Bistro Gaburi ビストロガブリ@ Shinjuku

One of my favourite dinner choices is an izakaya – order a few items and a drink and you can enjoy the atmosphere and usually solid food.

Tokyo is filled with these underground food street, especially near the office buildings and business districts. They provide lunch options for the nearby office workers as well as affordable dinner and after-work drinking choices for the サラリーマン (salaryman).

What attracted me to this eatery was the Top 10 ranking of their dishes and kushiyaki. Bistro Gaburi ビストロガブリoffers a mix of traditional Japanese izakaya fare with a twist of French and Asian influences.

As with all izakaya, a “complimentary” otooshi is included in the cover charge. And with all izakaya, ordering a drink (or two) is a must.

おでんトリュフ大根 Oden truffle radish

We kicked off with their #4 on the Top 10, an izakaya favourite oden with a French cuisine twist – deliciously simmered radish (daikon) luxuriously dressed in truffle sauce.

Some people say that truffle tastes like petroleum. I have not drank petroleum so I don’t know what to refute it with, but truffle does go well with stewed radish, a must order.

和牛串 Wagyu skewer

Despite #1 on the list and you are limited to order two sticks, the wagyu skewer was an anti-climax. It is the skirt cut and quite chewy.

極上れば一串 “The Best Chicken Skewer”

This is marketed as the best chicken skewer, and it was the chicken liver, limited to one per person, and not available on Sundays because they couldn’t get the supply. Crisp and charred on the outside, slightly overdone according to my liking, it could be better.

いぶりがっこタラモサラダ Smoked Daikon Taramasalata

#5 bestseller, their smoked daikon and potato salad topped with taramasalata was outstanding. You cannot beat the Japanese in their potato salad because of the special Kewpie mayonnaise which is used to make the Greek salty fish roe dip (tamarasalata), it is a match in heaven.

アンチョビきゅうり Anchovy cucumber

A great idea for my next BBQ gathering, the simple Japanese cucumber with a garlicky anchovy dressing a la Caesar Salad. Simple yet very refreshing.

牡蠣フライ大葉のタルタルくろけ＞ Deep fried oysters with tartar sauce

Nothing to fault breaded and deep fried oysters, especially if they were of these giant size 🙂 and paired with a delicious tartar sauce spiked with shredded perilla leaf.

ぼんじり Bonjiri | 仔羊（ラム ）ケイジャンスパイス＆ハリッサ Lamb with cajun spices and harissa

After the first two skewers, I wasn’t having any high hopes of the yakitori. Then I was blown away with the bonjiri (chicken tails), which was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. And baby lamb skewer marinated with Cajun spices and topped exotic harissa sauce was delicious.

ししとう Shishito | 茄子 Eggplant

And the vegetables, shishito green peppers and eggplant were dabbled with too much oil.

もも Chicken thigh | 軟骨つくね Cartilage meatball

And finally, chicken thigh and tsukune with bits of chicken cartilage. Looked like the yakitori was hit or miss. The tsukune was a hit, and the momo was a miss. I have not had enough sticks to give a conclusion.

Overall a competent and innovative izayaka, a good choice if you are sick of the usual stuff. And it is one of the few izakayas that offer Japanese food with a good selection of red and white wine, a growing trend in terms of drink preference among my Japanese colleagues. Will come back again as it is walking distance from Hyatt Regency Nishi-Shinjuku.

Bistro Gaburi Shinjuku Nomura Biru Ten ビストロガブリ
東京都新宿区西新宿1-26-2 新宿野村ビル B2F
Tel : +81 3-6279-0871 (Reservations)

Visited Jan 2025