A yakitori restaurant loved by locals
It's somewhere between Keikyu Kamata Station and Zoshigaya Station. It's a residential area, but there are also many shops. This is the area where the famous bar "Sanpei" was located, which closed in 2015. "Jumbo Otsuka" opens from 1pm and is bustling with customers from the daytime. It's full of local regulars, who make you wonder "what do they do on a normal day?" There are lots of bicycles in front of the store!
Unusual opening hours
The second-generation proprietress runs the shop by herself, riding her scooter to Shibaura every morning to stock up on ingredients, then opens at 1pm. She closes at 7pm to stock up on ingredients for the next day. That's why they keep the opening hours as they are.
From the Hoppy Set
We start with a Hoppy Set (500 yen) with Naoko Ken's "Summer Abandoned" playing in the background. A great selection of songs perfect for this time of year!
Miso cucumber
Cucumbers are delicious in the summer! I'll listen to Southern All Stars' "TSUMAMI" and have some misokyu (300 yen) to tide me over until my yakitori arrives. Nice song selection!
Yakitori
Yakitori is priced at 130 yen per skewer, including tax. The tsukune, kashira (kashira fat), and shiro are served with sauce.
Tongue and pork belly served with salt.
Listening to NiziU's famous songs...? Why NiziU? Oh, I see... so they're streaming it from a regular customer's smartphone to a Bluetooth speaker. The DJ is a guy from the neighborhood!
I can picture the proprietress skewering the pork belly every morning. The pork belly is skewered in an inverted triangle shape, so beautiful it's mesmerizing!
word used after one has been treated (esp. used after a meal)
I finished off with two Naka Hoppy beers. It was a really cozy and nice place. The proprietress and regulars were all so welcoming, and I could see why it's a popular place with the locals.
There is another reason for the opening hours, as they want customers to enjoy their grilled offal and alcohol as their first stop, so they are mainly open during the day. If you are in the area, be sure to check it out.
menu
Store Information
[Jumbo Otsuka]
Address: 1-25-11 Higashirokugo, Ota-ku, Tokyo 144-0046
Time: 13:00-19:00
Closed: Thursdays and Sundays
English
Japanese
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