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Denny’s opens take-out only branch in Tokyo with cheap, tasty Japanese bento boxed lunches

Casey Baseel Nov 9, 2020
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Curry, omurice also on the menu.

Though Denny’s is obviously a place to eat, many customers would also say it’s a place to loiter. Whether hanging out with friends after class or waiting for the morning sun and the restart of rail service after missing the last train of the night, Denny’s low prices and spacious seats make as nice a place to park yourself as to feed yourself.

There is one exception, though: the new Denny’s in Tokyo that has no tables or seats at all!

Having just opened less than a month ago, this new Denny’s in the Shinjuku neighborhood, near the Shinjuku Gyoen park, offers take-out and delivery meals only. That doesn’t mean that they’ve severely shrunk their menu, though. As shown in the photo above, you can get all sorts of Japanese Denny’s favorites, including curry, omurice rice omelets, paella, and hamburger steaks.

Of course, any take-out specialist in Japan would be wise to provide bento boxed lunches, and Denny’s has several varieties, such as karaage fried chicken and hamburger steak. There’s even a rotating daily selection of extra-affordable 500-yen (US$4.75) bento, and when we stopped by, the 500-yen options were pork yakiniku stir-fry and chicken steak. We opted for the former, and also a 1,834-yen sirloin steak (because premium beef is even more tempting when lunch is on our boss).

After the short walk back to SoraNews24 headquarters, it was time to dig in. If the only Denny’s you’ve ever eaten at were deep in the heartland of America, it might seem strange to think of the chain trying its hand at Asian flavors, but Denny’s Japan is thoroughly adapted to local tastes, and the pork yakiniku is a perfectly tasty representative of the fortifying bento favorite.

Next up, the sirloin steak.

Accompanied by sliced potatoes, greens, and sauce, this looks to be the exact same steak as offered at Denny’s sit-down restaurants. They even put it on a black oval tray that looks like the metallic hot plate it’ ordinarily served on.

▼ It’s also pretty rare, which tends to be how steak fans in Japan like their meat.

We did feel a twinge of disappointment, though, in that the steak wasn’t served sizzling hot. That’s pretty much unavoidable with takeout, though, and we probably could have made things better by warming it up in the microwave for a few seconds, and maybe transferring it to fancier plate for a more refined atmosphere.

Still, for the price, these are both tasty, and it’s nice to see Denny’s finding a way to cope with the challenges of running a restaurant chain during the current health crisis.

Location information
Denny’s (Shinjuku Gyoen branch) / デニーズ（新宿御苑店）
Address: Tokyo-to, Shinjuku-ku, Shinjuku 1-9-3
東京都新宿区新宿1-9-3
Open 11 .m.-11 p.m.
Website

Photos ©SoraNews24
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