Arabian Nights
Arabian Rock is a novelty restaurant in Shinjuku, designed to transport you into the old Arabia of Sinbad, Aladdin, and Ali Baba. After waiting outside and enduring the song “Arabian Nights” from Aladdin over and over again, you have to rub a magic lamp to get through the entrance, then the waiting staff appear in a puff of smoke, decked out in belly-dancer outfits and MC Hammer pants. They’re so enthusiastic and eager to please, you’ll feel compelled to enjoy yourself, like parents at a school play.
The tables are in dimly-lit, curtained rooms, with the occasional hookah and Persian rug for effect. It’s halfway between a Disneyland version of Aladdin’s cave, and a love hotel. It probably doesn’t bear much resemblance to the real ancient Saudi Arabia but who wants dysentery and decapitation while they’re eating?
The food’s standard novelty-restaurant fare and, if you fancy a drink, there are some original cocktails themed around signs of the zodiac, and the “Magic Lamp Abracadabra” for 1500 yen, which is six liqueurs you mix yourself in an Aladdin-style lamp, for two or three people (or one drunkard.)
You can get a set course of eight dishes with an all-you-drink deal on top of that for 4500 yen. And if it’s your birthday, expect a copyright-defying appearance from Disney’s genie, bearing a special dessert.
Info:
Arabian Rock
2-3F Square Building, 1-16-3 Kabuki-Cho, Shinjuku-ku, 160-0021.
There are also loads of these restaurants in Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, etc.
April 23, 2007 at 11:20 am
My impression is that like this place for the reason pictured in your article. Actually I would tend to approve! LOL
April 23, 2007 at 9:08 pm
Haha! You’re not wrong!
May 7, 2007 at 11:54 am
I went to the Kawasaki branch, That was cool!
September 8, 2007 at 12:27 am
i have been working as a part time person in this place…. it’s owe some.i luv u ‘ROCK…. thank’s for everything. keep goin.
October 2, 2007 at 11:39 pm
Thanks!
October 4, 2007 at 11:10 pm
[...] Arabian Rock is a novelty restaurant in Shinjuku, designed to transport you to the old Arabia of Sinbad and Aladdin, complete with hookahs, Persian rugs, and the obligatory costumed staff (this time they’re wearing belly dancer costumes and MC Hammer trousers.) There are even cocktails themed around signs of the zodiac, and the “Magic Lamp Abracadabra,” which is six liqueurs you mix yourself in an Aladdin-style lamp. Read all about it here. [...]
November 7, 2007 at 1:18 am
Can you actually smoke the hookahs there, or are they more for asstetic effect?
November 7, 2007 at 8:35 am
Tragically not, I think. That would be fun. I’m sure there are some underground places in Shinjuku where you can do that, though!
November 14, 2007 at 9:14 am
Do you know where…the last time I was in Tokyo I couldn’t find anywhere, which was well….irritating.
November 14, 2007 at 9:34 pm
Unless it’s closed down in the last few months it should be here:
From the East exit of JR Shinjuku station, walk straight towards Kabukicho, turn right at the second main street you come to, Yasukuni Dori (Yasukuni Street), and the restaurant is on the left near the Don Quijote shop. Listen out for the Disney song “Arabian Nights” being played on a loop outside. It’s about 5 minutes from the station.