On my last visit to Tokyo I sadly could not stop by Kameido Horumon, but this time I made it. It is a place you would feel cheated skipping.

Charcoal

That day my stomach was not really ready, thanks to the heavy drinking the night before. When you are in bad shape, your palate gets a lot duller. I could hardly taste anything delicate; only things that were a bit spicy and sweet tasted good, and when I think that this is how the average person tastes food, I can see why the famous popular restaurants out there taste the way they do.

Strangely, lately it has become hard for me to keep my buzz under control when I drink beer. I can drink as much hard liquor as I like and stay fine, so it seems to be a carbonation problem rather than an alcohol-content problem. I used to drink beer like water, so I never expected this. It will probably only get harder to drink as I get older, so I had better work even harder at seeking out only the good beers.

Moyashi (bean sprouts)

In Korea the side dishes get refilled automatically, but in Japan, where you pay for even the smallest thing, there are hardly any places that serve them in a big portion like this. It is a dish you cannot help but be happy to see.

Fresh lemon sour

As always, I ordered a lemon sour. Freshly squeezed lemon juice makes it so refreshing, but for some reason drinks like this are rare in Korea. There is lemon soju and the like, but the taste is on a different level. Maybe I should open a Japanese-style shochu bar myself.

Buta-tan

Pork tongue, nice and springy.

Cabbage

A simple dish of cabbage with sesame oil and salt, but it is delicious, perhaps because the cabbage is sweet. When the ingredients are above par, anything you make tastes good.

Nikomi (offal stew)

Jo gyutan (premium beef tongue)

Yakiniku has to start with gyutan. It has a clean, light taste, so if you do not eat it first the impression is weaker.

On the grill..

A dish you will regret not ordering.

Tontoro

Pork jowl, fatty but with an excellent chew.

Teppo (rectum)

It was on the day’s recommended menu, so I gave it a try. Or rather, I ordered the entire recommended menu. The recommended items at this place are always in good condition, so ordering them first is the smart move. Not a cut I eat often, but it was squishy and had a nice chew.

Horumon

I was not in great shape that day, so the marinated meat tasted better to me than the plain cuts. The fat-laden horumon in particular was probably the best value.

Harami

Besides offal, they grill regular meat too. Excellent, as expected. It is a bit smaller than Korea’s rough-and-ready beef, and since you grill one piece at a time it can leave you wanting more, but eating at a leisurely pace while chatting is the nice thing about Japanese-style yakiniku.

Jo kalbi (premium short rib)

It would have felt wrong not to order the jo kalbi, so I did. Beautiful meat. No meat in Korea can match the way it melts in your mouth.

A seasoned pro grills it for you.

Well.. it is a supreme taste that needs no words. I do not know whether I will be able to visit this place on my next trip to Tokyo, but if I get the chance I would love to go back.

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