Kani Douraku is the top choice for friends who love seafood and have come to Japan to play. Kani Douraku has branches in major cities in Japan, making it a great choice for those who want to eat delicious crabs in Japan without any risk. Kani Douraku’s crab dishes are of a certain standard and are undeniably delicious. Previously, I introduced the high-end version of Kani Douraku in Dotonbori, Osaka, “Kani Douraku Amimoto”. This article is about the “Kani Douraku Shinjuku Honten” near Shinjuku Station in Tokyo.
How to Get to Kani Douraku Shinjuku Honten?
- Address: 7th and 8th floor, Theater Building (テアトルビル), 3-14-20 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
- Business hours: 11:30~23:00 (Last order 22:30)
- Public transportation: 3-minute walk from Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway “Shinjuku-sanchome” station, 5-minute walk from JR “Shinjuku” station
The Kanidouraku Shinjuku Main Store is located on the 7th and 8th floors of a building next to the Isetan Shinjuku store. It is a 3-minute walk from the “Shinjuku Sanchome” station on the Tokyo Metro. Whether you have a reservation or not, you should first check in at the counter on the 8th floor, and then the staff will arrange your seating.
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Crab Road Music Shinjuku Restaurant Dining Environment
This time, the dining was arranged in the tatami room on the 8th floor. The seating adopted the Japanese new generation “lower-digging” style, which eliminates the discomfort of sitting cross-legged or kneeling while maintaining the Japanese style.
Crab Hot Pot Set Menu
The main focus of Kani Dōraku is crab cuisine, with a variety of different types of crab dishes available throughout the year, including seasonal offerings such as Matsuba crab and King crab, which are flown in fresh from Hokkaido every month. Below is a menu of Piao Er’s favorite crab hot pot set, as well as other dishes such as crab and rice, crab meat sushi platter, crab cream baked rice, and crab meat salad. As Kani Dōraku frequently changes its set menus and prices, you can check the official website for more information on menus and the latest prices.
Bao Le Crab Hot Pot Meal
Because Piao Er loves the “Crab Shabu-Shabu (Crab Hot Pot)” and mixed rice of Kani Douraku, she insists on ordering the “かに鍋コース” series of meals. However, Piao Er doesn’t like their crab tempura and wants to eat the crab paste that she has been thinking about, so she ordered the “Bao Le” set meal. If you have a really big appetite, Piao Er would recommend ordering one set meal per person. Otherwise, the Kani Douraku group can accept two people ordering one set meal because the portions are quite large. However, this time, because Piao Er’s friend has a big appetite, they ordered two set meals. The contents of the meal are as follows:
- Boiled crab with vinegar
- Crab sashimi
- Crab roe
- Charcoal-grilled king crab
- Crab hot pot
- Mixed congee
- Pickled vegetables
- Dessert
Kani-su (Vinegared Crab Cold Dish)
The first dish to arrive was the boiled crab legs with vinegar sauce, which tasted similar to the one I had in the Osaka restaurant. The simple combination of boiled crab and vinegar allowed the original sweetness of the snow crab to shine through. Although the portion size of each dish in the Kani Douraku course seemed small, the entire course was actually quite filling.
Kani-zukuri (Crab Sashimi)
The sashimi of crab is not commonly eaten in Taiwan, but it allows you to directly experience the freshness of the crab and the unique texture of raw crab.
Grilled Emperor Crab
Next up is one of the favorite dishes of Piaor’s friends, charcoal-grilled crab meat. The waiter will bring a grill to the table and let the customers grill the crab meat themselves, giving it an extra charcoal-grilled flavor.
Crab roe
The crab roe is the only dish that is different from what Wei Er and Osaka have eaten before. Previously, there were crab shells and crab paste, which could be grilled on the grill. This time, the crab roe is included in the Bao Le set meal, but it cannot be grilled. It tastes a bit fishy and extremely salty when eaten directly. Actually, it should be delicious when paired with rice, but there was no rice.
Kanisuki (Crab Hot Pot) & Zosui (Rice Soup) After the Hot Pot
Finally, we present the crab hot pot that Piao Er loves. The greatness of the crab hot pot lies not in the crab that has been cooked, but in the sweet and delicious taste of the crab soup base. Finally, white rice is added to make a mixed rice dish, which is incredibly delicious. However, because we only ordered one meal this time, we were already very full after finishing the previous dishes!
The crab hot pot was so full that we couldn’t finish it, and when the mixed porridge came, we really couldn’t eat anymore. Also, for some reason, the crab soup at the Shinjuku store was a bit salty. Even though the soup was made with the crab, the salty taste overwhelmed the freshness of the crab. Additionally, the service staff cooked the porridge in a mechanical way, and the egg was not evenly distributed, so it didn’t have the smooth texture that we had in Osaka. This is a small deduction in points.
Finally, they will serve you a dessert and the bill. However, at the Shinjuku store, Piao Er ordered a dessert with yuzu ice cream flavor, which tasted like it had been frozen in the refrigerator for a long time. It was not bad, but not great either.
Experience
Actually, Kani Douraku has different levels of quality. Although the commoner version at the Shinjuku main store is cheaper, I still prefer the high-end version of Kani Douraku in Osaka, the “Amimoto Main Store” (link). The ingredients are even better, there are private rooms, and the service staff are attentive and will chat with customers. However, the service staff at the Shinjuku main store in Tokyo are as cold as Tokyoites, and even the food delivery is like a robot’s SOP, without a smile. Although they are not impolite, I don’t feel a sense of warmth. Overall, the quality of Kani Douraku’s dishes is very good, and the standardized dishes served by the service staff do not affect the freshness. The crab is delicate and the various ways of processing crab are also an experience of understanding how the Japanese eat crab.
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More Shinjuku Food Guide
- Famous and affordable beef tongue recommended by many people: Negishi Shinjuku
- Tourist-friendly hot pot restaurant with wagyu beef: Kisoji Shabu Shabu & Sukiyaki (Shinjuku Sanchome Branch)
- Refreshing oyster cuisine and porridge: Oyster Bar Wharf Shinjuku NEWoMan
- Special rice ball ramen with rich seafood broth: Menya Kaijin
- 24-hour coffee shop serving breakfast and late-night snacks: Coffee Aristocracy Edinburgh
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