I wanted to enjoy some delicious yakitori with good cost performance near Meguro Station, so I headed to Ikeda Shouten. The owner skillfully selects fresh seafood based on what’s good at the time, which is also part of the fun. I wondered what would be on the menu today... ◎ Cold Yellowtail Collar Sashimi: The rich flavor spreads in my mouth with every bite. The freshly grated wasabi is refreshing. It’s delicious with soy sauce, but the wasabi salt really highlights the fish’s flavor, making it a recommendation. ◎ Grilled Thick Tofu with Grated Daikon: The coarsely grated daikon topped with ponzu sauce offers a gentle acidity and spiciness. Eating the hot thick tofu reveals its natural sweetness. ◎ Skewered Chicken - Chicken Breast: The rare cooking level is perfect. Enjoyed with freshly grated wasabi, it has no gamey taste, just sweetness and creaminess. I order it almost every time. Chicken Thigh: Juicy and plump, with an incredibly rich flavor. ◎ Grilled Vegetables - Tomato: Lightly grilled, its flavor becomes more concentrated. Garlic: Rich in flavor without spiciness, it’s fluffy and can be paired with miso for a special touch. Once again, this visit was fantastic with an array of exquisite dishes. I had two cups of barley shochu and two cups of sweet potato shochu. The food was so good that I ended up ordering another cup of sweet potato shochu. Tonight was another wonderful drinking experience! ⟅(⌯^∿^⌯)⟆ *Note: It can often be crowded, so if you plan on visiting, it’s better to make a reservation in advance.

My favorite place in Meguro, where there are plenty of yakitori. I always start with the reliable chicken sashimi, followed by yellowtail sashimi and thick omelette before diving into the grilled items. The skewers include quail eggs, meaty cartilage, tsukune (chicken meatballs), chicken liver, and heart, among others. It's truly delicious. The atmosphere is great as well, and I love the happiness of being able to come here when I just want to eat yakitori.

The izakaya located in the basement of San Felista in Meguro offers not only grilled chicken but also sashimi and a variety of side dishes. Originally, they had a shop in Meguro Shinbashi, and it seems they relocated last year. The couple running the place is very nice, creating a cozy atmosphere. The sake is served in a kettle style, and I was excited to find my favorite local sake there. I enjoyed both the food and drinks very much. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

It's close to the station, but there are no noticeable signs on the building or entrance, which made it a bit confusing to find. The interior has a counter style that surrounds the kitchen, creating a warm and homey atmosphere. I only have a picture of the chicken sashimi, but the snacks and skewers were delicious too! The chicken was great, and the recommended quail was especially exceptional. I definitely want to go again!

While exploring Meguro Road in search of a second restaurant, I was drawn in by the lovely atmosphere. There are five counter seats arranged around the kitchen, which allows for a close interaction with both the other customers and the staff—this is one of the highlights! The skewers are carefully grilled over charcoal one by one, and the perfect degree of doneness is truly delicious; I ended up ordering more than five without even realizing it. Personally, I highly recommend the hearts sashimi and the chicken breast with wasabi. I was so impressed by the food's deliciousness and the charming atmosphere that I definitely want to visit again!

The two major drinking spots in Meguro are "Meguro Shinbashi" and "Sanfelista Meguro," and I visited the hard-core bar "Ikeda Shoten," which has moved from the former to the latter. The shop's sign has an interesting logo that makes the name appear when you look closely. The interior is so small that it's probably bigger than a takoyaki shop, and it’s already full with just 4-5 people inside. It’s even smaller than Yushima's "Menya Genzou." The refrigerator is a home-model, and the grill is a charcoal stove, making me admire how they manage operations with such basic equipment. Beer and highballs are around 600-700 yen per glass. Considering its proximity to Meguro Station, the pricing seems reasonable, but given the atmosphere of the shop, I wish it were a bit cheaper. Also, as Ikeda Shoten carries on the snack bar culture of "Meguro Shinbashi," regular customers often encourage the owner to drink while casually having a good time, which sets it apart from typical eateries. The staff has prominent rings and nails. The "health salad of the moment" was almost entirely made of onions—pretty much a round number for just onions. I was really hoping for some leafy greens. The chicken sashimi was excellent. Like "Toriyoshi," Meguro has many places where you can enjoy high-quality, reasonably-priced raw local chicken. With plenty of dipping sauces provided, it brought a smile to my face. The chicken skin with ponzu sauce was also delicious, making me drink without hesitation. However, the timing for food delivery was a bit slow. This was mainly because they prioritized Uber orders, leading to moments of disappointment when what I thought would be served ended up going into a takeout box instead. Finally, the grilled items started to come out. The liver was a bit gamey, which might not suit everyone's taste. It didn’t really work for me, but the heart was surprisingly soft and fluffy, so mild in texture that it surprised me to remember it was an organ. I had an image of seseri (neck meat) being muscular, but it too had a gentle texture. It was juicy and packed with flavor—truly fantastic. The thigh was impressively large but also soft and light in feel. I found myself excited about possibly trying a donburi (rice bowl) with such good-quality ingredients if I could. The tsukune (chicken meatball) with egg was deliciously drenched in sauce. It felt less like a chicken dish and more like a treat for drinking the egg yolk and sauce. To finish, I ordered a soboro-don (minced chicken rice bowl), prepared fresh on the spot, which also had a gentle mouthfeel. It was juicy, resembling a luxurious style of risotto. After enjoying all this and drinking lightly, the total came to about 5,000 yen per person. Given the generous portion sizes and tender textures, that’s a reasonable price for the yakitori I had. Besides yakitori, they also offer a variety of seafood, making this an intriguing bar with lots of options despite its small space. The atmosphere and clientele are quite unique, and since the service speed tends to be slower, those curious about this vibe might want to consider ordering through Uber Eats. **For the blog with pictures, click here → https://www.takemachelin.com/2024/05/ikeda.html**

