Gripped by the urge to eat something delicious before the night was over, I dashed straight to the next place. Mitsumasa is a kushiyaki joint that ranks among the best not just in Shinbashi but in all of Tokyo. It’s always packed with salarymen, so if you want to eat well you either have to go early or show up late and give up on the popular skewers.
An unusual clock on the wall..
It says Mori Izo. Mori Izo.. Isami is 950 yen and Mori Izo is 1,260 yen.. how can it be this cheap.. There’s no way I’m not ordering it, right?
Otoshi
Just this alone tells you the level of this place. I’m excited before even taking a bite.
Mori Izo
It came on the rocks. The legendary imo shochu.. at its best it has a fruity aroma, but it wasn’t quite there this time. I’ll have to put some serious research into the best way to enjoy Mori Izo.
Tomato
A palate cleanser. Time to get going for real.
Tsukune
Out came big, tasty-looking tsukune, and the charcoal aroma just rose right up. Every homemade sausage I’ve ever eaten flashed through my head like a life flashing before my eyes. Why had I lived all this time without knowing about this place? I wanted to shout “You win.”
Shiitake and kashira
The shiitake tasted properly fresh too, but kashira (pork cheek) is really the flower of pork skewers. How do I even describe that gelatin-like texture? I wolfed it down.
Tan
Tan (tongue) is one of the premium cuts. Until now I thought beef tongue was the best, but on a skewer pork is tastier. The chewy bounce was unreal. Is this what a French kiss tastes like?
Green pepper
When even the green peppers are this good, there’s nothing more to say. Sweet, and soaked through with charcoal aroma. Just looking at them makes me happy. I’m already stuffed, but I keep on eating.
Reba and tan
The reba (liver) looked good too, so I ordered it. Along with another round of tan, the most satisfying thing of the night. The reba is top quality, but liver is rich by nature, so it was a bit heavy to eat at the very end. The tan was delicious the second time as well. I ate my fill. But apparently the real specialty here is horumon (offal). Everything we’d had so far was just a rehearsal… Next time I’ll definitely come early and eat the horumon. And I’ll have to wear clothes I don’t mind getting smoky.