The smoking rate is high here, that's why it's crowded haha. It's just before noon on a weekday. There were some customers already seated and more coming in. I ordered the lunch set with hokke fish for 850 yen. The free option was natto. The rice portion was about 2/3 (learning effect haha). The hokke fish was a decent size and tasted delicious. I wish they had the menchi katsu on the menu, I would have ordered two pieces to make an impromptu mixed lunch set with karaage. But unfortunately, they didn't have menchi katsu that day. It's been a while since I've been lucky here, I only come occasionally haha. There are fewer smoking-friendly lunch spots in the neighborhood now. In a way, this place feels like an oasis.

At the beginning of the new year, my wife and I went shopping in Shibuya. We planned to eat out somewhere for dinner, but we were in the mood for a variety of foods, like yakitori, fried horse mackerel, croquettes, and fried tofu, so we decided to go to an izakaya. There are plenty of chain izakayas in Shibuya, but we were worried about picking a bad one. So, we decided to go back to our local spot in Hatsudai, Yoro no Taki, where the food is decent and the service is great. We took the bus back and greeted the familiar staff with a toast of draft beer. The menu had a rare cut called "hatsumoto," a part of the chicken that is hard to come by unless you're at a yakitori specialty shop. It's a part that is often discarded because only a small amount can be taken from each chicken. It's amazing to see such a high-quality cut on the menu at a regular izakaya. Although I was craving fried horse mackerel, it seemed to have been removed from the menu. Nonetheless, I was happy to see familiar items like corn butter available. As the local salarymen started coming in and the smoking rate increased after 6:30, we settled the bill early and left. I can't wait for April to come when the purple smoke from izakayas in Tokyo will disappear.

I had the swordfish fry set meal for 800 yen. Comes with a choice of raw or boiled egg. It gets crowded after 12pm on weekdays. The swordfish fry is crispy. Comes with potato salad, shredded cabbage, and simmered sardines as a side dish. The rice portion is generous. The restaurant allows smoking, and the majority of customers are men. It's becoming rare to find smoking-friendly restaurants. Honestly, the lunch is nothing special, but it's in Yaoho and only 800 yen. It's fine for what it is. On Tuesday, I finally got my wish of having a double order of minced cutlets. I ordered two and got chicken tempura and a half-and-half combo. It tasted like a sudden burst of joy. It was the best.

Izakaya is cheap

I went to a restaurant where they serve a variety of fried dishes. I wanted the Menchi Katsu but it turned out to be available only on certain days. So, I ended up ordering the Mixed Fry Set for 800 yen. It included various fried items like minced meat and white fish. The portion was decent and the taste was okay, typical of Yoro quality. They also served a Tamago Kake Gohan (raw egg over rice) as a bonus. I'll come back on the Menchi Katsu day, whenever that is!

I had a lunch set with menchi katsu for around 800 yen. We were a large group for lunch and it was crowded, but we managed to get a table. When I ordered the menchi katsu, they asked me, "1 piece or 2 pieces?" Of course, I said, "2 pieces, please!" They even gave me a complimentary seasoned egg. It was quite fun. My friend ordered the chicken karaage lunch, so we ended up swapping dishes. Surprisingly, this menchi katsu was delicious. It had coarsely ground meat and chunky onions. Later that night, even though I was already full from eating at another place, I couldn't resist ordering the menchi katsu again at a different restaurant.

I visited the restaurant on a certain day in July 2016 around 12 o'clock. The place was almost full with about 90% of the seats taken by customers. I sat at the counter alone and ordered the "daily special set meal (negitoro bowl)" for ¥800. It took about 7-8 minutes for the food to be served. The quality of the negitoro was not exceptional, but it was decent enough to eat. Mixing the egg and negitoro together created a mellow negitoro bowl. There was only a small amount of green onions. This restaurant may not offer exquisite lunches, but they have decent set meals available. I visited the restaurant on a certain day in April 2016 around 1 o'clock. The store is located underground along the Shomergai Avenue in Hatsudai, called "Yorinotaki Hatsudai Branch". The place was about 40% full with customers. I sat alone at a table and ordered the "grilled fish set meal (grilled horse mackerel)" for ¥800. I chose to have natto or egg as a side dish, and I chose natto. It took about 10 minutes for the food to be served. The grilled horse mackerel had a satisfying taste. The quality was average. This was a lunch at a casual izakaya where you can enjoy a home-style grilled fish set meal. The interior may not be fancy, but the seating is spacious and the atmosphere is comfortable.

I moved here from Shimokitazawa and it's been 10 years already. I've been to various local shops, but surprisingly I had never been here. Perhaps because I had a vague image of Yoro no Taki from my younger days. I remember the TV commercial with a samurai in armor sitting cross-legged, drinking Yoro beer from a mug, with the sound of a conch shell in the background (laughs). I've had some bad experiences getting drunk at Yoro no Taki, Hokuno Kazoku, etc... Oh, that was my own fault. The underground shop here is surprisingly spacious. My wife and I toasted with draft beer. The snacks are average overall, with all the typical izakaya menu items available. However, the dried fish tempura and pizza were so-so, and the potato fries were frozen. It's better to choose from the menu. It's cheap and the service is good. I think I can use this place regularly, it's in my rotation now. It's also okay to drink alone at the counter.

I visited in March. This is a revisit after a long time. It's the Yoronenotaki lunch in Hatsudai. It's a nationwide chain izakaya, and you can see their sign in any city, but the shop in Hatsudai is located in the basement of a building and is not very noticeable. At lunchtime, a lunch sign is placed on the street in front of the building, but if it's your first time, you might get lost trying to find the entrance to the shop. The place facing the street only has the entrance to the first-floor shop of the building, and the entrance to this shop is a small space on the side wall of the building, where you go down a dim staircase to the basement. However, when you go down the stairs and enter the shop, it was bustling with salarymen. There were various lunch menus, all priced at ¥800. After some contemplation, I ordered the fried chicken lunch, which was the same as last time. The fried chicken lunch, which appeared after a short wait, was hot and crispy with a large piece of fried chicken on the plate, topped with plenty of shredded cabbage and mayonnaise. The shredded cabbage had dressing on it, so the mayonnaise was probably for the fried chicken. I was told that a raw egg or natto would come as a service, so I asked for the egg, which was indeed a raw egg. There was a soft-boiled egg next to it, so maybe there was a choice of types. The volume was still impressive, but overall the food was hot, so those with sensitive tongues may struggle. The smoking was allowed in all seats, which remained unchanged from before. I will adjust the ratings in 0.1 increments. Food/Taste 3.5 → 3.3, Service 3.5 → 3.3, Atmosphere 2.5 → 3.0, Cost Performance 3.0 → 3.2, Alcohol/Drinks 3.0 → 3.2, Overall Rating 3.0 → 3.3.

A few minutes walk from the company. Just a short walk from Keio New Line Hatsudai Station. This restaurant is located in the basement of a building with a bookstore, so you might pass by without noticing it if you don't look for the sign. I used to visit this place occasionally when my budget was tight, but recently it has become a regular spot for me regardless of my financial situation. The food is quite ordinary, but it is cooked well and never disappoints. The pizza topped with various cheeses is especially delicious. My companion and I always order seconds and enjoy it. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is like a typical izakaya, which gives a sense of comfort, and there are always customers in the shop. As a Sapporo beer fan, I am happy to see "Yoroi Beer" available. The staff is very friendly, making the dining experience pleasant and the food delicious. I usually don't like chain restaurants, but this place is an exception. The octopus sausage is beautifully prepared! I will definitely come back again.