Scanning Akihabara for a highly ranked Izakaya and cam across this Yakitor Yakiton spot.
Walked thru the main room and it was packed... nice mix of customers. But because it was full they led me into a small back room with 3 tables.
But just my luck... nobody was smoking and...
I got to watch Japan destroy the Netherlands 16-4... backroom suddenly got packed with quite a few people cheering on the home team.
Large selection of 100yen items!
Overall the service was great and the food wasn't too bad. Two younger guys that sat next to me said no matter how much they ate it would only come out to 3,000yen... not too bad. Highly suggest it if you like mingling with a very Japanese beer and yakitori loving crowd.
So where to randomly hit up to kill 30 minutes? Best idea is to look for a spot filled with old people that look like regulars... and this spot fit the description. Lots of older salarymen and retired looking folks.
Otoshi
Ice cold bottle of Sapporo
This was on tonights menu. Friend (http://ameblo.jp/aikaokame/) was performing in this somewhat oddly titled Play in Koenji. About how Sh*t and Lobster (an intimate sexual position) evolved out of Japanese history... wacky? Hell ya... wacky and very very weird. Who combines these two unrelated words? Jumbled Jinglish.
I'm a huge huge fan of Bonjiri (Chicken Butt) thanks to Mari... crispy on the outside and a nice light chewiness on the inside. Its not gross so give it a try! You'll definitely like it and its soooo something foreigners rarely get to try. Oh, the liver was tasty creamy...
Nankotsu... Cartilage... not a fan. Just too hard and flavorlessly crunchy for me.
A really nice little local spot but be aware... if there were fire alarms in this place they'd be going off left and right as the ventilation system for the yakitori was non-existent and we were consumed in white smelly smoke!
I'd probably go back here... had a nice old rustic feel with a big older clientele following.
A good friend of mine had always mentioned this little Yakitori/Yakiton spot in Sakuradai and on a chilly Friday evening we arrived at an early 5:15pm to see the shop nearly half full (opens at 5pm).
We peeked in to see if they had a spot for 2 and Miura-san (the chef) with his stern look said the counter was open... little did I know that this serious face would soon turn to all smiles during our 2 hours there.
The variety! And so incredibly reasonable... starts at 100yen per stick.
Left most of the ordering up to Kenta. This is a must... motsu nikomi? Extremely tender pieces of intestines, white radish, seasoned egg and other things.
The absolute best thing to do is leave it up to your Japanese friend to order... I guess with age I tend to order what I know and never explore too often.
Octopus was great.
Liver and something
Oh man... one of the best. Miso seasoned stick of beef?
Japanese guys love this cabbage... with a spicy miso dip.
If they got it I order it... Bon-Jiri (Chicken Butt). So soft and tender...
Atsukan... hot sake.
Seasonal little beans that come from a yellowing tree this time of year.
Baked onigiri usually ordered to close out the night.
And this is Miura-san. As soon as the regulars started coming in... key word you will hear is "Mai-dou" (greeting used for regulars). And he just lit up and smiled the entire evening.
Customers were pouring Miura-san beer~. A very very friendly atmosphere.
And meet Suzuki-san aka "Su-San". Big jolly fellow plopped himself right next to me and an hour into dinner we started chatting away. He's born and raised in Sakuradai.
Kenta gave it a rave review as he is also a die hard foodie. Atmosphere was cozy, service was spot on, food was Excellent, customers so eager to chat and now I know why people fill this spot all night long... Its Chef Miura-sans charm. We went at 5pm and it got quite crowded by 6pm but seems there is a second wave of customers around 7:30pm when people start getting off work.
Italian/Japanese fan of food and photography. Camera's I use for the Blog: Pentax K-m, K-x, K-01, K-30, Sony NEX-C3, Canon s100, s110. s120, G7x, Sony RX100, RX100M3, Panasonic LX5, iPhone Xs, iPhone 12 Mini
