Somewhat reluctantly, I have been in charge of cooking meals on weekends, and yesterday I had to work until 4 pm, feeling quite tired with frequent yawning. I decided to skip making dinner and buy ready-made dishes. However, I was getting tired of the same taste from the central kitchen at the supermarket I usually go to. I searched for "deli" on Google Maps and found a place called "Meat Shop Inoue" with a 4.5-star rating. It was a bit far from the train station, but I decided to give it a try. The street where the shop was located was not a place I usually visit, but I finally arrived at the shop. Despite looking like a butcher shop, they also sold a variety of deli items. I chose chicken karaage, simmered hijiki, chicken skin stew, mixed salad with dressing, and meatball skewers based on my intuition. The chicken karaage was a bit too soy-flavored for my spouse from Oita, but it was delicious for me. The simmered hijiki with potatoes was a perfect side dish for breakfast. I really enjoy these home-cooked style deli dishes.

There is a meat shop called Inoue located on the west side of Hanakoganei Station, on the south side of the Seibu Shinjuku Line, along Koganei-dori, a one-way street. They offer a variety of affordable deli items, as well as freshly grilled yakitori. I ordered chicken thigh and pork liver skewers for 80 yen each, and enjoyed them on a bench along the Green Road nearby. The freshly grilled skewers were delicious, but it was a shame I couldn't enjoy them with a beer since I was driving. I'll definitely stop by again to try their fried deli items when I get hungry next time. 🍢

The side dishes are also delicious.

In the NTV Tuesday Surprise "Unplanned Trip in Hanakoganei" aired on July 17, 2018, Wenz Eishi, Fukushi Sota, and Sugisaki Hana visited Hanako (Hanakoganei) on the evening of July 2. They walked from the Koganei Kaido to the narrow one-way street of the Hikarigaoka-dori Shopping District, passing by Stamina King Hanakoganei store and Victoria 21 (women's clothing store). The meat shop Inoue-san is located 100 meters away from Stamina King and Victoria 21, along the same Hikarigaoka-dori street. In the show, the Wenz team headed to Tonshinju, which they were introduced to at Victoria 21, and unfortunately did not make it to Inoue Meat Shop. For the first time, I bought yakitori (sold after 4 pm, made to order), homemade shumai, and 100g of potato salad (sold by weight) at Inoue Meat Shop. Stamina King Hanakoganei store seems to be a popular shop with long lines during business hours, and Inoue Meat Shop is also very popular for its yakitori, with many orders ahead of mine. The shop owners seem to emphasize their "commitment" to providing yakitori that is different from other shops. When I asked for "negima - shio" (green onion and salt), they asked me if I wanted pork or chicken. They have pork negima skewers, so I ordered both and had them grilled. My family finished everything, so unfortunately, I didn't get to eat any. I had the homemade shumai and potato salad, which were both delicious. The shumai was delicious even when eaten cold without heating it up. The potato salad was not too salty, which suited my taste. They also sell red wieners in the showcase, and I almost ordered them. As a side note, I have a childhood trauma related to red wieners because my mother never put them in my lunch box. There is also a red wiener skewer with yakitori, which is very unusual, so I had it grilled for my family. I want to try the wiener skewer for myself next time.

If you go further from Hanakoganei Station and cross the Koganei Kaido, there is a small shopping street where a butcher shop is located. Although it is a butcher shop, the sign says "Yakitori" on it. So I thought they might have grilled chicken skewers. When I looked at the products inside the store from outside, it said that they grill the skewers after receiving orders, and they are available from around 4 pm. Since it wasn't 4 pm yet, and I felt hesitant to have them grilled just for me, I decided to buy a croquette (75 yen including tax) that was already displayed in the case. The croquette was described as nostalgic. The coating was crispy, the inside potato had a normal firmness, and the seasoning had a hint of salt and pepper. There was also minced meat inside, adding a nice meaty flavor and texture. It was indeed a simple and nostalgic croquette. The staff at the shop were also friendly and cheerful.

A 5-minute walk from Hanakoganei Station South Exit on the Seibu Shinjuku Line, walk from Koganei Kaido towards the Suzutentei Shopping Street, and you will find Inoue Butcher Shop on the right side. On the left side of the shop, there are various types of meat and side dishes, while on the right side, they sell yakitori, among other things. The yakitori is displayed on large plates, and they grill them after you place your order. I chose chicken and leek skewers x2 for 140 yen each, pork and leek skewers x2 for 140 yen each, beef harami skewer for 300 yen, two other items for 80 yen each, and an additional croquette for 75 yen. While salt is also good with yakitori, I chose the sauce. The sauce for the yakitori at this shop has a slightly sweet taste that is easy for everyone to enjoy. It would go well not only with grilled pork and eel but also with dishes like kimpira and meat rolls. The beef harami skewer has a good texture and chewiness, and it goes well with beer, making it delicious. When it comes to side dishes, croquettes and minced cutlets bring back nostalgic memories. Eating a potato croquette after a long time reminds me of the taste from the past. As this shop is frequented mostly by locals, you can find delicious side dishes that are loved by the local people at this butcher shop.

I stopped by a butcher shop. It seems to be popular among locals and they also sell side dishes. They offer to fry the food after you order, but there may be a 30-minute wait depending on the heating of the fryer. During lunchtime, they can fry it immediately. ⚫️Location→ It is located in a shopping street off Koganei Street. It's in front of FamilyMart. ⚫️Service→ A kind woman with a gentle voice assisted me, very polite. ⚫️Taste→ I ordered yakitori. It starts at 80 yen per skewer, but the meat is small. The salt flavor is not very strong, giving the impression of skewers from a butcher shop? I wonder if other side dishes and fried foods are delicious. I will try something different next time.

