10,000-skewer giveaway gets you limitless free chicken meatballs at Tokyo’s new tsukune bar

Tegoneya tsukune bar opening in Tokyo

On June 29th, 2021, Shōya Ltd., which operates about 400 of its eponymous restaurants nationwide, will open a new eatery and bar called Tegoneya 手ごね屋, specializing in skewered tsukune つくね chicken meatballs, in the popular Center-Gai street in Shibuya, Tokyo. The establishment's name combines the word 手捏ね tegone, meaning molded by hand, and 屋 meaning "shop" or "specialists."

The restaurant boasts a casual atmosphere where you can sip on a variety of "marinated lemon sours" prepared at the restaurant while crunching on 44 varieties of tasty tsukune as well as plump, juicy kara-age fried chicken.

Tegoneya opens with "crazy" 10,000-skewer giveaway promotion

To celebrate the opening, Tegoneya is having a "crazy" promotion—offering 10,000 free tsukune skewers of all kinds on a first-come, first-served basis—until supplies last. There is no limit to the number of free skewers offered per person, and the skewers won't cost a single yen no matter how many times you visit during the event!

If there is enough buzz on social media, they may even extend the event with more free skewers!

Just check their Instagram (@tegoneya_shibuya) and Twitter accounts (@tegoneya) for information on the number of free tsukune left. If the offer is extended, they'll announce it there, too.

Event details

Location: "Tegoneya" Shibuya Store (1st and 2nd basement floors of Denen Building, 25-2 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo): Google map
When: From opening day, Tuesday, June 29th, until the 10,000th skewer is gone.
Hours: 12:00 to 20:00
Skewers: A total of 47 varieties, including everything from classic to unconventional flavors.
Conditions: One-drink system. Try their classic homemade lemon sour for 480 JPY and other varieties. Non-alcoholic drinks are also available. Order as many skewers as you want but please eat what your order. There is a 330 yen appetizer charge. You can have a satisfying tsukune meal for under 1,000 JPY with change to spare.
Reservations: online or call 03-6416-0527 to sit at the counter where you can pour lemon sour from the server.

Tsukune and kara-age

Tegoneya's tsukune are not only juicy, but also soft with a light texture. The portions are just right to enjoy a few as a snack or tapas, or order a bunch for a more substantial meal. You can try whole assortment of flavors. Starting at 99 yen per piece, they're affordable too.

Teppan tsukune with hiden (family secret) tare sauce (Five skewer set: 680 JPY)

You can't stop by Tegoneya without trying their famous Teppan Tsukune 鉄板つくね, which you can either have with their hiden no tare 秘伝のタレ (family secret tare sauce), their yamitsuki shiodare やみつき塩ダレ (addictive salt tare sauce), or their torokeru nōkō cheese とろける濃厚チーズ (rich melted cheese sauce), at 680 JPY for a set of five.

The most popular of these is the hiden no tare. Imagine tsukune with toppings like matured miso, chopped shiso, crunchy basil and pepper or Japanese mustard and mayo sizzling in front of your eyes, fresh from the grill. One popular way of eating it is dipping your tsukune into egg yolk, letting the thick yolk from quality Japanese eggs blend with the umami-rich sauce.

Among the 王道つくね ōdō tsukune (classic tsukune) flavors, you'll find the moist and juicy "plain tsukune" and the satisfyingly crunchy なんこつ nankotsu (cartilege) tsukune, 99 JPY each with tare or salt.

As for the kawarigushi 変わり串 "unusual skewers," you'll find flavors such as "Zakuzaku Spice Jamaican Pepper" (180 yen per skewer) with its irresistible combination of spices, cilantro-full "Phakchi & Lime" (150 yen per skewer) and the neo-Japanese "Roasted Garlic Soy Sauce" (120 yen per skewer). The lineup includes 40 types of tsukune with new sensations from around the world. You're sure to find your favorite!

Big and juicy kara-age fried chicken

Not to be outdone by their tsukune, Tegoneya's kara-age fried chicken is substantially sized, earning the name デカい唐揚げ dekai kara-age or "Big Fried Chicken." Flavors include plain (110 JPY apiece), as well as curry, cumin & chili, and basil & pepper (140 JPY apiece). You can order one of each, so you can compare the four types, or order sets at a discount such as 8 plain pieces for 850 JPY or an 8-piece medley of spiced versions for 1,050 JPY.

Drinks and Desserts

Craft lemon sour is the perfect accompaniment

Lemon sour, that classic Japanese favorite and a common sight at izakayas and pubs all over the country, have now entered the age of craft drinks. Tegoneya's specialty is their "Homemade Marinated Lemon Sour" 自家製漬け込みレモンサワー (480 yen and up). It's a must-try when you visit.

The base, made by carefully marinating lemon pulp and peel with honey and sugar cubes in shochu or rum, is the secret behind these drinks' gentle and refreshing taste. Whether it's the "Classic Lemon Sour" (480 JPY), which brings out the flavor of natural lemon, the "Rum-Chan Lemon Sour" (480 JPY)—an obvious reference to Lum from Urusei Yatsura—, which exclusively uses rum for its base, the ultra-dry "Tsukune Special Lemon Sour" (480 JPY) using marinated lemon peel, the "Anchan Lemon Sour" (530 JPY), which turns blue in front of your eyes, or the surprising "Jet-Black Lemon Sour" (530 yen), you'll have plenty of choices to accompany your delicious meal.

Also, if you want to drink lemon sours to your heart's content, Tegoneya recommends the "Tabletop Lemon Sour," which you can pour at will from the all-you-can-drink server set up on the table. You can change the flavor with a choice of five different lemon syrups (500 JPY for 60 minutes, 300 yen for an extra 30 minutes).

And if you're still feeling peckish after the main course, you can have a sweet finish to your meal with Tegoneya's "drinkable pudding" (500 yen), a dessert you can enjoy with a straw and a spoon.

Positive vibes like 90's Shibuya-style music

Shibuya is a mysterious town that keeps changing yet somehow remains the same. The atmosphere at Tegoneya is like the Shibuya-style music from the 1990s with its positive vibe. You can enjoy the mood as you casually gather with your friends and have fun in Shibuya.