Not far from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bulding (Tocho), on the ground floor of the Washington Hotel Shinjuku bulding, is a very special restaurant, Zauo. This restaurant has a boat hull in the center and around a pond filled with fish. You get the idea ? Free fishing trip to catch your dinner!
It's pretty fun and quite easy. Fishing poles are available for free and baits are 100 yen. You have several sizes and types of fish. If you do not want to fish, there is a menu but it works out cheaper to go catch a fish and choose your cooking. There are signs everywhere about the price of each fish and where to find it. Only the price of lobsters and crabs are weight price. There are a dozen different kinds of fish such as rockfish, sinchard , turbot, beams ... The price is depending on the type of fish from 700 yens a small fish like mackerel to 5000 yens the big fish.
Once you decide which fish you want to fish, servers show you the places where they are and give you bait for 100 yen if necessary. When the fish is caught, a small ceremony is offered for free to celebrate your fishing. It lasts a few minutes, the server types into a drum and shouts words of encouragement and congratulations. Then you have the option of the cooking sashimi, grilled, fried or sushi (with an extra charge for this one). Except for small fish, you have the option of cooking half fish with one cooking type and another type for the other half.
In principle, you have to book in order to get a table in this restaurant, but luckily we managed to get in a little before 7pm a week day without reservation. Pierrick catched 2 fish, one that was worth about 3900 (fishing with bait) and another at about 6000 yen (fishing without bait) . The bill was quite high (due to the largest fish caught) but it was really good. We ask the first fish in sashimi and the second, half was grilled and a half sashimi. Moreover,, we order 2 set menu of miso soup & rice and a drink. They brought us for free bowls with tofu + wasabi. It was a feast.
Do not hesitate one second to go try this restaurant, just be careful not to fish too big fish if you do not want to overpay. So now on your fishing rods! Ready ? Eat ! :D