There was a new dining area called "Ginza Ura Corridor" under the elevated walkway connecting Ginza Corridor Street and Shinbashi Station. It seemed more like Shinbashi than Ginza, but I was intrigued by the curry sign I spotted. It turned out to be a shop specializing in Kyushu delicacies, including the famous grilled curry from Moji Port in Fukuoka. The restaurant, named "Kyushu Izakaya," has three branches in Chiba and this was their second branch in Tokyo. The interior and music were all Kyushu-themed, with colorful female staff dressed in traditional attire. The menu book was like a travel guide, and they had an extensive selection of over 100 types of shochu, mainly sweet potato shochu. I tried the "Ginyanma" from Osumi Tanegashima Sake Brewery for ¥500, followed by the "Nakatsu Karaage" from Oita for ¥520, which was flavorful and went well with drinks. The highlight was the "Grilled Curry" from Fukuoka for ¥680, a Moji Port specialty with cheese, a half-boiled egg, and a smaller portion of rice compared to the original. It was a unique and delicious dish. They also had desserts like Kumamoto's "Ikina Dango" and Kagoshima's bear-shaped pudding, but I decided to end the meal there. Check out the "Curry Cell" Facebook page for more information.

It's still hot in Shinbashi, but there are some cool places to visit. The back alleys and underpasses are being effectively utilized, with a row of appealing restaurants. Among them, I chose the one with the widest entrance. The restaurant I visited this time is "Delicious Sake from Kyushu" at the Ginza Back Alley store. As the name suggests, they offer a variety of local Kyushu cuisine. The lunch menu displayed outside the restaurant caught my eye, so I decided to go in. I was seated at a spacious four-person table in the back. I chose a glass from the server near the entrance and poured some cold water. It made me feel like having a shochu highball (^｡^) - Chicken Nanban Set Meal 1000 yen I chose the Mentaiko Tartar sauce. I opted for a large portion of rice. The meal arrived in about 6 minutes. It included the main dish, rice, miso soup, two side dishes, and pickles. The main dish was Chicken Nanban with chopped green onions and Mentaiko Tartar sauce, served with a generous amount of shredded cabbage dressed with dressing. When I lifted the Chicken Nanban and took a bite, the flavor of Mentaiko spread in my mouth, followed by the savory fried chicken. It was a nice twist to enjoy it this way, even though Miyazaki's Tartar sauce is good too. The rice I chose was of good quality and cooked well. It's a bit disappointing that refills are not available. The shredded cabbage side dish had a lot of volume and was satisfying. Even when mixed with the Mentaiko Tartar sauce, it was delicious. The miso soup and two types of pickles were also tasty. The two side dishes were sesame-flavored boiled spinach, which seemed beneficial for iron intake, and a small portion of chilled tofu with traditional Shimosa soy sauce poured over it. The soy sauce, made in a traditional wooden barrel, was appreciated. I sped up and finished the meal in one go. They serve delicious dishes from various regions in Kyushu in the evening, so I would like to visit at night sometime. Thank you for the meal.

After finishing some errands in Shimbashi, I decided to have lunch and walked from Shimbashi to Yurakucho along the newly developed JR elevated tracks. The area closer to Shimbashi is known as Ginza's back alley corridor, also called URACORI, lined with izakayas. There was a restaurant with a long name that caught my eye, "Delicious Kyushu Food and Sake Kusuo." It seemed like a place where you could enjoy tasty dishes from Kyushu. The outdoor sign mentioned "Horse Mackerel Fry and Nakatsu Karaage," so I decided to have lunch there. When I told the waitress in a yukata about the daily lunch special, she repeated back to me that it was Ebi Fry (shrimp fry) and Nakatsu Karaage. It seemed like they had changed the planned Horse Mackerel Fry to Shrimp Fry due to their supplies. I decided to go ahead with the daily special. They offered three sizes of rice - small, medium, and large for the same price, and when I asked for a regular-sized rice bowl, they recommended the medium size. As it was lunchtime, more customers started to come in. After a while, my meal arrived on a square tray. It consisted of a large shrimp fry, two pieces of Nakatsu Karaage, cold tofu, burdock kinpira, miso soup, and pickles. The shrimp fry was to be enjoyed with a medium-thick sauce. I tried it immediately, and the crispy coating with juicy shrimp inside was delicious. Let's not worry about the Horse Mackerel Fry. The Nakatsu Karaage also complemented the rice well with its deliciousness. The 900 yen lunch was very satisfying. I'll bookmark this place for the evening menu, which includes Kyushu specialties like horse sashimi. As I left the restaurant, I noticed that the outdoor sign had indeed changed to "Shrimp Fry and Nakatsu Karaage." After that, I enjoyed exploring Yurakucho. Thank you for the meal.

