Address - Shinjuku-ku, Takadanobaba 3-4-4 Y's Plaza 3F Opening hours - 5:00pm to 12:00pm, every day Map - See directions Telephone - 3362-5292 Menu - In Japanese CC - No

Yelaisheng is a close relative of Japanese Yakitori restaurants: low brow, noisy and cheap, it's always crowded with salarymen, their bosses, and students getting drunk . But the food is good, even though not really Taiwanese. The owner is from there, but he figures it's better to have anything that sells. He therefore offers beer (430 yen for a 633 cc bottle, a steal), Italian wine, abundant shots of bourbon for just 400 yen, Chinese liquors and more to accompany an eclectic assortment of Taiwanese and Chinese dishes. Just the place to go when you want to be rude to your waiter and have fun. And enjoy the pretty pictures of German landscapes in the toilet.

To find Yelaisheng, get out of Takadanobaba station, cross Waseda Dori and turn left. Turn right at the second street you find and Yelaisheng is right in front of you, at the bottom of the street.

January 10, 2000