Be careful when ordering at the yakitori izakaya five minutes from the east exit of Kamata Station, as one serving of yakitori is four skewers. The menu is not very clear, so it's a bit difficult to figure out what drinks are available.

Friday nights start early, right? By 18:30, popular places are almost fully booked. Couldn't get into either of them... Ended up at Kagaya just in time. Amazing sashimi, simmered dishes, and grilled offal. Thanks for the meal!

Visited a gourmet restaurant with my boss in May 2019. We couldn't go to Inoyoshi the day before, so today we decided to drink at Kagaya. The grilled pork skewers here are delicious and reasonably priced, so it's always crowded whenever you come. We ordered tongue, heart, cheek meat, cartilage, white meat, liver, tuna sashimi, medium fatty tuna, simmered pot, and thick fried tofu. The six types of grilled pork skewers are a must-try. I always sprinkle some shichimi and salt on them. And of course, we had lemon sour to help us relax and rejuvenate. I like to drink it in a beer mug. The grilled pork skewers here are really delicious. I particularly enjoy the cheek meat, cartilage, and white meat. On Fridays, it can get quite crowded with office workers, which can be overwhelming for me, but on regular days, the atmosphere is just right with a good balance of liveliness, giving off a true pub vibe. Each dish is above average and reasonably priced. Sometimes you might even see a former world champion sitting at the counter. It's located in a somewhat quiet area near Labo Ho, but it's a place I often visit when I feel like having a casual drink. I'm grateful for this place.

I thought my work visit in July ended early, but then my gourmet boss invited me out. We usually go to Inohachi, but we had been there a lot in June, so I suggested a different place. We ended up visiting Kaga-ya after a long time. I am curious about the new project at DO, but I haven't joined yet so I don't feel it much. I was impressed by the work output of the department head who accompanied us. I need to learn from that. I wasn't feeling well that day, so we just had a light drink. The bonito sashimi, thick fried tofu, tongue, heart, and stomach skewers were delicious. It had the taste of a typical izakaya, with a lively atmosphere. It's perfect for a casual drink. I'm grateful to my gourmet boss for continuing to invite me out even though I've changed workplaces.

I ended up drinking until closing time while enjoying a glass of Hoppy.

During Happy Hour, there are plenty of cheap and delicious options, surprisingly not too crowded.

Kagaya offers a stable dining experience.

The popular izakaya! The first store has wider aisles.

At the recommendation of a colleague, we visited a second bar for the day. It had a Showa retro style with a narrow entrance but spacious interior. We focused on drinking and enjoyed black Hoppy, along with appetizers like pickled Chinese cabbage, sea squirt with vinegar, simmered dish, and several skewers. The pickled Chinese cabbage was the perfect accompaniment with just the right amount of saltiness. The sea squirt with vinegar was incredibly fresh, as if it had just been prepared. The portion was also generous. It was a fantastic experience at this skilled Showa retro izakaya. Thank you for the meal.

【Revisit】July 2017. After work, I met up with a friend for a casual drink. Tonight, every table was crowded with salarymen smokers, and the smell of cigarette smoke filled the air. On a different note, it seems that the former middleweight world champion boxer, Shinji Takehara, often comes here.

When you get off at JR Kamata Station on the Keikyu side and walk north, you will find some nice shops with a good atmosphere. If you're looking to kill time before a meeting and don't want anything too heavy, why not try some motsu-yaki at Kagaya? They have a unique plum and shiso flavored chu-hai called "Byce." In Kansai or other places outside of Tokyo, you won't find this drink easily. The motsu-yaki comes in a set of 4 skewers, but you can ask the staff, who may not speak fluent Japanese, if you can order 2 skewers each of tongue and heart with salt seasoning. The texture is great. Let's add some intestines and cheek with sauce this time. I was planning to have just a little, but ended up eating 8 skewers of motsu-yaki. It cost 1,110 yen, which made me think it would have been nice if it was 1,111 yen. But it was a good deal! Bon appétit.

On May 2nd (Monday), after finishing work, the drinking enthusiast headed to Kamata. Today, they went to "Jungle Izakaya Kichi," which opened on April 15th in Kamata. Since work ended a little early, they decided to have a quick drink at the nearby "Kagaya Kamata 2nd Store." They started with a draft beer to get the drinking mood on. For a snack, they ordered macaroni salad. They enjoyed the macaroni salad with their beer. They wanted to have one more drink, but didn't have much time, so they finished their quick drink here.

