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Thank God for Hallelujah
While the simplicity and subtleness of Japanese food is often appealing, there are times when you just want something bolder, brasher; something that takes your senses for a bit of a spin. Some of the best food for offering a full-on taste experience is undoubtly Korean food. The oftentimes bold, but delicious tastes and smells makes it a favorite for many, and, in winter particularly, it is just the thing to chase away the chills.
One of the largest Korean neighborhoods in Tokyo is in Okubo, which sits right next to Kabukicho in Shinjuku, the slightly sleazy but popular bar and nightclub district. Up until a couple years ago Okubo also had a reputation as a dodgy, somewhat seedy area, however, with a Korean boom that has seen the popularity of Korean music, movies, dramas and travel increase dramatically in Japan, there has been a subsequent transformation in Okubo.
Of all the Korean restaurants in Okubo, it is hard to find a more genuine place than Hallelujah, located on a small side street just off of Shokuan dori, near the big Don Quijote store. Hallelujah has long been a legend in the area, and it's easy to see why. On entering, you're hit with the smells that best represent Korean cooking: red pepper, garlic, sesame, and of course, the smell of beef barbeque. Most of the tables are low to the ground with the center cut out to hold the grill, where guests cook the meat dishes themselves. The kalbi and bulgogi are always good as is the beef tongue, very thinly sliced with lemon and garlic. Other delicious dishes include the chijimi, and the soups, especially the samgaetang, and kimchi chigae, plus dolsot bibimbap, rice and vegetables cooked in a hot stone bowl. Hallelujah also has a fish and noodle dishes as well as a good selection of spicy Korean pickled vegetables. Korean food is very well suited to the Hite beer that the restaurant offers or soju (rice liquor).
Although Hallelujah fills up most nights, a reservation is not usually necessary. And, a wait provides the opportunity to look around the neighborhood, which is definitely a bit more edgy and less placid than other areas of the city.
For those unable to go to Okubo, Hallelujah has opened another restaurant near Gaienmae station in Aoyama and it too has the same great homestyle dishes and atmosphere as the original.