Toyoda, Midorigaoka 豊田、緑が丘

@izakayasanpo had been reminding me, intermittently, to check out Toyada for at least a couple of years before we finally got around to a visit. It was worth the wait.

Just a short walk from Jiyugaoka station, on the “green road” just before you reach Yamada Denki’s Labi store, this izakaya is all about chicken.

A family business – the Toyodas run the show, unsurprisingly – this small establishment is best booked in advance as it soon fills up, although you’ll need to be arriving between 5:30-6pm, or else it’s first-come first-served.

Service is good and the décor is simple; clean, polished wood and stainless steel kitchen – functional not stylish.

The menu is limited. Sit down, order drinks – beer or average nihonshu in cute little one-serving bottles – and then the “course.” You’ll be served a meal of succulent, flavoursome chicken deep-fried so expertly that you can eat it bones and all. Really, not a splinter need be left on your plate, and it tastes great.

The meal starts with tamanegi, a simple bowl of onion “salad,” followed by almost crunchy, fibrous chicken sunagimo (stomach), which was actually, despite my tendency to shun offal, delicious and not at all unpleasant in terms of texture/ mouth-feel.

In due course – nothing is rushed here – the extremely well-sized teba (wing) and momo (thigh) are served. This is the fun part. The skin is so crispy and delicious, the bones incredibly soft and, well, edible, and the flesh succulent and moist. Enough said.

This course-meal can be supplemented with pickled cucumber – if you arrive early you can get the “kyu” that have had a few days to mellow, or the less popular “shin,” which being freshly made are not yet at their best. The onigiri are best avoided (they let the place down to be honest), and the chicken broth that rounds off the meal is tasty.

For all its simplicity, this is definitely a “get thee hence” establishment.

03-3723-7683 

Toyada

Katoriya, Jiyugaoka かとりや、自由が丘

Frothy, ice-cold beer; festivals; yukata; cockroaches and bikini-clad pertness on crowded Enoshima beaches – the ingredients that make for a Japanese summer. I tend to associate yakitori with summer, too. 

Thus engorged, I’ve recently been sating my summer appetites at Jiyugaoka’s Katoriya – a no nonsense proletarian yakitori-ya that’s been churning out lovingly charcoal-grilled morsels on skewers since 1963 – located just over the street from the surpisingly charming Bettako, just a minute or so from The north exit of the station.

@izakayasanpo assures me Katoriya was once much less attractive than is now the case. By all accounts it’s now a lot more hygienic than it used to be, too.

Not large, the simple vanilla counter is always – always – jam-packed. Usual form is to arrive and crowd around the edge of the room drinking and munching on eda-mame while waiting for a seat at the encounter to be vacated. Not recommended for large parties, generally, although we’ve managed to seat groups of 5-6 on occasion. Such rare occasions were thanks to the gracious attentions of the Mama of the house. 

Dishes are simple. No surprises should be expected. As well as the yakitori and associated grilled veggies, a handful of offal-based abominations are available to those so inclined. Budget prices, jovial company and relentlessly strong shochu-based drinks make for an enjoyable dining experience. Focusing on the food alone, this is not a patch on Kushiwakamaru, but that shouldn’t deter you from visiting. It’s all good.

Cucumber with beans.

Grilled mushrooms to be dipped in VERY hot mustard or spicy sauce.

Katoriya-zuke – pig stomach in spicy miso sauce.

Chicken liver – a little dry, not nearly big enough.

Chicken sasami with wasabi paste.

Tomato wrapped in bacon – delicious but a pale shadow of Kushiwakamaru’s take on the dish. 

Fried tofu topped with bonito flakes, accompanied by grated ginger and soy sauce.

Nankotsu – chicken cartilage, but actually not too bad.

Bacon wrapped asparagus (and the tomato-maki again). 

Sliced tomato and mayonnaise – this place is not big on salads.

Grilled green peppers – unsullied but salt or pepper.

Eda-mame.

Garlic and mushrooms – nice. 

Tebasaki – chicken wings.

Tofu – dull.

Get there early, secure a stool and enjoy. 

03-3718-5505

Ko-panda, Kichijōji コパンダ、吉祥寺

Kichijōji continues to boom, seemingly well on the way to becoming a small city in its own right – in the manner of Shinjuku or Shibuya – rather than just a well developed, over populated and highly sought after village – such as Shimo-Kitazawa or Jiyūgaoka. It’s yet to be ruined though. Still plenty to draw the casual diner, and enough “nostalgic” establishments remaining to bring a tear to the eye of seasoned Tokyoites.

An area (block?) brimming with such attractions is the old covered market/ traders ground across the road from the central exit of the station. What was once little more than a fetid warren of rundown alleys and stalls is now a frightfully hip dining and drinking spot clustered with “postmodern/ retro/ neo-Asian” bars and izakaya, many of which appear to be part of the increasingly sprawling empire established by the folks behind the Mishima Bar (opposite Iseya at the entrance to the park).

Ko-panda nestles amidst the lanterns, moldering electric meters and crumbling stalls of the alley known as noren komichi. Think black and white Kurosawa movies such as Stray Dog. At best you’d squeeze in 10-12, if slim. Little counter, little tables, little stools, little menu, little izakaya. A staff of one – the proprietor one would like to think – takes orders and pokes at the vat of tepid oden.

The most memorable thing about Ko-panda is the vaguely nightmarish paper-wrought little panda – think Silent Hill only with China’s favoured fluffy diplomatic pawn. The food is limited, not costly and intended to accompany your booze more than satisfy your appetite.

We did the oden, which to fair be was less hateful than it’s wont to be; some tasty yet overpriced cubes of cheese and some seasonal takenoko. The latter were enjoyable, but clearly at the lower end of the quality scale.

