It was delicious but I haven't been there recently.

On November 2015, I went to Ryogoku for a meetup at a restaurant called "Bozu Shyamo" with an invitation from a fellow reviewer. The restaurant was located near Ryogoku Station, and it had a traditional and elegant appearance. According to the Sumida Ward Famous Shop Association website, the restaurant was established during the Tenwa era and got its name from the founder who used to mediate disputes among boatmen with a shaved head. We were seated on the second floor in a private room, and we enjoyed dishes such as a refreshing salad, liver and heart, chicken sashimi, chicken hot pot, and a chicken and egg rice bowl. The main hot pot dish was prepared by a friendly hostess, and the flavors were reminiscent of traditional Edo cuisine. The bill came out to around 13,000 yen per person, which was reasonable considering the amount of food and drinks we consumed. The hostess took good care of us, and her playful personality added to the enjoyable dining experience. Special thanks to the reviewer who invited me and the other gentleman who joined us for the meal.

I was invited by a fellow reviewer to attend a meetup and I went to "Bouzu Shiyamo". It's about a 5-6 minute walk from Ryogoku Station. The exterior of the restaurant has a traditional charm and exudes an air of a long-established establishment. The restaurant was established during the Tenwa period and is even featured in novels. In the novel "Onihei Hankacho", it is depicted as a place where Hasegawa Heizo and his subordinates gather for drinks and investigation meetings. The dishes we tried included a salad with chicken, bean sprouts, and cucumber which was refreshing, liver and heart skewers which were tender and delicious, fresh chicken sashimi, and the highlight was the chicken hot pot. The hot pot was prepared by the landlady with chicken meat, chicken meatballs, leeks, and white konjac in a rich broth, which was then dipped in beaten egg before eating. Although the flavor of the chicken was not as strong as expected, it was still quite tasty. The hot pot was followed by a rice bowl with egg using the remaining broth, which was a satisfying end to the meal. The bill came out to around 13,000 yen per person, with a significant portion going towards drinks. The restaurant is run by the owner and landlady, who only open when there are reservations. It has a private and intimate atmosphere, with mainly regular customers. As there seems to be no successor, I recommend visiting sooner rather than later if you're interested in trying out this place.

Sometimes I consciously aim for a milestone review, selecting the restaurant to review. I started using Tabelog to keep a record of my visits to longstanding establishments. I began Tabelog with the idea of exploring old and new places, and while reviewing an offline meeting at this restaurant, I remembered my initial intentions for starting Tabelog. This restaurant, which I had always wanted to visit but had been turned down multiple times before. My first offline meeting was over 20 years ago at a ramen ML, and although I have been using Tabelog and attending offline meetings, I have had the opportunity to meet people I would never have met otherwise, feeling the connections with others. I remember ordering beer each time, but sake was served at the right time, and I can't quite remember how much I drank. However, I definitely drank a lot. The attentive service, with us being the only customers, was pleasant, and the sake went down smoothly. So, it's no wonder I drank a lot. Three appetizers are served before the hot pot. Among them, the chicken and vegetables was a delight to eat, even in double portions. Now, about the hot pot, the sauce is not as thick as it looks. Among the three types of meat - thigh, breast, and meatballs - I personally prefer the thigh meat. However, the taste changes drastically when you finish with the egg drop soup. Being able to become a regular at a place like this would bring happiness (it would be even better if I could come in my own capacity), and it seems like the restaurant thrives on regular customers. Yeah, longstanding establishments are great. Still, having reviewed over 2000 restaurants, and doing this for 5 or 6 years, I think I must be crazy, but I can't stop using Tabelog, even though it's a waste of time. November 30, 2015 (3.09)

This day was a feast in Ryogoku! The two-story wooden building exudes a quaint and traditional atmosphere, established during the Tenwa era! Whenever that was, it's safe to assume it's a very old establishment. Upstairs, there are five spacious Japanese-style private rooms, each with a luxurious feel. The menu is straightforward, offering only a chicken hot pot course for around 8000 yen. The course includes a steamed chicken salad, grilled chicken offal (heart and liver), chicken sashimi, and the signature chicken hot pot. The hot pot features a unique square-shaped pot with a miso-based sweet and rich broth, containing wings, thighs, pounded chicken (a mix of wings and thighs), shirataki noodles, and leeks, served sukiyaki-style with beaten egg. The light and crunchy texture of the chicken, combined with the savory broth, creates a delightful dining experience. The meal ends perfectly with adding egg and rice to the remaining broth, creating a comforting dish reminiscent of oyakodon. The attentive landlady takes care of the hot pot almost entirely, providing an entertaining experience with her Edo-style banter. Despite indulging in plenty of drinks, the total cost was quite high, but the satisfaction was worth it. Engaging conversations with delightful company and the delicious chicken hot pot from this longstanding establishment made for a memorable experience.

