さやまぐろ
It's been a while since I visited Kyobashi, and it's been a while since I had a standing drink. I found a small place called Juusan Tsubo, probably about 13 square meters in size. We sat around the counter in a U shape and toasted with Akahoshi beer. From 5 to 7 pm, a large bottle of Akahoshi beer is only 310 yen (tax included), which is really cheap. You have to tell the staff what you want to drink, and then go get it yourself (important!). We ordered a mixed plate of 3 recommended snacks: Akai Ebi (red shrimp), Shaoxing wine-marinated shrimp, Chicken skin dumplings, Negi-mamire dumplings, Chicken liver with sansho pepper confit, Sweet and sour pork, Oil-drenched chicken, and Mokumoku pork. We also ordered fried rice and Mapo tofu. It's quite a hearty meal. The three recommended snacks were bamboo shoots, potato salad, and stir-fried rapeseed flowers. The bamboo shoots were crunchy and delicious. The potato salad had a hint of Worcester sauce, which I really liked. The chicken liver with sansho pepper confit was tender and flavorful, with no unpleasant taste. The shrimp was sweet and tender, and I savored every bite. The chicken skin dumplings were juicy and packed with flavor. Now, onto the Mokumoku pork. When I asked how to pronounce it, they said it's "Moose Ro." Basically, it's a stir-fry of pork, wood ear mushrooms, and eggs. It was light and delicious, with fluffy eggs and crunchy wood ear mushrooms. The Mapo tofu had a good balance of spiciness and numbing sensation. The whole Sichuan peppercorns added a nice aroma. If you like it spicier, they can adjust it for you. The fried rice had a nice coating of oil and a solid texture. It's the kind of authentic Chinese fried rice that's hard to replicate at home. It was really tasty. For my second drink, I had Cardamom shochu. Being able to adjust the strength to my liking is a great feature of self-service. The casual atmosphere of standing drinking, with a good distance between other customers and staff, was enjoyable. This place will surely attract regulars, but newcomers can also feel at ease.