Yamariki Honkan
山利喜 本館 · Yamariki Honkan
- Ward
- Koto
- Price
- ¥4,000~6,000
- Hours
- About 17:00–22:30 (last orders
- Closed
- Sun, public holidays
- Getting there
- 2 min walk from Toei Shinjuku Line·Oedo Line Morishita Stn (A4 exit)
- Founded
- 1925
- Order the stew here and you order garlic toast with it
- A shop from 1925, yet the stew contains red wine and a bouquet garni
- Grilled skewers come two to a serving, so tasting just one of something is not possible
We do not republish copyrighted photographs. Use the links below to see the actual venue.
Obvious to locals, invisible to visitors
There is a simple reason guidebooks leave this out: to the people who live here it is too obvious to be worth explaining.
Order the stew here and you order garlic toast with it — that is simply how it is done, so you can dip the bread in the sauce left at the end. The third-generation owner started the pairing and it has hardened into house practice, with many tables ordering one per person. The stew comes with or without egg.
A shop from 1925, yet the stew contains red wine and a bouquet garni — added by the third-generation owner, a trained French cook who took over when his father's health failed. That is why it tastes unlike any other stew in Tokyo, and why wine sits alongside the sake. Only beef shiro and giara go in, simmered over six hours.
Grilled skewers come two to a serving, so tasting just one of something is not possible. Reservations are taken only for early-evening arrivals on weekdays, and not at all on Saturdays. If the main building is full there is a second one nearby, so do not give up at the first door. The shop states plainly that children under ten are not accommodated.
What it is
Koto is a ward of canals, reclaimed land and Fukagawa. Seven counter seats, that is all. Arrive late and you either stand or move on to the next place. Start with a draft or a highball, then ask the owner where to go next. Monday closures are common in this line of business — check especially if you plan an early-week visit. Keep the receipt — it makes the name easy to look up later, since many signs are kanji-only. If you return, come at a different hour — the impression changes considerably.
What to order
Why locals keep coming
The owner works the bar personally, so the quality of conversation is the quality of the place. Having few seats became the strength: a different combination of people every night, and no two nights alike.