It has been a while since I wrote about something else than kissaten so I felt like introducing Volga, a yakitori store I really do like in Shinjuku.
As a student I was living in Higashi-Shinjuku so I used to wander a lot in Shinjuku and I had a lot of places I went often: kissaten, restaurants, sento etc… And Volga was a place a really liked to go to drink with my friends or even by myself to relax a little bit before going back home when I was too lazy to make dinner!

Volga / Ban yaki Volga  (ばん焼　ぼるが)  
Since 1958  (Showa 33) for the current location
Smoking  
No Wi-Fi, no power outlets  
Popular and can be VERY crowded  
Recommendation: yakitori set, grilled chicken wings  
Japanese Menu   
Alone, couple, friends 
We love: the strong showa scent, simple and delicious food  
Special points: the open air charcoal grill at the entrance  
Prices: 500-700 yen 

Retro-meter: Rustic and full of post-war scent  

 Closest train station: Shinjuku station 

Overview

• The founder of the place, Shigeru Takahashi, who was a very famous Haiku poet, also really liked Russian literature so he named his store after a russian river: Volga. (By the way, for some reason you can find few old izakaya around Shinjuku with Russian names. I heard that after WWII the japanese working class got a lot of inspiration from Russia and Communism… I’m wondering if it’s true and if it’s the real reason…)
• The first store opened in 1949 (Showa 24) nearby the shinjuku train station (in the current “Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho”, the famous highly touristic retro izakaya alley in shinjuku). Unfortunately, it burned down in 1952 and was rebuilt soon after. Few years later, in 1958 (showa 33), the store move to its current location in a very cute two-storey building.
• According to the current owner the place has been designed with the idea of a “mountain hut” in mind. A part of me feels like the place has some kissaten vibes but I guess I’m just too obsessed with old japanese coffee shops… Anyway, I really do like the interior: dark wood, brick walls and lanterns paired with dim light.
• You can find on the walls some pictures and press cuttings about the the founder Volga but also haiku he wrote.
• The open-air charcoal grill at the entrance gives to the place one of its highlight.
• Very popular in the 70’s with students, the place is still crowded with a lot people looking for good food and a nice retro atmosphere. The place also has a long history of film directors, architects, artists, writers, stage actors, musicians and so on regularly visiting and enjoying the place.
• Classic, simple and delicious. It’s the perfect place to drink in a very nice retro atmosphere.

Tips

• You can’t pay by credit card there, ONLY CASH!
• The menu is mostly in Japanese but they have an english menu if you ask for it (please note that few things are not appearing on the english one).
• It can be a little bit stressful sometimes to enter a restaurant by yourself but it’s easy to go to Volga alone. I tend to think that the atmosphere there is very relaxed and people will easily talk to you and invite you to drink with them if you’re by yourself.
• The second floor has a very special atmosphere, I don’t know how to describe it but it just feels like you crossed a time portal and arrived in a 1962 Tokyo izakaya.
• There is an unique price for everything (food & drinks): 500 yen, except few drinks (600 yen for sour drinks, 700 yen for few other drinks)
• The 5 pieces yakitori set (500 yen) is highly recommanded.
• They are not only serving yakitori so I highly suggest trying the potato salad and the okara! It really tastes like something your japanese grand-mom could make! The motsu nabe (pork tripes stew) is also one of the favorite dish of a lot of regular customers.
• My favorite food EVER from Volga is really the grilled chicken wings… It seems quite simple but the taste is more complex (and amazing) than it looks like.
• You can choose between salt or tare (sauce) for the skewers. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like tare for yakitori. I tend to think that tare can waste the taste of a very high quality meat but also hide the taste of a not so fresh one… However Volga tare is actually one of the rare I can eat. Their tare is homemade and I know they are using high quality ingredients so I really trust them with that! The tare is thick and it reminds me mitarashi dango sauce.

Bonus point: the place appeared in the drama “Wakako Zake” (Season 2).
If you don’t know this drama you should give it a try. The story is based on the manga from the same name, describing afterwork “adventures” of a young office lady who really do love drinking while eating good food.

Volga / Ban yaki Volga  (ばん焼　ぼるが)
Address:  1 Chome-4-18 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo
(東京都新宿区西新宿1-4-18)
Phone: 03-3342-4996
Monday 〜 Saturday 17:00 – 23:00
Closed on sunday and public holidays