Chinkashisai Shinjuku — Restaurant in Tokyo

Wow, I wasn't expecting to get hit with a Sichuan flavor bomb in Japan, but Chinkashisai delivered.

We got the knife cut noodles with spicy soup and the dry noodles with sesame sauce, both medium spice. Both were very different but packed with flavor and spice. So delicious and addictive! The noodles are also perfectly chewy and absorbed the flavor well. It was definitely the spiciest food I've had in Japan. The free egg drop corn soup helped soothe the spice.

We also got the mapo tofu and saliva chicken add-ons, which definitely weren't necessary in terms of amount of food, but I'm glad we got to try them. The mapo tofu is packed with flavor -- maybe a bit too salty, but would go perfectly with rice or noodles. The saliva chicken was so tender and had great flavor.

We didn't come close to finishing all of the food, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. One of my favorite meals in Japan! I'd definitely come back. It was my first time having knife cut noodles with Sichuan flavors -- those were two worlds that were meant to collide for me. This was one of our cheapest meals in Japan (2600 yen for two people, could easily have been under 2000), and one...

We came at 8:30 on a Thursday and it was very busy. There was no wait but we were seated face-to-face at a long table shared with two other parties. We didn't mind this, but if you're claustrophobic or sensitive to loud sounds then you might get overwhelmed.

This place has a "one-drink policy," which I don't really understand, but the waitress made us order something so we got jasmine tea and ginger ale. Jasmine tea could have been stronger. Ginger ale was all ginger, but I might be spoiled by sugary American sodas.

Seafood noodles were light on the seafood and heavy on the noodle. Mildly spicy broth was oily but tasty.

Eggplant was delicious. The breading is well-seasoned.

I thought the egg and chives was too salty and lacking other flavors, but others enjoyed it fine.

A little on the expensive side but dishes are good size...

Chinkashisai Shinjuten offers a delightful experience for anyone craving Sichuan flavours. We had the Gyozas, and knife-cut noodles with pork mince, and the flavours were spot on. The spice level (chose medium) was just perfect—enough to pack a good punch without overwhelming the dish.

The atmosphere was vibrant and energetic, filled with a bustling crowd that only added to the dining experience. The service was both friendly and efficient, with staff always attentive despite the busy setting. If you’re after bold flavours and a lively atmosphere, Chinkashisai Shinjuten is definitely worth a visit.

It’s worth noting there’s a 300 yen per person service charge and a requirement of at least one drink per person, but even with that, the overall experience was...