German tavern. It is a very old, long-running spot that has been operating in this exact location since 1962 (Showa 37)! I knew of its existence, but this was my first time actually coming here. Apparently it is run by the New Tokyo restaurant group.
They are well set up with courses that include all-you-can-drink too!
Now, I got so caught up in drinking that I completely forgot to take a photo, ha,
Draft beeeer!!!!
Apparently the draft beer here is delivered straight from the brewery by tanker truck into the tanks inside the shop, ha. And the mugs are so cute! Are they called ceramic stein mugs? Stylish.
There are three kinds of all-you-can-drink beer: Sapporo Draft Black Label, Yebisu Premium Black draft, and half & half draft beer! Naturally, I tried all three of them!!
Three items: ham, marinated mackerel (mackerel, I think?), and cheese on crackers. With the savory saltiness of the moist ham, the crisp acidity of the marinade, and the mellowness of the cheese, the flavors go in neatly different directions — it might be just the right lineup to go with that first mug of beer!
What is kokuto pepper pork, ha?
Wondering that, I looked it up, and apparently it is salt-cured pork shoulder loin seasoned with dark brown sugar (kokuto) and coarse black pepper, then thinly sliced. I see, so there is such a thing. When I tried it, the black pepper first gave my tongue a sharp kick, and as I chewed, the rich sweetness of the brown sugar slowly spread out — a sweet-and-salty combination. It is not as salty as ham, and it feels like the savory flavor of the meat really stays intact!!
A gentle aroma of the sea and a malty scent of beer waft up. Even so, you might not really taste that much beer in it. The mussels are plump, and chewing them sends a gush of shellfish flavor into your mouth. I feel like there might be a faint bitterness to them, too, and steaming them in beer certainly makes sense at a beer hall!
Because they are fried whole in the shell, the fun of soft-shell shrimp is that you can eat the entire thing from head to tail. The batter is crunchy, the meat has a firm sweetness, and the more you chew, the more the toasted aroma comes out. That said, a few bits of shell did stay in my mouth, so if you dislike that you might want to take them off.
Speaking of German food — eisbein!! It is a classic German dish of pork knuckle cured in salt and slowly simmered. The saltiness and savory flavor of the meat, falling apart so tenderly, are irresistible! It is delicious on its own, of course, and here the savory juices from the pork have soaked into the potatoes, carrots, and broccoli, making the vegetables delicious too. Layered with the richness of melted cheese and the acidity of tomato, it comes together into a comforting taste like a gratin at a yoshoku (Japanese-style Western food) restaurant — so good!
To finish, a soy-sauce pasta with something like takana (pickled mustard greens). They really take a Japanese turn at the end, ha. Because I had been drinking beer the whole time, I was pretty full by the second half. I cannot eat another biiiite, ha.
Six dishes from appetizer to pasta, every one of them seasoned to go with beer, and the two hours flew right by. All-you-can-drink Black Label, Yebisu Premium Black, and half & half. Drinks come out relatively quickly once you order, which is irresistible for any beer lover! Since it is underground and directly connected to Shinjuku Station, it should be easy to use when arranging a rainy-day party or a second round. I think it is a good place to keep in mind!!
Here is hoping you run into something delicious today too!
Munich (Beer Hall / Beer Restaurant / Shinjuku-nishiguchi Station, Shinjuku Station, Seibu-shinjuku Station)
Tabelog dinner rating ★★★☆☆ 3.3
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
