If you're in the Hyakunincho area, Tokyo's unofficial Koreatown, blocks north of Shinjuku Ward's Kabukicho, be sure to take a trawl of these eclectic bars:
Yellowing newspapers, empty booze bottles and corrugated steel panels might sound like a rather desperate choice of decor, but it works like a charm at Shinjuku Pocha. This rustic Korean izakaya, located on the same narrow alleyway as The Ghetto (see above), has a down-home vibe befitting its name: an abbreviation of the Korean word for roadside food stall. Pocha has the vast menu of fiery foods such as chijimi (spicy pancakes) and bulgogi (grilled marinated beef) that's essential to any Koreatown eatery, but it stands out for its love of makkoli, a milky white fermented rice wine that's served here in tin kettles. Serving alcohol in units of "kettles" may explain the perennially jovial ambience at Pocha.
Shinjuku Pocha, 1-2-3 Hyakunincho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo. Open 5 p.m.-5 a.m. daily. Tel: (03) 5285-8191