I have visited this restaurant multiple times since being first taken here in April 2016. Today, we planned to have tonkatsu at Maruyama Shokudo after a long time, but unexpectedly encountered a complete smoking ban there, so we quickly moved to this place. While our gourmet boss was ordering some snacks, I took the opportunity to have a smoke. It's always a routine for our gourmet boss, who is also a smoker. He often scolds me, saying, "Hey, why don't you order something to drink for a change?" I pretend not to understand and play dumb. "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize. But it's okay, right?" We both laugh. It's a bit rude, but a pleasant moment. After all, if our gourmet boss chooses, it's always the right choice. No chance for a drink like Nodo Goshi here. But since we have some time to spare, I'll have a smoke (laughs). The sashimi here is surprisingly delicious for some reason. Even though we are all fans of Inohachi, we couldn't resist ordering a dish here. The grilled pork is also delicious, making it perfect for a light drink. When you want to have a calm conversation about work, it's impossible here because of the lively atmosphere. It has a real izakaya vibe. Perfect for a quick drink. But tonight, I invited him to have tonkatsu, which didn't end even at the second place. The night in Kamata continues...and the next day, I'm still feeling the effects. It turned into a work overnight stay on the weekend. Namu~. Our gourmet boss has returned to Kamata and has been frequenting the new store of Kagaya recently, so we were invited. I often hear about Kagaya, but this is my first visit. As soon as we entered the restaurant, the owner said, "Oh, gourmet boss, welcome!" This person is truly amazing... If he likes a place, he will visit it daily, which is the gourmet boss style. So naturally, he is remembered by the staff. It's amazing. I remember being taken there a few times and it took time for me to be remembered. It's nice to be remembered by the staff. This reminds me of my philosophy as a butler when I worked in the service industry. In the past, at Global Dining, it was considered a waiter's skill to remember the customer's name and be remembered by them. I wasn't good at it. I always remembered the customer's face but deliberately didn't call them by name, just thinking "Thank you for coming." and nodding. (Except for children. I called them by name, hugged them, and lifted them up...). The staff around me didn't really understand my approach, but I was working in the hotel industry for a long time, so I understood that the essence was different. If our gourmet boss was in the service industry, customers would definitely flock to him. Now, about the taste, the skewers are delicious, but I was surprised by the sashimi. I can't eat sashimi anywhere else except at Inohachi, but since our gourmet boss recommended it, I tried it. It's delicious. The red meat is fatty and really delicious. And it's reasonably priced. The restaurant is not very spacious, but it's always busy. It makes sense. "Wow, this sashimi is so delicious!" I muttered, and our gourmet boss smiled and said, "See, I told you it was delicious." He looks so happy. He really loves recommending delicious places and watching people enjoy the food. Every time, I'm grateful for being taken to such delicious restaurants. Thank you.

I went alone on a regular night... There were a few customers at the counter and several groups of customers at the tables in the back... Most of them seemed to be regulars, chatting with the mama-san... I watched a baseball game at the counter while having a drink alone... Started with a bottle of beer... The sashimi was flounder with engawa, and it was delicious... The other dishes were a bit too much for one person... It might have been better to go with a few people so we could try a variety of dishes...

Kagaya, a stylish and deep izakaya located in Kamata. The first store is in the food and drink district near the east exit. The second store has moved to the first floor of the same building as Mi Lei, known for its Vietnamese cuisine. It's a 3-minute walk from JR Kamata Station's east exit towards Shinagawa. I visited with 3 friends after work. The exterior is still fresh and new. Inside, there are counter seats and table seats lined up. The atmosphere is clean, and smoking is allowed. The menu is not on the table, but all items are listed on strips of paper on the wall, which was a bit inconvenient. We started with a toast with draft beer, black Hoppy, and green tea highball. We ordered various dishes such as pickled cucumbers, beef tongue, sashimi platter, potato salad, grated beef tendon, simmered dish, grilled squid with miso, buttered potatoes, and rice balls. The pickled cucumbers with wasabi flavor went well with the drinks. The skewers were generously portioned, and the beef tongue was particularly delicious. The potato salad was finely mashed. The total bill was less than 3,000 yen per person, and we were satisfied with the food and drinks. The owner is a fan of martial arts, and it's said that some famous people also visit the place. Kagaya is known for its Hoppy, and we also ordered a couple of Hoppy drinks, which are supplied by the Hoppy wholesaler Shuwa Drink. While there are many Kagaya locations in Tokyo, the two stores in Kamata are not listed on their website, which is quite intriguing.

I actually wanted to go to Mi Lei, but it was full so I came here instead. This place is on the first floor of Mi Lei, so it's the perfect alternative. However, since there is a love hotel in front, it's not suitable for mixed-gender gatherings (haha). I ordered a sour apple cocktail, which was refreshing on a hot day. The yakitori comes in sets of four, which I found a bit strange. I ordered two sets of tongue and heart with salt, and they were quite filling. The prices were a bit high for items like tofu salad, pickled vegetables, and yakitori, but overall the food was good. In the end, the bill came to 1540 yen, which was reasonable. Overall, it was a relaxing drinking experience.

Let's have a drink in Kamata after a long time. I arrived a bit late and got off at the east exit, had a drink at Shinanoji, and walked all the way back to the side of Sanshu-ya Honten. There was a new unfamiliar shop there. I used to pass by when going to Hida for a drink, but I had never come this far back before. It seems like a new place. It was clean and when I entered, they said it was only about an hour left, but that was enough for me. So, I had a Hoppy drink while ordering potato salad (390 yen), simmered pot (390 yen), and stamina grilled dish. They said stamina was finished, so they offered to grill hormones in the same way. The simmered pot was delicious even on such a hot day. The offal was processed carefully, so there was no strong smell or taste, almost refreshing (lol). With the broth and flavored tofu, it seems like you can keep drinking endlessly. It's nice to see so many leeks even though the price of long leeks hasn't gone down. The hormone grilled dish was also very tasty with a strong sauce, and the Hoppy drink went well with it. It was delicious. I found out that the second branch had moved here in December last year. The store was still clean and maybe because of the location or the late time I went, it had a calm atmosphere, which was nice. It got a bit hectic as it was almost last order, but that was expected, so it was not a problem. I like small family-run restaurants, so I don't usually feel like going to Kaga-ya on my own, but I really liked the atmosphere here, so I would like to visit again if I have the chance. Thank you for the meal.