Orihara Shōten, Monzen-nakachō 折原商店、門前仲町
Sunday, March 20, 2011 at 1:14PM | Dave 
Yesterday's izakaya sanpo set off from Shinagawa station and took in Daiba (with some chilled beer out in the sunshine at dining bar Caress), the possible new Tsukiji site and a home center before landing us in Jon's manor; Monzennakacho.
While Jimmy Dean kept a place in the rapidly extending, yet patient, queue outside Uosan, Butterfly and I hopped across Eitai Dōri to explore the backstreets and alleys in the vicinity of the admittedly impressive Fukagawa Fudōdō.
Happily, we stumbled across a neat little sake shop/ standing sake bar by the name of Orihara Shōten. I should have recalled it from previous dispatches... Anyway, after dining at Uosan, we headed back there for a drink or two.
Despite the selection of cheap toys and candies at the entrance, the interior was nicely done and still had the lingering scent of fresh timber (opened for business just last month). To the left, shelves heaving with snacks, novelty tipples and the various accoutrements of the sake drinker. To the right, floor to ceiling refrigerators cooling a respectable line-up of choice sake.
We made - and paid for - our orders at the small bar and kitchen to the rear of the shop. To accompany our drinks, a variety of otsumami and sake no sakana, as well as the dreaded oden were available. While the master of the house worked the kitchen, a jolly old chap with a ready smile manned the floor with its two sturdy tables at which drinkers prop themselves.
A simple menu of recommended chilled sakes offered some old favourites and a few I don't remember trying before. Prices were reasonable for both sake (¥250~¥750) and food (¥100~¥300). I stuck with the Dassai and Denshu, and Jimmy worked through plenty of the rest.
Mostly full from our excellent fish dinner, we ordered some food out of politeness more than anything else. All we sampled was more the adequate, especially for the price. The peppered duck was really rather good.
The turnover of patrons through the course of the evening was fair. The numbers present at any one time were too, although it was never exactly heaving. Great atmosphere too, thanks in part to the friendly old chap attending to our needs.
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Reader Comments (2)
I am glad Jimmy Dean and you went out for a nice evening.
Thanks Uncle N. Did us all good to get some exercise and put recent events in perspective.