One of Tokyo’s Three Most Prestigious Nikomi Restaurants, Yamakiri!

There are three izakaya restaurants in Tokyo that are reputable for their Nikomi, or beef entrails stew; Oohashi in Kitasenju, Kishidaya also in Kitasenju, and finally, Yamakiri in Morishita!

I first headed to the main restaurant in Morishita, but it was already completely filled up with five groups of people ahead of me in line.

After some deliberation… I decided to go to the second branch, which is actually also in Morishita. The two restaurants are only a couple of minutes away from each other!

And, here I have arrived!

A little raccoon dog out here to greet me!

The second branch is small compared to the main restaurant and only has one counter and seats around it.

I have the view of the chefs grilling the Yakiton (grilled pork) pork in front of me.

If you want to try the Yakiton, come early. The popular menu runs out fast! This day too, by the time I arrived at 19:30, there was only a little bit left of it.

I immediately ordered the remaining Yakiton!

I had another disappointment… the egg in the famous nikomi was already gone too.

Oh well! I will have to come back again. Of course, it is still tasty without the egg.

Oh well!

With my beer came the hors d’oeuvre, Chirimen Sansho, dried young sardines with Sansho spice.

The spicy flavor matches perfectly with beer. It’s so addicting!

And here is the long-waited-for Motsu Nikomi, beef entrails stew.

The piping hot motsu in the hot container makes a sizzling sound.

You don’t want to bolt down the dish, it’s extremely hot!

If I were to compare this Motsu Nikomi to something… it would have to be beef stew. Unlike the similar dishes at other restaurants, it has a refined flavor.

The motsu that has been cooked for a long time melts almost instantly in my mouth.

I definitely can’t argue with its title as “one of the three most prestigious nikomi” of Tokyo.

The Gatsu-sashi (boiled gut) is here too!

The chewy gatsu-sashi goes perfectly with a little ginger mixed with soy sauce.

I love the texture!!

Next up, is the slightly spicy Tsubugai or whelk scallop.

It has a kind of a sweet and spicy taste. It definitely goes well with beer or sake!

While Yamakiri is known for its nikomi, everything else of theirs is also delicious!

Good food, good company… uh oh, how much have I had to drink already?

And the Yakiton is finally ready!

Nankotsu (gristle), kashira (head) and harami (belly meat).

I especially enjoyed the tender harami!

I was lucky to get the last kashira piece! The juicy kashira with fat dripping is a very popular menu! I definitely recommend it.

There is a menu that caught my eye. It reminds me of home, it was a favorite in our family.

But I am warning you. It has a pretty “interesting” smell… it’s not for everybody. As for me, the particular smell and taste captured me as a little girl and I have loved it ever since!

It is no other than the famous… Kusaya!

Well, who ever named this dried fish did a pretty accurate job, kusai meaning smelly!

The texture is quite hard. But it is the perfect snack to g with sake!

You definitely should try it if you’re brave enough!

Lastly, I ordered Arajiru, or fish soup. The soup is not the usual miso but a simple but refrshing salt flavor.

Fish bones are full of the umami flavor and make a great broth.

The Arajiru was truly delicious.

Thank you so much for the wonderful time and excellent meal!

writer：Tanna♡