Restaurant

Mizutaki Genkai Honten: Traditional Chicken Hot Pot

水たき玄海本店

A-

Mizutaki Genkai Honten: Traditional Chicken Hot Pot — 1

Mizutaki Genkai Honten: Traditional Chicken Hot Pot — 2

Mizutaki Genkai Honten: Traditional Chicken Hot Pot — 3

Mizutaki Genkai Honten: Traditional Chicken Hot Pot — 4

Mizutaki Genkai Honten: Traditional Chicken Hot Pot — 5

Photos: Tabelog

A Shinjuku institution for nearly a century, Mizutaki Genkai Honten (水たき玄海本店) serves its signature mizutaki chicken hot pot. Guests come for the exceptionally rich, milky chicken broth and the traditional private-room dining experience.

Price range$$$$$

Tabelog rating3.59 / 5576 ratingsExcellent — roughly the top few percent nationwideJapanese diners rate strictly — 3.5 is excellent, 4.0 exceptional.View on Tabelog

Book via Tabelog

Next table: tomorrow at 16:00 for 2 people

Opening hoursMon–Fri 4:00 PM–9:00 PM, Sat–Sun & public holidays 11:00 AM–9:00 PM. Last entry is at 7:30 PM. Closed for New Year holidays (Dec 30–Jan 5) and on some irregular days each month.

Phone03-3352-3101

Address5-5-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

MapOpen on map →

Websitehttp://genkai-group.jp/ →

For nearly a century, Mizutaki Genkai Honten has been a landmark in Shinjuku, dedicated to perfecting a single dish: mizutaki, a traditional chicken hot pot. The restaurant's stately, old-style façade hints at the experience within, which unfolds in calm, private tatami rooms suitable for everything from family gatherings to formal business dinners.

The star of the show is the broth. Made from high-quality Date-dori chicken, it’s a deep, milky, and profoundly savoury soup, rich in umami. The meal begins by sipping the broth on its own before it's used to gently cook tender pieces of chicken and light, fluffy tsukune (chicken meatballs). The experience traditionally concludes with zosui, a savoury rice porridge made with the remaining flavourful broth. Beyond the signature hot pot, reviewers also praise the lunch-only oyakodon (chicken and egg on rice) and side dishes like soriresu karaage (fried chicken 'oysters').

This is a high-end dining experience, and the prices reflect that. Some guests have noted that service can occasionally be inconsistent or curt, and that extras like the final zosui or soup refills may incur a separate charge. Dinner courses reviewed in 2024 cost around ¥15,000 to ¥17,000. Lunch is more accessible, with the popular oyakodon priced at about ¥1,800. While not a budget meal, most diners feel it offers good value for the exceptional quality of the broth and the traditional atmosphere.

Getting There: The restaurant is a 4-minute walk from Exit 1 or 3 of Shinjuku Gyoenmae Station (Marunouchi Line), a 7-minute walk from Exit C7 of Shinjuku Sanchome Station (Toei Shinjuku Line), or a 15-minute walk from the East Exit of JR Shinjuku Station.
Reservations: Booking in advance is highly recommended, especially for weekends and holidays. Online booking is available.
Payment: Major credit cards (Visa, Master, JCB, Amex, Diners, UnionPay) are accepted. Electronic money and QR code payments are not.
Children: Children of all ages are welcome, and the private rooms make it a family-friendly choice.
Dress Code: There is no specific dress code; casual attire is fine.
Seating: The restaurant has 174 seats, mostly in private tatami rooms or at sunken kotatsu tables.
Smoking: The restaurant is non-smoking, but a separate smoking room is available.
Parking: A small private car park with four spaces is available.

Mizutaki Genkai Honten: Traditional Chicken Hot Pot

Nearby within 2km