If you have ever been to Shinjuku (新宿), you must understand that there are "too" many restaurant choices in the heart of this metropolitan city. There are many nice ones but it is not easy to find one that is the best fit for your feeling at that time without any pre-screening process or recommendation from someone. The situation is same for local Japaneses.
Today's our recommendation, Japanese cafe Yusoshi, is for the time when...
you would like to try some Japanese but not too much localized
and would like to stay close from the train station.
Yusoshi is situated on 6th floor of one of major shopping complex in Shinjuku, Lumine "1" (Keep in mind more than a few Lumine around the station). It is just one minute from JR Shinjuku South Exit and is directly connected from the station's ticket gate.
The restaurant calls itself as "wa(Japanese)-cafe". The name Yusoshi is not familiar even for local Japanese. As per thier expression, yu-so-shi (愉 - 想 - 使) represents to imagine something joyful and to express and deliver the joy.
If you see the menu for dinner time, you would think of it as modern Izakaya. On evening, Yusoshi provides more than just what is expected for cafe. Like at Izakaya, some snacks on the menu are well matched with alcohol drinks also available there. The dishes have Japanese taste to some extent but not fully. They are more close to Western menu; for example, spicy fried potato, fried chicken wings in sweet and hot flavor, seafood croquette, curry flavor fried pork, fried swordfish with spicy tartar, avocado-tuna rice bowl etc etc. We are sure you do not have to be afraid of encountering some extreme Japanese local taste.
Spicy potato and Fried rice with salty dried "combu" kelp and scramble egg
Yusoshi's another feature is the interior, modern Japanese taste.
A half of the tables are on this floor (as the photo), looked like "tatami" at a glance but is actually made of glass with lighting. Take off your shoses and sit on a zabuton cuision with bending knees. Let's be relaxed in Japanese style. That is what Japanese people do at their home
Probably because of the modern Japanese menu, modern but relaxing atmosphere as well as the location a few minutes from Shinjuku station, Yusoshi is always filled mainly with Japanese ladies. That differs from ordinary Izakaya.
Of course, during a day, Yusoshi serves as a nice cafe and offers several selections of drinks from Japanese green tea to vanila latte and sweets made with Japanese ingredients.
Restaurant name: Yusoshi
Address: 6th floor, Lumine 1, 1-1-5 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo
Website in English : http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g030043/lang/en/