Great fun, but hardly worthy of a long stay. Visit before, in between or after dining spots. 

Lemon & Fromage, Kichijōji レモンアンドフロマージュ、吉祥寺

Italians and Chinese may be of different opinions when it comes to which came first – spaghetti or noodles? – but Lemon & Fromage gleefully combines rāmen with elements of Italian cooking and manages to produce some interesting results. 

The honten, Due Italian, is in Kudan-minami; my dining partners and I visited the recently opened looking Kichijōji iteration. Very clean, “well appointed,” and squarely in the “popular with ladies” category. Indeed, ladies get to swap normal noodles for super healthy (12kcal) konyaku noodles free of charge.

Although smart; with white walls, nice tables and chairs, and a vaguely espresso bar feel to it this is still a rāmen shop, and so the level of service, etc., isn’t really worth mention. As is often the case, you simply select your meal from a ticket vending machine before being seated.

Average prices, smallish servings. The two bowls we tried, the lemon, and the fromage, rāmen were both nicely turned out, with the strangely clear broth creating a light, “healthy” appearance. The lemon variety might have been healthier, the fromage one certainly not. The huge dollop of gooey cheese slowly permeating the dish surely cancelled out any benefit to the waistline that might accrue from the konyaku noodles.

Both were enjoyable, mainly for the novelty factor and clean presentation. The lemon flavour became overpowering eventually, and would benefit from being taken down a notch or two. Conversely, the fromage rāmen were delicious, but would be even better if the taste were stronger. It would certainly benefit from being supplied in bigger portions. However, and despite being adequate, neither the pork nor noodles will appease the indignation of rāmen purists.

0422-23-3375

dueitalian.media-sp.jp

Uosan, Monzen-nakachō 魚三、門前仲町

Uosan has been serving cheap, rough hewn and undeniably voluminous fresh fish since before the LDP was even a glint in Toby’s eye; which is to say since 1954, to be precise. 

The mere mention of this near legendary Monzennaka izakaya, situated not far from Orihara Shōten on Eitai Dōri, makes fish lovers and izakaya aficionados go weak at the knees. Or, perhaps, it’s the hour or so of queuing they endure in order to secure a seat that makes them so. 

There’s nothing fancy about Uosan, and none of the staff - the silver-haired mama-san included - waste time with the usual niceties.

Once the front door slides open the patient line of hungry fans dutifully cross the threshold and (unless they are regulars, ancient or have a way with old ladies) are brusquely told where to sit.

If lucky, a spot on the ground floor squeezed in between the other diners at one of the three counters will be awarded. If not, they are summarily banished to one of the three upper floors, and the perils of tatami mat seating. 

It’s a great business model. Open at 4pm, and have a full house and captive audience by 4:02pm. 

Initially, order taking and delivery of dishes takes time to get into a groove - be patient. There’s bottled Kirin beer, Uosan branded bottles of chilled (instantly forgettable) sake, and plenty of the warm stuff being sloshed about in tall tokuri, too. You’ll need some time to take in the menu, which is posted on the walls. There are 126 individual items listed on the wall above the kitchen hatch alone! 

It’s all about fish, although a few concessions to other categories are made, supplied by generations of Tsukiji fish-mongers; their family/ business names are proudly displayed upon one of the walls (as is the case at Okajōki). For variety’s sake, the plethora of fish on offer comes fried, grilled, stewed, boiled and pickled. It’s also absurdly cheap, very big, mostly fresh and pleasingly unrefined. 

While you’re tucking into plate after heaped plate of sashimi - the kampachi, tai and chūtoro were fantastic - and generous portions of juicy, glistening grilled fillets and steaks it’s hard not to notice the strange atmosphere... 

Hardly “cosy,” and not exactly relaxing either. It’s quiet, but in the way a museum or gallery is quiet. You don’t want to disturb the peace, and everyone around you looks so serious. I’d put half of it down to collective fear of the mama-san and her offspring, the remainder to concentration on the task at hand, which is to say consumption of more and more fish.

Either way, it’s not really the place for a party or, for that matter, a leisurely meal. Best to get your fix and head elsewhere for drinks, or something.   

Uosan does provide some great people watching opportunities. Many of the patrons are regulars, and probably locals to boot. Some read while eating, others eat their fill while listening to iPods. Others still spend more time gazing wistfully at everyone else's meals, and seem to forget to order much for themselves. Conversation with strangers is out. With your dining partners, limited.  

UPDATE: 03/06/12

Yesterday's visit to Uosan, after a little over year, proved to far more enjoyable than the first. Same hour-long wait in the queue of expectant diners, and when the doors opened at 4pm, the place was immediately full.

This time, however, we were ushered to the second floor of this three storey izakaya. Without a doubt, the second floor is much more entertaining than the first. None of the monastic silence and strict rules on seating arrangements being enforced by fearsome matrons. Just a room filled with friendly, talkative and extremely happy patrons intent on consuming vast amounts of high quality, low price fish.

Whether it be raw, fried, grilled or battered every dish is perfection.  

The highlight of meal was the lightly vinegared mackerel sashimi. Perfect on a warm summer day.

Huge (at least a litre or more) flasks of warm sake were being imbibed all around, causing inhibitions to be cast aside and more than a few of the surrounding diners proving to be not only talkative, but full of beans, too. As was this bowl.

If you've yet to visit Uosan, you don't know what you're missing. 

Having eaten our fill, Izakayasanpo (thanks for the invitiation, Tobi-chan) and I headed on over to Ohira Shoten for some serious nihonshu. Seems it's still do a brisk trade, too. 

03-3641-8071

http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1313/A131303/13003007/

Orihara Shōten, Monzen-nakachō 折原商店、門前仲町

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.

03-5639-9447

www.oriharashoten.jp