やっぱりモツが好き
A charcoal-grilled yakiniku restaurant with a high rating of 3.59 on Tabelog (based on 33 reviews). There are two branches, the Neku Honten located between Sendagi Station and Nezu Station, and the Yanaka branch near Nippori Station. The menu features the most popular dish, "Shio-ue Karubi," and the second most popular dish, "Gin Momo (medium loin)." The restaurant has about 30 leather-covered table seats and 12 sunken kotatsu-style sofa seats, creating a luxurious atmosphere. The grills use charcoal for cooking. However, there are no call buttons on the tables, so calling the staff can be a bit stressful. During my visit, the grill was replaced once. I tried the signature "Sumi Kiyoshi" (530 yen), a new sour drink with pickled onions, a cloudy sour (530 yen), and a variety of alcoholic drinks. The dishes I tried and my ratings are as follows, with prices excluding tax:
【2.9】Shio-ue Karubi (four pieces, 1,500 yen): The most popular dish. While the meat was tender and had good marbling, the flavor from the fat was disappointingly weak. It seemed like the lighter taste of the meat appealed to the many female customers, but it did not suit my preference for richer flavors.
【3.4】Gin Momo (1,250 yen): The second most popular dish. It is recommended to sear both sides for 10 seconds. While not as marbled as the Karubi, the loin had a good amount of fat and flavor. I personally found it tastier when not grilled for too long, as excessive cooking seemed to diminish the meat's flavor.
【3.3】Limited Shio-ue Liver (900 yen): While I detected a slight liver-like smell and taste, the liver had a rich umami flavor and the thick cut was decent. However, considering the price of 1,500 yen for the Karubi and 900 yen for the offal menu items, I found the pricing to be on the higher side.
【2.9】Thick Hormone (900 yen): This intestine dish had a chewy texture with fatty bits, but lacked the rich umami flavor from the fat. Compared to renowned hormone grills in the city offering liver and intestine dishes for around 700 yen, this restaurant felt a bit overpriced.
【3.3】Tegutan Soup (800 yen): The red soup with a hint of Yangnyeom and plenty of beaten eggs was enjoyable. The egg mixed with the thick soup was delicious. However, the cost-effectiveness seemed to decrease due to the upscale atmosphere that caters to female customers with lighter, easier-to-eat dishes. Overall, this restaurant may not be suitable for those who prefer richer, heartier flavors like myself.