Fishing Restaurant Zauo Shinjuku — Restaurant in Tokyo

Place is very loud, unnecessary drums every 10 seconds, uncontrolled kids running around. Part time staff are unfriendly and speak very quietly, their explanations of the menu were very confusing and we had to ask several times what they meant. Staff looked to me several times, confusing that it was my birthday being celebrated although the name was clearly not mine and instead my boyfriends. Fish abuse, damaged, close-to-death fish get stabbed several times by adults and kids alike and even die in the pools, but unless paid for, get thrown away. Fish are mixed up in the pools so even if you fish in the spot you’re supposed to, you can end up catching the wrong fish for no reason. I caught a red snapper in the horse mackerel section assuming it was a large horse mackerel (as most people would assume too), was congratulated by staff, then told to pay an extra 3,000¥ to eat the fish I caught. When I said no and that the fish was in the wrong spot, they threw it back in without apologizing for the mixup and walked away. I ordered the plum menu for me and my boyfriend. The food came out whenever the staff felt like it, and they had forgotten two of the final orders (the main dish of ochazuke and the dessert), having us wait for 45 minutes in between being served the fish. Since we had quickly ran out of tickets even though we only got two small mackerels, one shrimp, and a shellfish (4,000 yen per person for this), we had to wait this long time as the drums and children went off, stressing us both out. After we finally asked the servers to bring out the two dishes, they appeared immediately as if they were waiting in the back the whole time. The food was cold, which proved this. Since it was taking such a long time between dessert and the birthday cake that I had asked over online reservation, we had asked for the check, which then prompted them to rush the birthday cake, which looked very hurried and in fact was the same cheap looking cake they used for the dessert (that we had just eaten). The backdrop that was used for the picture was also placed upside down and the part time staff didn’t fix it until my boyfriend had mentioned it. When we finally got the check, I put my card in immediately, prompting the waiter to take it away, but he simply walked away for another 10 minutes. When he finally came back, it was to kick us out, saying our 90 minutes was up and that we needed to pay. The most horrifying thing about the experience was when he presented this bill. Even though the staff were very aware it was my boyfriends birthday, they gave the check FACE UP with the price in bold letters directly to MY BOYFRIEND!! Why would he pay for his own birthday meal!?! I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t speak. When the staff finally decided to show up again, he pushed the check towards me and when I pushed it back to him with my card, he pushed it back to me AGAIN. It wasn’t until I said my card was there and pointed to it clearly there that he took it. The card didn’t work, which added onto the frustration (although this part is not their fault), but honestly I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. We both noticed that the staffs name plates mostly had the title of trainee, so it’s understandable that they wouldn’t be perfect, but the main senior staff was the one who gave my boyfriend the bill. We were placed in the corner right next to the staff preparation area, so we were able to see and hear the staff throughout the meal. When we asked to be moved at the beginning, they denied the request. We both commented that the staff seemed to be very uncomfortable to talk to, awkward, and unable to answer any questions with a straightforward answer. The food portions were very small for the price and the timing was horrendous. I heavily recommend using your money elsewhere, as ¥8,000 can buy you a lot more anywhere...

Gee, I've never been to a restaurant where you catch your own fish. I saw a glimpse of this place on YouTube where the vlogger was recommending unique dining experiences in Tokyo. Before my husband and I left for Japan, I looked it up on Google Maps and saw that it was just a couple of blocks from our hotel, so I made a reservation on TableCheck, Japan's equivalent of OpenTable.

Now the last time I ever fished was when I was ten and my dad made me try it on a lake near Dallas. I didn't catch anything, but my luck was about to change all these decades later. The pricing structure was hard to follow, but basically it started with a ¥836 table cover charge and a ¥110 per-person fee for renting a fishing rod. My husband deferred the fishing to me, so I felt the ghostly glare of my late dad as I plopped my hook into the water tank.

Before I could even start whining about my supposed lack of fishing acumen, I snagged a lively Sea Bream by the scruff of its gill. It was squirming like crazy, but I have to admit it gave me a rush. I wish my dad could've seen me. I was asked how I wanted it prepared, and I already knew from previous vloggers that half would be grilled and the other half sashimi. There was something to be said about eating your own catch.

It was a satisfying feeling even though I still saw the gill move in a ghostly manner. The rest of the dinner helped satiate us. We ordered the ¥748 Salmon Sashimi, which amounted to o five thick, rich slices, and a ¥748 plate of Assorted Vegetable Tempura, lightly crisped and a nice textural contrast. We decided to have something sour to complete our meal and ordered the ¥429 Pickled Cucumber and ¥495 Pickled Eggplant.

Both added the right pickled notes to our dinner. The atmosphere was totally 'Pirates of the Caribbean' as our table was on what looked like an upended galleon with slightly inebriated salarymen occupying the premium tables in the bow. Lots of families come here as kids were scampering around the fish tanks and the dining tables. Someone with real parental skills needed to take charge. The total bill came to ¥8,074, or about $56 for two. Not bad.

FOOD - 4 stars...freshest fish possible, the rest was pretty good AMBIANCE - 4 stars..fishing was fun but the Disneyland vibe can be a bit overwhelming SERVICE - 3.5 stars...they do well enough for a convoluted service model TOTAL - 4 stars...worth a try just for the novelty, the catch made it...

Overall, Zauo Fishing Restaurant is a great experience, as long as you arrive knowing what to expect. Zauo's website has a direct link for making reservations (in English) through Open Table. When making the reservation, I was able to request a table on the boat, which was successful, and I definitely recommend doing that. Our family was seated immediately after arriving on a Sunday evening at 5:45, at which time the restaurant was over half full. The restaurant was packed about an hour later. Our server gave us English menus and explained (in pretty good English) the process for catching fish. We decided which fish we wanted, then we headed to the water and grabbed our fishing poles. The fish were all in one long pool next to the boat, but each type of fish was in a different section. My son caught a seabream within one minute, but please note this is the only type of fish you can actually use bait for, so they are the only fish that actually "bite". For everything else (fish, lobster or shrimp) you have to somehow "hook" the fish which was not an easy chore for me. They don't bite the hook... You just have to catch the hook on their gills or something. My husband hooked a flounder in less than five minutes, and after my younger son and I tried unsuccessfully to catch horse mackerel for 15 minutes, my older son came to our rescue and caught two in ten minutes for us.The horse mackerel were definitely the most challenging to "hook" because they are pretty small and they move quickly. Anyway, we all agreed the best tasting fish of the night was the flounder, which we had sautéed in butter. It was sooo delicious and I highly recommend it. We enjoyed the other fish as well, which we had prepared in a variety of ways--fried, grilled, and as sushi. We ordered several side dishes and a few desserts, all of which were pretty average... Certainly not bad, but not amazing, either. Overall, the food probably deserves four stars, but the unique fishing experience, the boat seating and the fun atmosphere made it a really special night that I would highly recommend. For the overall experience, I...