On this day, I had lunch at Sushi Mikuni, located along Oguri Street in Kagurazaka, just behind Porta Kagurazaka. After that, I walked up Kagurazaka, crossed the Kagurazaka-jou intersection, and made my first visit to Onoya Gyuniku-ten. I arrived at the shop around 12:30 pm. There was a previous customer, an elderly lady, who was shopping, but soon it was my turn. I wanted to buy a Scotch Egg for 350 yen and a Chorizo Frank for 250 yen (both including tax), but when I looked into the showcase, the Chorizo Frank at the middle right was empty. However, when I asked the male staff at the counter, he said, "Please wait a moment." He quickly baked and served me a hot one. The Scotch Egg is a traditional British dish that originated around 1738 at Fortnum & Mason in London, not in Scotland as the name suggests. Even though I lived in London for a short period when I was younger and tried dishes like Fish & Chips, Kidney Pie, and Haggis, this was my first time encountering a Scotch Egg. It's essentially a simple dish with a boiled egg inside a minced cutlet, originally developed as a picnic food, and it's quite satisfying even just one piece. The Chorizo Frank contains Naito Togarashi, a type of chili pepper. The Naito Togarashi was brought by the Naito clan, who once had a residence in the current Shinjuku Gyoen area, and became a local specialty in Edo as a condiment for soba noodles. The Naito Togarashi disappeared as the land around Naito Shinjuku was developed due to the town's growth and the arrival of spicier "Takanotsume" peppers. However, it was revived in 2010 through the Naito Togarashi Project. This Frank uses the Naito Togarashi for spiciness, contributing to regional revitalization. While it is milder compared to Takanotsume, it enhances the umami of the sausage just right, making it a perfect match for this product. Apart from these two items, the showcase is filled with a variety of fried foods, and although the shop's name includes "Gyuniku" (beef), there is no beef in the showcase. Instead, it is quietly stored in a refrigerated box visible through a glass door on the right side. The other fried foods like Menchi Katsu and Croquettes also look delicious, so if you ever feel like you need more after having lunch around Kagurazaka, I would like to stop by here again to buy additional side dishes.

◎Time: Around 4:00 PM on Sundays, waiting time is about 5 minutes ◎Order: Matsuzaka beef and Wagyu beef beef mince cutlet for 260 yen, Baron croquette for 160 yen ◎Access: 3 minutes walk from Kagurazaka Station ◎Payment: Cash ◎Note: The beef mince cutlet croquette, which was featured in a magazine, offers consistently delicious taste.

Tokyo, Kagurazaka. I had limited time for lunch and wanted something light after overeating the day before, so I decided to visit this shop. Despite being called a beef shop, they mainly sell a variety of fried side dishes using ingredients other than beef. When I looked at the menu, there were many tempting options, but I tried to avoid heavy dishes. I started with the clam chowder croquette, which had clam essence and seemed like it would go well with wine. I also had to order the Scotch egg, which is their signature dish. It was delicious with the egg inside the fat. The sausage looked tasty too, so I ended up getting that as well. The lineup ended up being quite meat-heavy and I felt a bit heavy afterwards, but the highlight was definitely the Scotch egg! The shop offers a wide variety of dishes that pair well with wine or beer, making it a charming place in fashionable Kagurazaka.

This is a butcher shop near Kagurazakaue intersection. Their specialty is Scotch eggs, which I had heard about before but visited for the first time this time. In the showcase, there were various fried foods lined up. I purchased: Matsusaka beef and Wagyu beef mince cutlet (260 yen), Scotch egg (350 yen), additive-free ham cutlet (200 yen), and crab cream croquette (170 yen). The famous Scotch egg was delicious, but I was more impressed by the Matsusaka beef and Wagyu beef mince cutlet. The meat was juicy, with a good balance of sweetness from the onions, making it a high-quality mince cutlet. The additive-free ham cutlet had a light color due to the ham being additive-free. It was a thick ham cutlet. All the fried foods were delicious, but I thought it would be nice if they had a variety of non-fried options as well. (October 2021) Current Tabelog rating: 3.64

I bought the shop's specialty Scotch egg, corn and chicken cream croquette, and chorizo frank (with Naito hot pepper). The taste was great! The Scotch egg was packed with meat and had a surprisingly light and crispy onion-filled texture, like a hamburger. The chorizo frank had a different meat texture, very juicy when you bite into it! It goes well with beer. The shop has a croquette and side dish corner facing the street, and a meat corner inside the store. The shop is very popular with locals, especially the croquettes. Everything was almost sold out on the weekend afternoon due to its high popularity and reputation.

