On a refreshing holiday in May, while strolling around Uguisudani, I stumbled upon a festival. There was a crowd gathered at the butcher shop on the corner, so I decided to stop by. They were grilling yakitori and everyone was buying them. By the time I got there, there weren't many pork skewers left, so I bought some tongue and liver skewers with salt. As I walked away from the festival, I savored the skewers. It felt a bit awkward to be eating skewers while walking away from the festival (laughs). Even though I had my PENTAX camera hanging around my neck, I must have looked like a risky old man. It's a bit lonely, isn't it? The salt seasoning might have been a bit light, but the skewers were big and made for a great snack. I also wanted to try the fried foods that my seniors have been posting about.

I have always been curious about the butcher shop next to Ono Terashima Shrine. Every time I walk back from Ueno Sakuragi to Nezu and Yanaka, I always pass by the intersection where it is located. Today, I finally decided to try it out. When I placed my order, they fried it on the spot ❤️ I got the large chicken cutlet, a bite-sized pork cutlet, and a croquette. It was delicious!! And my stomach didn't feel heavy afterwards. Maybe it's the oil? Anyway, it was so tasty!! Good night everyone!! I will definitely go back!! (^^)

As I happened to pass by, I noticed a local butcher shop selling fried food. They were also grilling yakitori, and a few regular customers from the neighborhood were making purchases. Feeling a bit peckish, I couldn't resist and bought a menchi katsu (180 yen). It seemed to have been double-fried as it was piping hot. I dug in right away. It was a bit on the smaller side, but crispy with a distinct lard aroma typical of butcher shops. Perhaps due to the double-frying, it felt a bit oily, but the balance of sweetness from the onions and juiciness from the minced meat was spot on. I ate it as is without any sauce, and it was full of flavor. At 180 yen per piece, it may seem a bit pricey, but I hope this butcher shop continues to strive and keep making freshly fried menchi (croquettes) for a long time.

I went out for a walk from the hotel and the first place I came across was this old-fashioned butcher shop in Iriya town. I ordered the menchi katsu that caught my eye in the 4-star reviews. The menchi katsu was juicy, fried in the unique lard of the butcher shop, and had a sweet taste of onions. I wanted to try the croquettes as well, but I had already eaten too much that day, so I just stuck with the menchi. It's interesting to see these old-fashioned shops still existing in the downtown area of Tokyo. I recommend trying out these food stops while exploring the Iriya area.

In this neighborhood, there is a meat shop known for its delicious "deli" dishes. The shop is always surrounded by regular customers from the area. Today, I happened to pass by and luckily there were no customers around, so I quickly bought two minced meat cutlets and took them home. Special Minced Cutlet: 1 piece for 150 yen ★★★ A small, coin-shaped minced cutlet with a relatively small size. The aroma of lard stimulates the appetite, typical of a meat shop. The roughly chopped onions are a highlight, and the meat juice is plentiful, packed with flavor! It tastes sweeter and more delicious when eaten with salt and pepper rather than sauce. However, there is quite a bit of oil remaining, and even when reheated in a toaster, the presence of fat is strong. But the richness of the flavor makes it easy to eat many pieces. Nowadays, you can buy "minced cutlets" anywhere, but that's why this kind of well-prepared minced cutlet is valuable! It may not be healthy, but it focuses on the flavor of the meat. The richness of the ingredients and the aroma of lard give it a unique taste that you can't find in supermarkets or convenience stores. It truly embodies the timeless dignity of a "meat shop minced cutlet."

Before the meeting, I had some time so I went for a walk and found a quaint and delicious-looking restaurant that seemed to have been in business for a long time. I couldn't resist and ordered some croquettes and ham cutlets. The owner told me it would take about 3 minutes to fry them. They took out the ingredients from the fridge and started breading and frying them right in front of me. It turns out they make everything from scratch! I should have also ordered the minced meat croquette, what a missed opportunity (laughs). Don't underestimate old restaurants like this one. It seems like they also grill yakitori in the evenings. The food was ready and piping hot. I tried the ham cutlet first, the breading was crispy and delicious. It was so good that I didn't even need any sauce. The croquette was a bit dangerous because it was so hot, but the crispy breading and the soft, sweet potato filling made it simple and delicious. It was so tasty even without sauce, and there was no greasy smell. I highly recommend trying it out!

Taste: ★★★☆☆ Portion: ★★★☆☆ Cost performance: ★★★☆☆ This shop serves freshly fried food. The freshly fried items are delicious. The price is normal for a ham cutlet at 80 yen, but a liver cutlet at 260 yen is a bit expensive. Buying here and getting some alcohol from a convenience store to eat while walking around is a pleasure of the downtown area.

I prefer the croquettes and side dishes from the butcher shop more than going to a yakiniku restaurant! Maybe it's because the frying oil accumulates the flavors of various ingredients. I can definitely feel the difference when they change to a new oil. This shop is close to my office in Nippori, and I often come here to buy, but it's always crowded even on rainy days, and they often sell out. It's super popular. Everything I eat here is delicious.

The staff is unfriendly. The prices are not cheap and the taste is just average. Seven Eleven is cheaper and tastier.