After seeing the 500 Arhats, we decided to go to a restaurant in Ryogoku since we were already there (we made a reservation in advance). It had an old Japanese house style atmosphere, and my mother mentioned that she used to have meals with sumo wrestlers here when she was a child, so it was a nostalgic revisit after about 40 years. It's a hidden gem that you might overlook if you didn't know about it. The course included salad, grilled chicken liver, chicken sashimi, chicken hot pot, and a mountain of homemade pickles & rice. All the dishes were quite generous in portion size. I'm not a big fan of liver, but the chicken liver here was really juicy, sweet (not from sugar, but a natural mineral-like sweetness that slowly spreads in your mouth), and had no unpleasant smell. The chicken sashimi was so fresh and juicy that I couldn't resist and ended up eating a lot of it. And then came the restaurant's specialty, chicken hot pot. The secret miso sauce simmered in the square pot, and the waitress skillfully added finely chopped chicken meat that had been meticulously pounded with a knife into just the right size. The "chicken meatballs" were different from regular ones, melting and bursting with flavor in your mouth. The secret sauce was rich in dashi and miso flavor, perfectly complementing the chicken. When you dip it in raw egg, it becomes even more delicious. I devoured the meatballs like crazy, and my elementary school child (by the way, there were no kids' menus or prices) also enjoyed them. The meal continued with plenty of sliced leeks and meat. The large serving of pickles that looked like a salad was also delicious. I learned that chicken meat is sweet, savory, and incredibly delicious without any unpleasant taste. The first salad was also a chicken salad, and the whole meal was chicken-themed, but it was all delicious until the end. I realized that chicken is a very tasty meat with sweetness and umami. It's a great meal not only in winter but also when you're feeling weak due to the heat. It was a delightful dinner with a lovely landlady and a reunion after a long time. The elementary school child, perhaps inspired by the atmosphere and landlady, even recited a haiku they had just learned at school (laughs). It was truly a fun dinner.

This restaurant is said to have appeared in the novels of Ryunosuke Akutagawa and in the works of Shotaro Ikenami's "Onihei Hankacho" as the model for the chicken hot pot eatery called Kotetsu. The taste of their chicken hot pot, which has been passed down since the Tenwa era, is very light and you can keep eating as much as you want. For men, it may not be satisfying unless you order one portion per person plus an extra two portions. To be honest, the cost performance is not great, but enjoying the atmosphere in a private room while the landlady prepares the chicken hot pot and listening to her Edo-style talk is truly special. This is the perfect place to experience the "Edo atmosphere". They only offer course meals, do not accept credit cards, and reservations are required.

When I made a reservation over the phone, I mentioned that the restaurant was located on the back street of Momonjiya, but I was corrected and told that it was actually the front street. The only option available was an 8400 yen course. The meal started with marinated chicken, chicken liver yakitori, and chicken sashimi, all showcasing different parts of the chicken. Then came the highlight of the meal - a hot pot with chicken meat, meatballs, skin, leeks, and shirataki noodles. The hostess prepared it in a unique square pot, and the presentation in a tray was quite impressive. I found the meal to be relatively light and easy to finish, perhaps due to the lightness of the chicken meat. At first, the hostess seemed a bit reserved, but as we chatted, she warmed up and even showed a playful side by playfully smacking someone's backside with a shoe horn on our way out. Overall, it was an enjoyable and memorable dining experience.

I had been curious about this place for a while, but it only operates on weekdays (and Saturdays during sumo tournaments). Finally, I had the opportunity to visit the other day. The restaurant only offers set courses, so all you have to do is choose your drink. There were no other customers, so the dishes kept coming out quickly. The salad was average, but the grilled liver and chicken sashimi that followed looked fresh and tasted excellent. The main dish, the chicken hot pot, was served in a bucket with plenty of ingredients that were surprisingly delicious, and I finished it in no time. As mentioned earlier, I was the only customer today. It seems that the restaurant has been less busy in the past year due to the decline in sumo popularity and the self-restraint after the disaster. It seems to be run by an elderly couple, which may be just right for them, but I wonder if there is someone to carry on this flavor. I hope they can preserve this taste somehow. I want to revisit soon. This is just perfect!