Horse sashimi and motsu nabe are surprisingly delicious. The horse sashimi is not frozen and has a rich flavor. The motsu is chewy and tasty. Dishes like kibinago are all generally delicious. It's different from the typical Kyushu cuisine you find at regular izakayas. The gal-like waitresses work efficiently. I found a good restaurant under the Yurakucho guard.

I entered a back alley for the first time. It was lively and fun atmosphere. The food at the shops was delicious no matter what you ate! Chicken nanban, grilled mentaiko, grilled curry, grilled ramen, squid shumai, and more. The variety of drinks was also extremely rich. I want to visit again.

It's a bit pricey... Located in a narrow alley with newer shops, so it has a hidden gem feel. The drinks are a bit expensive. The food is average. The motsunabe was delicious, but the gomakanpachi? was the worst! It was tough and had thick skin... It's a Kyushu cuisine restaurant, but not having sesame mackerel is strange. The karaage also doesn't taste like the one in Nakatsu, so it's not a restaurant for those from Kyushu. The good points are the wide variety of shochu and the chewy motsu.

"Delicious Food and Sake from Kyushu at Kusuo Ginza Ura Corridor Store in Ginza I found a new dining area called 'Ginza Ura Corridor' under the elevated tracks towards Yurakucho from Shinbashi Station. It has a retro Showa-era atmosphere with a touch of sophistication, creating a nice ambiance. This time, I visited a Kyushu cuisine and sake restaurant on the 1st floor of the Ginza Ura Corridor. The restaurant is clean and new, with a festive atmosphere thanks to the staff wearing traditional Japanese attire. The menu, resembling a gourmet magazine, features various local dishes from each prefecture in Kyushu. The drink selection, including shochu, is impressive, making it hard to choose what to order. - Horse sashimi platter: A platter featuring three types of horse meat - fatty and rich Futaego, tender lean meat, and flavorful heart. The heart, in particular, stood out with its crispy texture and delicious umami flavor. - Grilled mentaiko: A classic snack with a charred surface and a moist semi-raw center, making it a perfect accompaniment to drinks. Mentaiko is always delicious. - Large sweet potato tempura: A big-sized sweet potato tempura that is incredibly fluffy and different from the usual ones. This sweet potato tempura is really good. - Kagoshima chicken thigh yakitori: Grilled chicken thigh with a crispy texture and a smoky aroma, served in bite-sized pieces. Enjoyed with onions, garlic, and yuzu pepper for added flavor. - Motsunabe: The main dish was motsunabe, a hot pot dish with a choice of soy sauce, miso, yuzu miso, or umami salt broth. The soup, based on chicken bones with a sharp soy sauce flavor, was delicious on its own. The tripe had no unpleasant smell, melted in the mouth due to its gelatinous quality, and had a satisfying chewy texture. I also tried a sweet potato shochu called 'Temptation of Angels Barrel-aged,' which was aged for 8 years in Spanish sherry barrels. Despite not usually drinking sweet potato shochu, I found this one with a fruity aroma and a soft mouthfeel to be delicious. With a wide variety of Kyushu dishes and an extensive shochu selection, this restaurant is a place where you can enjoy multiple visits. It's a haven for shochu enthusiasts. It might be fun to explore this 'Ginza Ura Corridor' by hopping between different eateries."

One day, I had lunch at a Kyushu cuisine izakaya in the back alley. I played it safe with the half and half set meal of Nagoya-style fried chicken and chicken tempura. I couldn't really tell what was so special about the Nagoya-style fried chicken, it just seemed like regular fried chicken, but both the chicken tempura and the fried chicken were hot and freshly fried. It was decently satisfying, but not enough to make me want to come back for more.