There is a popular delicatessen shop near the slope of Kagurazaka shopping street that is always crowded, but I stopped by after a long time because it was not busy. I was surprised to see the wide variety of menu items when I took a closer look! I usually just stick to the standard menu items, but I couldn't resist trying the beef intestines and pork cartilage that I've been wanting to eat. Each skewer was about 110 yen, and I ended up spending almost 1,000 yen. After placing my order, the gentleman inside grilled the skewers and served them to me. They were freshly grilled and absolutely delicious! I haven't been able to attend any drinking parties in the past year, so this really hit the spot. I'll definitely be back!

On April 16, there was a unique charm called "Aragami" at the shrine, which was a red paper folded in a unique way by the shrine's deity. When I was financially struggling, I used to cook various dishes on holidays, which involved using fire. So, I received this charm at the shrine. Cooking can be quite scary, especially handling knives and fire. I'm not good with women, but bringing a souvenir like croquettes for your beloved wife might be a good idea. Croquettes are my choice today, but tonkatsu tends to have gaps in its coating. There are places like Kagurazaka's Agetsuki or Shinjuku's Tonchinkan that sell delicious food, but they don't offer side dishes separately. Speaking of Shinjuku, in a fictional review at Tonchinkan, you might hear silly stories like "My daughter is a psychic, she was a retainer of Otani Kyohei before she was reborn, but was killed immediately after participating in the Battle of Sekigahara." If you try to make a home-cooked meal, professionals can easily tell. It's not too dangerous to simmer this cutlet in an egg topping style. Even though I'm not good at entertaining, I suggest putting effort into showing affection to your beloved spouse. Pumpkin can be tough to cut, and frying food requires some skill. Even if you've learned cooking in school, try coating, frying, and occasionally doing the dishes. The souvenirs here would make a great side dish that locals would appreciate. If you're around here, I recommend remembering to purchase them. The location is easy to find, just go straight on Kagurazaka Street from Iidabashi and it's on the left. It's about a five-minute walk from Bishamon-sama to Kagurazaka. Highly recommended.

Located in Kagurazaka, "Onoya Gyuniku-ten" is a popular shop where you can buy high-quality side dishes and meat products. The ham cutlet for 200 yen is delicious, especially when freshly fried. Although it was not freshly fried, the ham was still delicious. You probably won't find ham cutlets of this quality at casual Japanese restaurants. It had a professional taste to it. It would be great if they could sell freshly fried cutlets for takeaway, even if it's just one or two types. I thought about buying it again if I passed by when freshly fried cutlets were available.

A meat shop located along the main street of Kagurazaka. They sell fried foods at the front facing the road, and fresh meat at the back of the store. The menu includes a variety of options such as order-made menchi-katsu and cream croquettes for around ¥430. They offer a wide range of items like menchi-katsu, ham-katsu, squid tempura, fried chicken, tonkatsu, croquettes, cream croquettes, etc. The menchi-katsu is juicy with chunks of meat inside, just the right size, and very delicious. Some fried menchi-katsu can be dry inside, but this one is juicy and tasty. It's a great shop that you wish was near your home. Perfect for a quick bite while walking around.

Between Iidabashi Station and Kagurazaka Station, there is a beef shop in Kagurazaka that sells fried foods at their storefront. They have a variety of fried foods such as tonkatsu, kushikatsu, croquettes, cream croquettes, and menchi katsu on display. It's an impressive selection. They also sell fresh meat in the back. I wanted something I could buy and eat right away, and I found a unique menu item to order. I tried the clam chowder croquette, which cost 170 yen each. I bought two. It was a clam, oyster, and bacon cream croquette. So unique and delicious! You don't see this kind of menu item often. It seems to be a popular shop, with customers coming in one after another. Everything looked so delicious! I wanted to buy more, but my stomach wasn't feeling great, so I just got two. They were really tasty. Thank you for the meal!

I ordered the Matsusaka beef menchi for 330 yen. I stopped by on a cold, rainy day. This place specializes in fried foods, so they have a variety of cutlets available, but I decided to try the most expensive Matsusaka beef cutlet recommended by the shop. Unfortunately, it was not good. It was very cold and lacked flavor. Disappointing.

I visited for takeout in the afternoon on a regular day. I usually buy fried food, but this time I purchased the "Aichi duck pate de campagne". It's a frozen product, so once thawed, you can eat it whenever you want, which is very convenient! With just a baguette, you can have a home party anytime♪

A butcher shop near the Kagurazaka Jokou intersection on Kagurazaka Street. Visited on a holiday evening. They used to have a dining area inside, but now it's takeout only. It used to be a place known for its delicious tonkatsu. I ordered three items for takeout: Pork Menchi (200 yen), Baron Croquette (170 yen), and Fried Horse Mackerel (170 yen). The fried items were disappointingly cold by the time I got to eat them. Ueno's Niku no Ooyama and Asakusa's Asakusa Menchi are not as cold even if they are not freshly fried, so I was a bit concerned. Taste test: The Fried Horse Mackerel was average. The Baron Croquette was excellent. They must be using high-quality potatoes, as I enjoyed the sweetness while savoring the delicious croquette. The Pork Menchi was delicious. The tonkatsu was also very tasty, so it became clear that pork is the specialty of this shop. I would like to try their freshly fried items next time.

