Monsnack Shinjuku Kinokuniya Branch

Monsnack, the original home of silky-smooth curry since 1964. This shop, which had always operated on the B1 floor of Shinjuku Kinokuniya, temporarily closed in 2021 due to “building seismic reinforcement work.” As previously mentioned on this blog, it later reopened on the B1 floor of Shinjuku Nomura Building near Shinjuku West Exit. Then, at the end of October 2022, construction finished and Shinjuku Kinokuniya reopened. This got me wondering: what happened to the restaurant area on the basement floor where Monsnack used to be? On my way back from eating at Keika Ramen, I casually wandered into the building…

The original silky-smooth curry shop beloved by Tamori during the “Waratte Iitomo!” era reopened on February 23, 2022! Here’s what the revamped Monsnack Shinjuku Kinokuniya Branch looks like…

I discovered the newly renovated Monsnack Shinjuku Kinokuniya Branch in almost the exact same spot! It seems to have reopened on February 23, 2022. I was so excited, I almost went inside even though I’d just eaten ramen. But I already had plans for an early morning yakiniku feast at Hormone Barbecue Koei the next day, so I reluctantly gave up on eating both ramen and curry…

So, I revisited the shop around 2 PM the following day. The new Monsnack Shinjuku Kinokuniya Branch had become a self-service curry shop. You buy a meal ticket at the counter, take a seat, and when your curry is ready, you go to the counter yourself to get it. After you finish eating, you take your dishes to the return area. For those who knew the old shop, it might feel a bit lonely, as some of the old charm is gone (even the salad, which used to be free, now costs extra…). On the other hand, some seats have power outlets, which is helpful for charging your phone…

It might feel a bit cheap, but it’s packed with ingredients… How was Monsnack Shinjuku Kinokuniya Branch’s most popular menu item, the Seafood Curry?

So, let me introduce the Seafood Curry (price: ¥1,000 including tax), the most popular menu item I ordered that day at Monsnack Shinjuku Kinokuniya Branch. This was sold out when I visited the Shinjuku Nomura Building Branch two years ago and I couldn’t get it… But since it was still early afternoon this time, I successfully avenged that two-year-old defeat.

After placing my order, I waited about 5 minutes. Here’s how the finished Seafood Curry looked. As ever, the sheer volume of the thin, runny curry sauce completely overwhelms the amount of rice. Honestly, I think you could easily eat three times this amount of rice with the volume of sauce they give you…

Inside this sauce are generous amounts of mixed seafood ingredients like peeled shrimp, clams, and squid. Other ingredients include caramelized onions, finely chopped pumpkin, and surprisingly, a substantial amount of green peas. There was also a single mussel. While the ingredients other than the mussel feel a bit cheap, the sheer volume of toppings makes it feel incredibly satisfying. It’s easy to see why this is the shop’s most popular menu item.

My favorite way to eat Monsnack‘s curry is to soak rice in this rich, ingredient-packed sauce until it’s completely submerged, turning it into a porridge-like consistency. Slightly spicy at first, then rich umami hits a bit later, and by the time you finish, it warms you up from the inside out… this curry is seriously addictive. Even after finishing the rice, I slurped down the massive amount of leftover sauce like curry soup and polished it off in minutes. If I ever go to Tokyo again, I’ll definitely swing by when passing through Shinjuku.

Monsnack Shinjuku Kinokuniya Branch Other Menu Items (Prices include tax)

• Curry Butter Rice: ¥850
• Pork Cutlet Curry: ¥1,000
• Shrimp Curry: ¥950
• Cheese Curry: ¥900
• Beef Curry: ¥900
• Chicken Karaage Curry: ¥900
• Croquette Curry: ¥850

It’s great that we can eat at either the West Exit or East Exit of Shinjuku Station… Access to Monsnack Shinjuku Kinokuniya Branch is a 3-minute walk from the nearest station, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line Shinjuku Station.

So, Monsnack is now operating at both the West Exit and East Exit of JR Shinjuku Station, meaning that we can enjoy the original smooth curry at either location. This is actually pretty nice. If this momentum continues and we can enjoy Shinjuku’s famous curry outside Shinjuku too, that would be even better… Personally, it would be fantastic if they opened branches all over Tokyo, like Indian Curry does in Osaka.

Now, here are the shop details…

It’s an 8-minute walk from JR Shinjuku Station.