Note: A Kyushu izakaya with a wide variety of shochu and craft gin (*´︶`*) ※ I will give a proper rating next time after actually eating a meal! Located inside a back alley. It was empty on Sunday but likely to be crowded on weekdays... I drank mostly alcohol without eating much. Ordered mentaiko and gyoza only! Happy to see a wide selection of shochu and craft gin! Plus, there were many unfamiliar brands. Their original shochu sour was delicious♡ Will try it as the first stop next time~! ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ Instagram▶︎@_34_mh Follow and like from the girl toasting♥ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰ ⋱⋰

At the beginning of July, when the number of infected people had not increased much yet, I finally got to drink with a nostalgic group of friends at "Kyushu Umakamon Umakasake Kusuo Ginza Urakorido" near Shinbashi Station. I made a reservation in advance and visited the restaurant. There were private rooms available, and we used one of them. You can order by calling a staff member while looking at the menu, or you can order through a QR code on your smartphone browser. It was quite convenient, but the menu was extensive, so it took some time to get used to finding items. We started with a toast of draft beer. I was happy to see they had Premium Malt's and Master's Dream, so I chose Master's Dream. The appetizers we ordered included assorted appetizers, fried red shrimp, Kagoshima-style Satsuma-age, fried octopus, sashimi of the day (amberjack), horse sashimi assortment, stir-fried pickled vegetables, Miyazaki-style Chicken Nanban, and charcoal-grilled chicken thighs using Chiran chicken. Everything was delicious, especially the charcoal-grilled chicken thighs and horse sashimi. I also ordered a whiskey on the rocks to enjoy with the food. We then ordered additional items such as Miyazaki meat-wrapped rice balls, braised pork rice, Fukuoka-style yakisoba, sashimi of the day (amberjack), cream cheese marinated in Kyushu soy sauce, and more. The Fukuoka-style yakisoba and cream cheese were particularly tasty. For dessert, we had Nagasaki Castella with vanilla ice cream, Kumamoto-style rice dumplings, and added a bottle of sake. We finished with Goma Kanpachi (sesame amberjack), La So Men, Nagasaki Hatoshiaage (deep-fried shrimp sandwich). The La So Men was refreshing, and the Nagasaki Hatoshiaage was delicious, especially when paired with the vanilla ice cream from earlier. Finally, we had another glass of Master's Dream before saying thank you and goodbye. It was a great experience enjoying the flavors of Kyushu through food and drinks.

Visited a Kyushu cuisine restaurant with my senior and junior colleagues. This restaurant offers gourmet dishes from all over Kyushu, and their spicy lotus root dish was particularly delicious. They also offer bottle keep service, making it a great place to dine. It can accommodate large groups and would be perfect for company gatherings or after-work parties.

I visited the back alley in Ginza? Shinbashi? on a Friday night and all the shops were bustling. This time, I visited Kusuo, an izakaya where you can enjoy food from all over Kyushu and a wide variety of shochu. I decided to try one recommended dish from each prefecture in Kyushu. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos, but I enjoyed dishes like horse sashimi from Kumamoto and satsuma-age from Kagoshima. However, the shrimp paste toast sandwich was disappointing as it was undercooked and lacked flavor. With a wide selection of shochu, it was enjoyable to try different varieties.

It's cold and I feel like eating hot pot. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating, and it seems to be fully booked. They operate on a basic 2-hour system and you order using a QR code with your phone. The horse sashimi sampler had 3 types and 3 pieces each, but the flavors were a bit disappointing. However, overall the dishes were well-balanced and went well with alcohol. The fried tofu appetizer was especially delicious, with a crispy exterior and soft interior, and a nice hint of greenery. The main dish, tripe hot pot, was satisfying with a good balance of sweetness and umami. I wanted to have dessert but I was too full, so I received a stamp card at checkout with a 1,500 yen discount for next time or a free bottle of shochu.

Last year, I visited a hidden gem restaurant that had just opened. I went around 8 pm on a Sunday aiming for PayPay discounts. Despite some shops being closed, the restaurant was about 80% full. I made a last-minute phone reservation and used a coupon from Tabelog for horse sashimi and grilled local chicken for 1500 yen. The horse sashimi was surprisingly thick, around 2 cm, like a chunk of meat. Although it had some tough parts, the other pieces were thick but tender and delicious. The grilled chicken had a soft texture, different from the usual chewy local chicken I've had before. They also served soy sauce-marinated cheese, which paired well with alcohol. The shochu selection was impressive, with around 100 types, but the prices were on the higher side, typical of Tokyo. My favorite Shochu was over 1000 yen, but it was poured generously and served just right. The menu had a wide variety, featuring dishes from different regions in Kyushu, bringing back memories of my travels to each prefecture.