Let's go back to our hometown series (named by calory2) Cherry blossoms are in full bloom! I was in the mood to see the cherry blossoms and head home, so my mind was spinning with ideas. The answer that came to mind was "Let's walk home from the next station along the cherry tree-lined street." So, intentionally, I overshot my stop and bought some sake and snacks. I often used this road as a shortcut during traffic jams on the Koganei Highway, but usually just passed by. After all, it's a one-way street and you can't park your car there. I was thinking about what to buy as I walked, but there weren't many open stores (they close early). I decided to stop at this shop that was recommended by a fellow reviewer. Ah, I see, there are various skewers of yakitori lined up here... Oh, they're all going to be grilled later? Then I'll have some fried food... Oh, they're all going to be fried later? The young couple running the shop said, "The fried food will be ready soon," so I ordered ham cutlet and horse mackerel. An elderly lady who came in later ordered a large amount of yakitori. Other local shoppers also kept coming in. It seems like they issue service numbers, and everyone seems to have memorized them. They rattled them off easily at the time of payment (^^; Even while frying, the couple kept talking to us and I didn't feel awkward waiting. The yakitori seemed to be grilling pretty quickly, and it finished not long after my fried food. Ah, maybe I should have just ordered the yakitori after all? I received my items and sat on a bench by the Tama Lake cycling path to start my cherry blossom viewing! Bicycles and people passed by in front of me, but I didn't mind. The ham cutlet (90 yen) was huge! It's a firm, flavorful ham about 2mm thick, the size of my palm. It's a bit oily but satisfying and goes well with beer (　´∀｀) The horse mackerel (80 yen) is a fried horse mackerel. It looks well-shaped, so it's probably a pre-made product. It was also delicious with a good thickness. Next time, I'll try buying some side dishes to take home.

After driving back, I stopped by Hanakoganei Station. I walked along the shopping street that extends to the west of the station. There are several delicatessen shops clustered here, which I have been curious about for a while. First stop was "Meat Shop Inoue". As the name suggests, it's a deli shop with a focus on meat. Yakitori, char siu, gyoza, shumai, meatballs, croquettes, chicken cutlets... I made my choices carefully for tonight's drinking session. I got 10 homemade shumai for ¥360, 250g of homemade simmered dish for around ¥461, and 2 meatballs for ¥120 each. I was also tempted by the homemade char siu, chicken cutlets, and croquettes, but decided to stick with these for tonight. I debated whether to reheat the deli dishes, but ended up having them as is. I ate the shumai. It was lightly seasoned and delicious. The green peas on the top were pleasantly soft and popping. Sometimes, one would go missing, adding a fun element to the meal. I used to dislike these green peas when I was young. As I reminisced, I sipped on my Hoppy. It's tasty. The light flavor keeps it from getting boring. I ate the meatballs. They were surprisingly big, so I took bites while enjoying the mess around my mouth. It feels good to be devouring meat. The sweet and savory sauce not only enhances the Hoppy but also makes me crave rice grains. I can eat while drinking and enjoying rice. I had some rice served and ate it while drinking. It's fun. Oh, I forgot about the simmered dish I was reheating. I took it out of the microwave and ate it. It's a simple simmered dish with intestines and carrots. Oh, I ran out of shichimi, but it's totally fine. It's relatively lightly seasoned, so I can eat it heartily. I poured the remaining sauce over the last bite of rice to finish the meal. Thanks for the meal. The gold Junmai has hit me. Hahaha.

The old man who couldn't speak sent an email saying he wanted to eat yakitori, so I decided to buy some. I went to a small street lined with shops near Hanakoganei Station, where a butcher shop with a variety of yakitori and side dishes at reasonable prices was located. I arrived after 7 pm, so there were only a few yakitori left, but if I had come earlier, I would have had a hard time choosing from the fried foods and side dishes. The selected items included cartilage, white meat, liver, gizzard, and pig's head, as well as 100g of simmered pork tripe, which was enough for a casual drink with my old man (father). The shop had a friendly landlady and a cheerful young couple, and as I was paying, I chatted with the landlady. Me: My dad wanted to eat the yakitori here, but he can't speak due to illness, so he didn't want to go shopping. Shop: Oh, we have other customers like that too. Couples who can't speak also come here. Me: Really? Shop: Yes, that's why we have memo paper for writing notes. So don't worry. Me: That's so thoughtful. My dad will be happy for sure. Shop: In that case, you can write your order on the memo and bring it here. It's convenient, right? Me: That's a good idea. ...and so on.

Hana Koganei, Koganei City, Tokyo. This is a local butcher shop that also serves fried foods, side dishes, and grilled chicken skewers. It is located near Hana Koganei Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line. You can find it on the "Koganei-dori Shotengai" shopping street that leads to the neighboring station of Kodaira. This shopping street has many old-fashioned shops that make strolling around enjoyable. Today, I tried their croquette, homemade minced cutlet, and ham cutlet. The croquette was made with only potatoes, the minced cutlet was packed with meat, and the ham cutlet was thinly sliced. Although they were not freshly fried as it was before evening, I lightly toasted them in the oven. The grilled chicken skewers are available from 4 pm onwards, but they were not displayed at the time of my visit. This shop is perfect for everyday use. #Juryo #NHK (Nippon Ham Cutlet Association) #Koganei-dori Shotengai #From Hana Koganei to Kodaira #Croquette #Minced Cutlet #Deli #Grilled Chicken Skewers #Takeout