Robata Yui ろばた結 @ Shinjuku

Sometime good eat finds are coincidental. When one door shuts on you, another one opens, and that can be good too.

I tried to book Robata Shio but failed, and I decided to try to walk-in, and failed to get a table too. However, they suggested me to go upstairs and check-out their sister shop called Robata Yui.

I walked past this place a few times, and it was often crowded with youngsters. Since they have a table in 30 mins, I decided to give it a try.

It was almost 9.30pm by the time we were seated, so the peak hour madness was over. Promptly, I was ushered to my seat when the appointment time came, and I quickly settled down and ordered an ice cold beer. I was really thirsty!

The layout of the place is quite simple. No matter where you are seated, you can see the action going on at the charcoal grilled, led by head chef Eru-san.

The handwritten menu was full of seasonal ingredients like eggplant, sweetfish, etc. And it was quite different from Robata Shio. Yui looked like a much cheaper version than Shio, as they didn’t have more expensive ingredients like the 吉次 kinki or noduguro. Nevertheless, the place looked legit.

The お通し otoshi, a customary cover charge that every izakaya will impose on each individual, was a small serving of ハマチ hamachi (yellowtail) sashimi. I ordered some イカの塩辛 ika no shiokara (fermented squid guts) to go with my ice cold beer.

We were advised that the robata will take some time, so it’s ideal to order some appetisers while we wait.

きゅうりー本漬け Cucumber pickles

It looked like a simple cucumber, but this one had been lightly pickled.

It was so refreshing for the hot summer evening, and it was finished in no time.

馬刺し Horse sashimi

The horse used for 馬刺し basashi (horse sashimi) is specially raised for its meat, despite urban legends that they were from retired racing horses. Horse meat is a very meat and has high iron content. It has a slightly sour taste and is usually eaten with grated ginger and sesame oil.

トマト丸ごと Grilled whole tomato

The トマト丸ごと tomato marugoto (whole fruit tomato) is lightly grilled and then served with a sprinkling of herbs and olive oil. Japanese fruit and vegetable produce are arguably the best in the world. And how they have cultivated the tomato into a fruit will only perpetuate the age-old argument of determining whether the tomato is a vegetable or a fruit.

茄子の一本焼き Grilled whole eggplant

Summer bbq cannot be without eggplants. And Japanese housewives will grill their eggplant whole instead of cutting them up into smaller piece so that the heat will “steam” the flesh. 茄子の一本焼き nasu no ippon-yaki (grilled whole eggplant) is topped with delicious bonito flakes and serviced with grated ginger. Simple and nice.

せせりポンズ Seseri (chicken neck) ponzu

せせり Seseri (Chicken neck) is a chicken part that is often featured in yakitori. It consists of bits of chicken and skin from the chicken neck, a lot of work for very little meat. Here, grilled chicken neck is mixed with ponzu sauce for a refreshing snack.

岩手県岩中豚炭火焼 Charcoaled grilled Iwanaka pork from Iwate Prefecture

岩中豚 Iwanaka buta from Iwate Prefecture 岩手県 is a specialty pork that is certified pathogen free. It has hint of sweetness from the evenly distributed fats, that it could be mistaken for wagyu. It is grilled on charcoal and finished by brandishing white hot charcoal on the outside of the pork. Delicious and smoky.

鮎塩焼き Grilled sweetfish

They were afraid we could not finish all the food, but I had to order the 鮎塩焼き ayu shioyaki (Grilled sweetfish) as it is my favourite grilled fish in Japan. It is only available for summer season, and then for the rest of the year it is left alone to spawn and prepare for the next season.

メバル塩焼き Rockfish grilled with salt

I took it because my first choice, 黒ソイ kurosoi (black seaperch) was sold out. Rockfish, or mebaru, is one of the perennial fish found in the coastal waters of Japan. メバル塩焼き Mebaru shioyaki (Rockfish grilled with salt) is an excellent way of preparing this rather tasteless fish, even though it’s an angler’s favourite because of its feisty nature. It was lor gor (Teochew for tough fish meat and skin), couldn’t say I enjoyed it.

焼きおにぎり Grilled rice ball

イカの塩辛 Ika no shiokara (Salted squid) is one of the traditional Japanese fermented foods. It has strong saltiness and umami, a sticky texture and characteristic flavour. The Japanese eats it as an appetiser and on rice, and in this instance, on 焼きおにぎり yaki o onigiri (grilled rice ball). 

The food was decent, the service was excellent, and the price reasonable. Highly recommended. But do make a reservation before you come.

炉端焼きと日本酒 ろばた 結 
〒160-0023 東京都新宿区西新宿1丁目4−11 宝ビル 1階
Tel : +81 (050)-5851-0762

Visited Jul 2024