While walking in Shinbashi looking for a place to have lunch, I came across a sign under the elevated tracks connecting Yurakucho and Shinbashi, offering Chicken Nanban for 550 yen on days with a 9 in them (regular price 990 yen). Despite being close to Shinbashi Station, the idea of a one-coin meal in this area seemed quite valuable. I visited around 1 pm and found a few customers already inside, with around 10 more arriving later. The restaurant had a lively izakaya-like atmosphere. I ordered the Chicken Nanban, opting for extra rice. Looking at the menu later, I noticed that the dish came with a choice of three tartar sauces: plain, mentaiko, and spicy chili oil, but the 550 yen option seemed to only offer the plain one. Other lunch options included fried chicken, tempura, minced cutlet, pickled mustard leaf and mentaiko over rice, mackerel and mentaiko over rice, grilled Atka mackerel, and sashimi. The pickled mustard leaf and mentaiko over rice caught my eye as something unique. The food was served in about 5 minutes. The Chicken Nanban, priced at 550 yen, offered a generous portion of meat with a mild-tasting batter and tartar sauce. The generous serving of shredded cabbage was a nice touch. (August 2021)

In the back alley of Ginza, there is a shop where you can enjoy specialty dishes from various regions in Kyushu. The lunch menu offers around 10 options, such as Miyazaki's Chicken Nanban and Fukuoka's Takana Mentaiko Don. I chose the Oita-style Nagatsu Karaage & Toriten (half & half) because it looked delicious. The set came with cold tofu, cold motsu stew, and miso soup. The half & half included 3 pieces of karaage and 2 pieces of toriten. The Nagatsu Karaage seemed to be marinated in garlic soy sauce and coated with starch before frying, but the flavor didn't penetrate the chicken well. The toriten had a thick batter, which made me feel a bit heavy. However, the ponzu sauce was really tasty. I didn't enjoy the cold motsu stew because it was cold. The best part was the soy sauce poured over the cold tofu, made with "Shimofusa soy sauce" from Chiba prefecture, which was so smooth and rich in flavor. I'll try the Miyazaki Chicken Nanban next time. Thank you for the meal.

I used to pass through the back alleys from Hibiya to Shimbashi, and one place that caught my attention was the "Karaage from Oita Nakatsu" - as a Karaage enthusiast, I wanted to check it out. I finally had the chance to go in and decided to give it a try. First, I toasted with a beer. It was a Kyushu cuisine restaurant. I ordered the horse sashimi that caught my eye (probably from Kumamoto). The lean horse sashimi was delicious. Since I had the chance, I also tried the marbled horse sashimi. It was my first time trying marbled horse meat, so it felt very fresh to me. It's a matter of personal preference, I suppose. Of course, I ordered the Nakatsu Karaage... Unfortunately, it wasn't what I expected. It was just a regular fried chicken. I guess it's because Nakatsu Karaage has become so famous. I tried the Satsuma-age next. It had a nice texture and included vegetables, which I like in a Satsuma-age. It was delicious. I also had a tofu salad, which was refreshing. After the beer, I tried a Kyushu fruit syrup sour. I can't remember which fruit it was, but it didn't quite match the image of Kyushu fruits, which was a bit disappointing. It would have been better with some fruit pieces in it. As an additional dish, I tried the raw fin of a flounder. It was a perfect snack to go with another drink. Overall, I think this izakaya is worth a visit if you want to easily enjoy Kyushu cuisine. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is also nice. I like bright and lively places.

On Friday around 7:30 PM, I visited RACORI (Ginza Back Corridor) for the first time in my life! I had no idea such a spot existed since last year, haha. Due to the pandemic, the underground floor of GHQ was completely empty, so I sat on the open terrace and ordered takeout from Kusuo for my meal: - Assorted sashimi (3 types) for 1,380 yen - Hakata-style gyoza for 580 yen - Nori salted potato with Aosa seaweed for 520 yen The potato was really well-coated with Aosa and tasted delicious. The handsome manager brought the food to us, and we had a fun and lively evening. The restaurant has a rating of 3.14 on Tabelog as of November 2020!

