mightycomet
First Visit @ Naka-Okachimachi
Located in a quiet alley just off Showa Street towards Akihabara from Naka-Okachimachi Station, this shop is right next to the office, but I have never seen it open during the times I pass by. Today, on my way back from work, the topic came up with my colleagues, and since it's so close by, we decided to check it out. At 7:30 PM, the shop had its lights on and a lantern outside, indicating that it was open. Excited, my three colleagues and I decided to make a detour and visit the shop. Peeking inside, we saw that only the 4 counter seats were available. Since we were just planning to stop by quickly, we ordered:
- Tamagoyaki (Akashiyaki) 15 pieces: 750 yen
- Special Tamagoyaki with Shiso and Mentaiko 15 pieces: 850 yen
- Dote-yaki (3 pieces): 400 yen
For drinks, I had a lemon chu-hi for 450 yen, while my colleagues had bottled beer for the same price. The self-service drinks made me nostalgic for the High Life I used to drink, so I was in a happy mood. Soon, the dote-yaki arrived, which had a miso-based beef sinew stew-like taste, but with a chewier texture than expected. It was delicious, but I thought it could have been simmered a bit longer. The tamagoyaki came next, and being freshly made, it was fluffy and a bit tricky to pick up with chopsticks. I managed to dunk it in the broth and quickly took a bite, resulting in a hot surprise that led me to cool down with my chu-hi. I'll eat it more calmly next time; it's delicious even without the broth, with a nice salty taste. Dipping it in the broth or trying it with salt or sauce provides different flavors. As I moved on to my second chu-hi, the special tamagoyaki with shiso and mentaiko arrived. As someone who only associated tamagoyaki with octopus, this was a pleasant surprise. It was amazing! I actually prefer this over the regular tamagoyaki. I enjoyed trying it as is, with salt, sauce, or broth - all delicious options. Although the menu is limited, they offer dishes other than tamagoyaki, so I look forward to trying them next time. After finishing our meal, we left the shop after about 40 minutes. Since it's near the office, I plan to visit regularly. It was a delicious experience on the evening of January 30, 2020.