監獄ＩＮ食41房

We had a great night out this past weekend. Erick and I wanted some grown up time so we got a friend to watch C.J. and we headed out to what we call "The Jailhouse." Only here it is known as :  監獄ＩＮ食41房. (I think it is loosely translated to Prison IN 41). It was very interesting to take in as soon as I stepped foot in the door. The guys had all been here before so they knew what to expect.

So for starters this is by reservation only and because of how the business is run, even if one person does not show up with the party you are still required to pay for them. The entrance is pretty dark and creepy and as you walk in there are jail doors and bars around the walking area. It is a two story restaurant and the bars are also placed upstairs. There is an undead prisoner in one corner and creepy vampire and zombie posters throughout the entire restaurant, even in the bathroom!

The hostess led us to the back where our table was located in a slightly open area. Another thing that was interesting to look at was the waitstaff. Everyone and I do mean everyone is pierced in any and all orifices (visible) with an underground grunge vibe. I'm sure you have to be a special type of person to work here. :) Anyway after we were seated our waitress came over to take our order. (Our friend Mike had brought his friend Fumika out with us so she could help with translation). So since we were all of age and all planning on drinking we ordered the "nomihoudai" which is translated into "all you care to drink" in reference to alcohol. That was about ¥ 1,050 per person. (Once again, because of the way the business is run if one person is underage, or one person is not drinking, then no one can order the nomihoudai).

We also ordered their simplest meal choice on the menu which consits of a 6 course meal that goes about ¥ 2,100 per person. Everything is brought out obviously, one course at a time throughout the 2 hours we were there. We started with a house salad and a small sliced chicken breast appetizer. Later we had fried chicken, a stuffed omelet, fried rice and finally at the end had an orange sorbet. The entire meal was full of flavor and all very delicious!

When we received our first course a dark and creepy robotic voice came out over the loudspeaker and was basically letting us know that the show was about to begin. It was all in Japanese so Fumika could only pick up some since it was a little distorted. The just of it was to be prepared to be frightened, no walking around, no flash photography, etc...

So, they basically turn out all the lights, it is pitch black so you can't even see the person in front or beside you. (And of course do not even attempt to reach for your glass or food!) Then from the darkness comes eerie music and loud banging noises, chains, doors slamming and lots and lots of smoke. Then after a couple of minutes a man dressed in black with a glow in the dark mask appears and gets uncomfortably close, (laugh). They are mostly trying to give everyone a little fright. For us it is all funny and not really scary but we go along with it and let them complete their show. I think in completion the show is about 10 minutes long. When they are done, the lights come back on and we continue with our meal. It was definitely a fun experience and I'm glad we were able to have the night out. It had been a very long while since Erick and I had had a grown-up night together. I would gladly go back to "the Jailhouse."

Erick, Me, Eleazar, Fumika, Mike & Mike