I was curious about the Ginza back alley corridor again. Yesterday's lunch was tonkatsu at the back alley corridor. Next door, there's an izakaya where you can have Oita's specialty, chicken karaage and toriten for lunch. I often choose toriten when eating udon. I thought the toriten at this restaurant must be delicious. But I was curious about the daily lunch special. I asked from the back seat, "What is today's daily special?" but I couldn't hear the rest. I wanted to confirm the daily special when ordering, but was told, "Sorry, we don't have a daily special anymore." I ordered the popular Nakatsu karaage set meal for 880 yen. Nakatsu karaage has a strong flavor. The coating is crispy and the meat is very juicy. I thought karaage was delicious in any restaurant, but this one was the best I've had recently. There are many variations of chicken nanban. I think the one with plenty of takana on top would be good. Kyushu's famous chicken dishes are gathered here, all fried foods though. - Miyazaki's famous chicken nanban set meal 990 yen - Homemade eat with chili oil chicken nanban set meal 990 yen - Tomato basil sauce chicken nanban set meal 990 yen - Korean-style spicy chicken nanban set meal 990 yen - Cod roe tartar sauce chicken nanban set meal 990 yen - Plenty of takana on top chicken nanban set meal 990 yen It was a good time to enter the restaurant. The group waiting at the table had been waiting for quite a while. When I left after paying, they said, "Thank you very much. Have a good afternoon." It's the second day of lunch in Shimbashi, there will surely be good things in the afternoon.

After visiting Hibiya Okuroji, I went for a little drink. The menu is full of Kyushu cuisine! You can enjoy dishes from various regions of Kyushu. They also had a happy hour in the evening. It was a good place for a casual drink. I would be happy if they put more effort into the service. Thank you for the meal!

Many people may have heard of the "Corridor Street" in Ginza, but have you heard of the new popular spot called "Ginza Ura Corridor", also known as "URACORI", which opened in November 2019? Located under the JR elevated railway line connecting Shinbashi and Yurakucho areas, there are some really nice shops lined up there! So, this time, let's go check out "URACORI"! There's something exciting about being under the elevated tracks, right? ■ Heading to the popular "URACORI"! There are many great shops to choose from and it's hard to decide where to go. Despite the impact of the coronavirus, the place seems quite lively. The first stop was "Kusuo Ginza Ura Corridor Store", as the name suggests, a Kyushu cuisine restaurant. The bright and lively atmosphere inside makes it a nice place to dine! The staff seem to be quite busy and not coming over promptly. Maybe they are short-staffed... On this day, they were having an Okinawa Fair. The Kyushu cuisine menu is extensive, making it hard to decide what to order... - Highball (450 yen) First, a highball! A well-chilled highball is so easy to drink! The appetizer is a simple kinpira burdock-like dish. - Island Rakkyo (500 yen) Starting with the Okinawan Fair, island rakkyo. I'm not a big fan of regular rakkyo, but island rakkyo is a favorite of mine! The texture is just amazing. - Kagoshima Jidori Tataki with Kabosu Pepper (780 yen) Kagoshima Jidori. The flavor of Kabosu is refreshing and goes well with the dish. I'm starting to crave some sake. - Horse Liver Sashimi (1,680 yen) Today's recommendation, horse liver sashimi. The fresh liver is delicious! It has no unpleasant smell. I haven't had horse liver much, but it's firm and easy to eat, with no gaminess compared to beef liver. - Miyazaki Chicken Nanban (680 yen) I found it. Chicken Nanban. When talking about Kyushu cuisine, especially Miyazaki cuisine, Chicken Nanban is a must. The crispy fried coating with the rich sauce is a perfect combination! ■ You can virtually travel to Kyushu in your mind! Kyushu cuisine is just so delicious! This restaurant offers a variety of dishes from all over Kyushu, so just looking at the menu is fun! It might even take some time to decide what to order with so many options. The prices are reasonable, making it a great place to enjoy drinking and dining with friends. I didn't order too much this time as I want to try a few more places at URACORI, but next time, I want to try different dishes. Kyushu cuisine lovers should definitely check it out!