Zombun

We went to Zombun for dinner after sightseeing around Shinjuku. Excellent quality and value for money and those staff were very welcoming and friendly! We had bunch of traditional Japanese dishes such as shabushabu, sashimi and other amazing ones which we've never tasted it before. This restaurant's... most popular and MUST order menu is Kinmedai shabushabu. You might have experienced normal shabushabu with beef or poak but this one was not like that. Kinmedai is a kind of fish and it's so tasty! Also, it's matched perfectly with sake. We were a bit afraid this place wasn’t foreigner friendly however our server made us feel right at home. She couldn't speak English very well but tried to explain the menu for us hardly. (Thank you!) We also could say that this restaurant is pretty popular for Japanese people as well since we could see a lot of local people who were dining in there. If you want to experience traditional izakaya place in Tokyo, we highly recommend this place! Thank you so much for a wonderful and unique experience.

Visited October 2019

If you are in Shinjuku and tired of the unsavory kaiten sushi and chain shops, just found this sashimi jewel hidden in Shinjuku sanchome. The place is very close to the station, a nice old vibe building, just head downstairs and the assortment of bottles in the wall will tell you they are the real t...hing. Go for the course meal during Kinmedai season, it seems to be the house special, the preparation is really unique. They also have this fine sashimi, served for Shabu Shabu with a side seasoning of their special salt and lemon, not your average hot pot, but 100% recommended. Aside the meat the meal set comes with a good assortment of vegetables and different seasonings to try. And if you think the main course was already over-average, they serve the best snacks to pair with your nomihodai (all-you-can-drink), a bowl of marinated squid, stewed meat and a tamagoyaki plate to close the night. It is not your usual tapas and I have no idea what they put in there but men! those bowls are darn good! I really liked the interior style, and I have to admit that the host really takes care of each table and each customer in a friendly way, the food is local but also original, and their recommendations were indeed worth the trust.

Visited June 2019

If you are around Shinjuku and want to eat nice seafood, this is a great option. The sashimi (raw fish) was delicious, specially the tuna. The main dish of the night was shabu-shabu, in which you boil vegetables and fish on the table, the staff explained us the way to do it and told us the best dip...ping for each thing we ate, they were very kind!! I also recommend some squid in a red sauce dish, it was very tasty. And of course we accompanied the food with the typical Japanese all-you-can-drink set, with several options for sake and an assortment of cocktails. In the lavatories they have mouthwash, toothpicks and other hygiene products, which I think is important. The place is good, maybe a little hard to spot from the outside (is in an area full of restaurants and bars) but you may recognize it by the stairs going down with some sake bottles on display, definitely worth trying.

Visited May 2019

You might as well skip this place as the entrance sign is just another kanji name and what you can see is just a stair going down. But that's exactly what made me curious whats inside. My friends and I were adventurous and decided to try this new place. When you enter the interior looks to be in J...apanese modest style. Almost what you will have in your house. And that was what makes this place special - it feels like home. Especially after you try the food. Every single bite is so tasty that it was very difficult to stop ordering. As this is a small restaurant the menu selection is not the greatest so that saved us from bankruptcy. The sishu, the shabushabu and the boiled beef are amazing and they just melt in your mouth. Even more after a few cups of the fine sake they can offer. Overall a vert very good place with a really nice waiter. This guy tried to make us happy no matter what we asked for. The prices are not the cheapest around town but totally worth it!

Visited May 2019

Zombum is located in the backstreets of Shinjuku that is easy to miss among the myriad of eateries in Shinjuku. However if you are looking for high quality unique Japanese dining experience, this place shouldn’t be skipped over. This restaurant has been there for 6 years and specializes in Red S...ea bream. A high quality fish that may be expensive in other eateries but here it is bought in bulk so the price is fairly reasonable for such a good quality fish. The atmosphere is fairly simple and looks like a normal izakaya but the food quality is quite high. The presentation in each dish is very well executed and attention to detail is high. Since their specialty is Kinmeidai (Red Sea bream ) I asked for their recommendations and ordered just from that menu of recommendations. To start off White fish tempura was served. It was slightly crunchy on the outside and warm and light on the inside. The tempura sauce that was poured over it made the fish melt in your mouth as you chewed. This worked well together. The next dish was Namerou, raw red Sea bream mixed with egg. This was Full of deep flavor that envelops your senses with a compliment of shiso and green onions I also had the sashimi assortment which contains of course red breams, tuna and red gurnard. Presentation was well done and each piece complimented the next. The tuna( hon maguro) was my favorite and was extremely fresh and burst with flavor as soon as you bite. Unlike fatty tuna this was lean but juicy so it went well with the light fish. The center Red Sea bream was slightly fired at the top so there was a bit of a smoky flavor. Their main dish which is seen on many pictures on the website is Shabu shabu Red Sea bream. They use Broth that is made from bones from the fish so it is full of umami. Seasonal vegetables such as shiitake, green onions and cabbage compliment the very light sea bream. The texture was soft but not chewy and went down easy. The taste was Minimal but when complimented with rock salt provided a punchy flavor. The shops intention is to provide a red Sea bream experience. It’s a very simple easy to understand concept that is pulled off really well here with their dishes. All the food was at the right temperature, and came straight from the kitchen. One setback I would say is that the restaurants temperature was a bit warm so that might dampen the atmosphere. Also, they have one English menu for the restaurant. So if there are two foreigner groups you might have to share. It might help to have someone who knows Japanese. If you want to casually enjoy a high quality fish this place is nice for that. However if you are not a big fan of fish or raw seafood this restaurant is not for you. Although they have other dishes, you should go there with the interest of eating Red Sea bream. It is not cheap and as the portions are small you may need to order a lot to be full. But overall quality is superb with a nice selection of Shouchu to compliment your dishes.

Visited May 2019