From Hidarumi to the second spot, Sanfelista - I only had sashimi last time at Ikeda Shoten. ★ Legendary chef's special one-bite shumai for 80 yen each ★ Natural stone sea bream sashimi for 950 yen ★ Grilled long yam for 500 yen ★ Zha Cai (pickled mustard root) and myoga (Japanese ginger) salad for 450 yen. Both the sashimi and side dishes were extraordinarily high quality and delicious. ★ Chicken thigh for 270 yen ★ Tsukune (chicken meatball) for 270 yen. I decided to order yakitori this time, which I didn’t try last time. The skin was crispy, and the meat was juicy - super tasty! You can order even one skewer. The selection of snacks is abundant, making it perfect for either an initial stop or a bar crawl. The owners are also very friendly.

I went for drinks with a friend at our usual yakitori place. This restaurant is quite small, so it's perfect for smaller groups. I think about three people is just right. The usual chicken sashimi was delicious, I could eat it every day. The grilled ribbonfish was also tasty. Among the skewers, the cartilage and boneless chicken wings were especially good.

I went to the bar in the basement of San Felista, called Ikeda Shoten, which I had been curious about. The shop's logo was so stylish that I couldn't read it. It's a small place with only a counter, but I've heard both the yakitori and seafood are delicious. Since I had eaten Indian curry before, I decided to order sashimi. I had a green tea highball, and I was surprised by how authentic the sashimi was—it was really delicious. That day, I didn't have much time, so I wanted to keep it quick. There were three of us, and it came to just a little over 3,000 yen. After checking Tabelog, I saw that the yakitori also looks good, so I'll make sure to visit again at a leisurely pace.

Exceptional Yakitori. You must try the liver, quail, and chicken breast! ⚫︎ The quail is completely different from what you find at other places. The grilling is perfect! It's half-cooked inside. You have to try this one! ⚫︎ The liver has no unpleasant smell and melts in your mouth... I wasn't a fan of liver before, but I absolutely love theirs at Ikeda Shoten. ⚫︎ The chicken breast has an incredibly fluffy texture! I was amazed at how delicious chicken breast could be. ⚫︎ The boneless chicken wings are easy to eat! The skin is crispy♪ ⚫︎ The cartilage is a must-try. I was glad I ordered it. It pairs perfectly with lemon. ⚫︎ The yellowtail sashimi is honestly better than what you'd find at a seafood-focused restaurant. Laughs. Even though it’s rich, it doesn’t make you feel heavy after eating. The flavor is amazing!! While they are well-known for their yakitori, the owner also pays great attention to seafood. You should definitely try it at least once. ⚫︎ The grilled rice balls and chicken soup rice balls come with a choice of miso or soy sauce, but I chose miso on a recommendation from a regular customer sitting next to me! It was so savory and I finished it in no time. The soup that captures the umami of the chicken was also excellent... I usually don't write reviews on Tabelog, but I found myself writing at length due to how moved I was (laughs). I wanted to keep this a secret from everyone because everything I ordered exceeded my expectations... A regular customer mentioned that the Chateau Briand is exquisite, so I'm looking forward to trying it on my next visit!

It's been a while since my last visit since the opening day. The place still feels so comfortable. I really love the grilling here. I heard they started offering seafood dishes, so I decided to try the eel, and it turned out to be better than I expected. Even when I come alone, they take care of me, so I never feel lonely. I'll be stopping by again soon.

I visited this place because it's a smoking-friendly spot close to the station. Honestly, I didn't look at the menu much, but both the owner and the two staff members were very friendly. The atmosphere was bright and pleasant. The restaurant is small, and when I sat down, another customer who was already drinking temporarily vacated their seat for me, which I appreciated. When I asked for recommendations, they suggested the quail egg skewers, and I thought, "Huh? Quail?" But after trying it, I was surprised! The yolk inside was soft-boiled! It was delicious! The chicken breast and thigh were perfectly tender and a nice medium-rare, with no dryness at all in the chicken breast. It was just incredibly tasty! Additionally, the local fish nanban (a type of marinated fry) further enhanced the deliciousness. I also wanted to try the grilled nagaimo (Japanese yam) wrapped in seaweed! That's something to try next time. Everything was delicious! I definitely think this is a restaurant I'll come back to.

The chicken breast, thigh, and wing are all incredibly delicious!

The yakitori is very delicious, but the amount of alcohol is quite small and the prices are high.

Everything is perfect. If it were near my house, I would go there every day.

It's incredibly small, but the food is delicious.

I had a grilled chicken bento from Uber, and it was delicious with a nice charcoal aroma. The meat was tasty too! I'm not very knowledgeable about rice, but I found the texture just right. The soup was also delicious! Thank you for the meal.