Zhao
Packing for a fishing trip to Zhao involves a suitcase, a pair of comfortable sneakers, jeans, a t-shirt, and your wallet. Nothing more is necessary outside of a dinner reservation. Step inside, cozy up at your table, and choose your adventure.
Our adventure involved grabbing a tiny fishing pole and dangling a baitless hook over a tank full of apathetic flounder laying motionless at the bottom and excited, shimmering mackerel skittering to and fro above their indifferent cousins. A couple hook-snags later and we were holding a net containing a squirming example of each species.
You can choose your cooking style. We went with half sashimi and half deep fried on the flounder and the mackerel. Both freshly-caught game arrived at our table face-up and as fresh as possible. After mixing a bit of soy sauce and wasabi, we feasted on our catch. For another dollar you can ask the chef to take back the bones and turn it into yummy soup.
If you don’t like fishing, you can order from the menu, but it costs more. Either way, you can enjoy your fish on or next to the huge boat that serves as a kitschy centerpiece for the restaurant and you can choose to just watch the other guests catch their dinner, as well. I think Lovely had more fun taking photographs than she did eating the fish, but that’s what we went to Zhao for: the experience. Fresh food, fun, and photos. Leave it to my wife to find the coolest place to eat in Shinjuku!