Here in Tokyo, I went down towards Iidabashi from Kagurazaka Station, before the signal at the top of the hill. I tried the beef menchi with Matsusaka beef that I had heard rumors about. It was still a little warm, and when I took a bite, I could feel the unique lard-like flavor of the meat shop's deep-fried dish. The meat is minced, but it is coarse, so you can definitely taste the high-quality Japanese beef. It was quite delicious.

Recently, I had been hooked on fried chicken bento boxes from a specialized fried chicken shop, so I had been using that option exclusively. However, today I happened to pass by this place and decided to order a fried chicken bento here. The fried chicken here is incredibly delicious! The spices are just right, making the rice disappear quickly. I am confident that I will be coming back to this place again!

On a day off, I took a walk on the main street of Kagurazaka, Kagurazaka-dori, before running errands in Edogawabashi. Although I haven't been out much during the self-restraint period, it seems like the hustle and bustle is slowly returning. For dinner, I stumbled upon a variety of delicious fried foods displayed in front of a shop. I couldn't resist as I love fried foods, so I immediately lined up. The shop was called Ono Gyukuten. I purchased the following items: - Pork loin tonkatsu... I opted for the regular one this time. It was delicious! When you buy tonkatsu from a local butcher, you can really taste the quality of the ingredients. I often find that tonkatsu can be a bit too salty, but this one was tasty and enjoyable. I definitely want to try the premium pork loin next time. - Croquette - Matsusaka beef menchi katsu... The coarsely ground meat made it flavorful with a strong meaty taste. - Ham katsu - Chicken karaage... The chicken was juicy, and the seasoning on the batter was delicious. I noticed everyone was buying Scotch eggs, so I'll have to try them next time. Maybe also the premium pork loin katsu.

I had exhausted the options for takeout in Kagurazaka and was wandering around, unsure of what to do. After 2:30 PM, it seemed like everyone was taking a break as there were no staff members around. I decided to try out a bento from a place that had caught my eye before. They had a variety of bento options, including a karaage bento, and since they specialize in meat dishes, you can choose side dishes and add rice to create a bento set. However, today, after working hard in the scorching heat of over 30 degrees since the morning, I opted for the pork ginger set to take back to the office. It turned out to be a very light ginger pork, lighter than I had imagined. As someone who prefers stronger flavors, I found it slightly lacking, but in the current health-conscious trend, it might be just right.

I had a Scotch egg for 350 yen. It was the size of a fist. It wasn't very warm when I got it, which was a bit disappointing, but it had a gooey egg inside and was delicious. Scotch eggs are not easy to come by, so it's nice to be able to buy just one easily. Next time, I want to buy one and heat it up at home to eat.

This is a butcher shop located in Kagurazaka. Although they are called a beef shop, their specialty is Scotch eggs, menchi katsu, croquettes, and other fried items. During lunchtime, the shop is bustling with customers looking for bento boxes with these items. I had a tuna donburi in Kagurazaka earlier, but it was surprisingly light and I felt like I needed to replenish my protein intake. I also had to buy cream puffs at Kameido, so I decided to stop by here to buy some meat dishes. I visited around 12:30 pm, and the showcase was still filled with a variety of items. They had fillet cutlet skewers, beef skewers, pork franks, and other skewered items perfect for eating on the go. Among the skewered items, I came across the "Naito Togarashi (Japanese chili pepper) Chorizo Frank" for 250 yen. I really like Naito Togarashi, a traditional vegetable in Edo, Tokyo, for its moderate spiciness and unique umami flavor. It was a positive surprise to find a product with Naito Togarashi at this shop, even though Kagurazaka is technically in Shinjuku ward. I quickly bought one skewer and headed to Shirogane Park nearby. I sat on a bench and tried it right away. The first thing I noticed was the juicy meat and the garlic flavor. When I looked at the cross-section, I saw a generous amount of fat incorporated. Then, a pleasant kick of chili pepper spice followed. This would go perfectly with beer. The shop also sold a pack of three skewers for 750 yen, so I plan to buy that next time and enjoy it freshly boiled or grilled at home with a beer.

At the meat shop in Kagurazaka, they offer a wide variety of fried foods. There are always customers there whenever you pass by. For dinner, I bought and brought home an Ebi Cream Croquette and Naito Togarashi Frank Sausage. The Ebi Cream Croquette had small shrimp inside, giving it a surprisingly strong shrimp flavor. The white sauce was well seasoned and delicious. The Frank Sausage was a bit spicy, but the meat itself was tasty. The showcase is filled with various fried foods that look tempting. Next time, I want to take out the Menchi Katsu and Scotch Egg.