Popular no-frills family-friendly Izakaya in Kichijōji, located at a busy pedestrian street coming from Kichijōji  station, directly adjacent to Inokashira park.

Founded as a butcher shop in 1928 and changed to Yakitori-ya in 1958. Regardless of where you come from, one step inside and you would feel a sense of nostalgia. Try to sit  in  the center winter-garden with a nice view of the park, or if unavailable, close to the windows, because the place is really smoky, almost like a Turkish steam-sauna in winter. The smoke comes for once not from chain-smoking customers, but from several charcoal-grills at the entrance, where tons of 焼き豚 (Yakiton / skewered pork inners) and 焼き鳥 (Yakitori) are grilled for the guests and also for the long line of hungry people queuing up outside for take-out.  The Yaki skewers are at 80 Yen a real bargain, taste is not top class but acceptable. My favorite ナンコツ (Nankotsu / pork throat cartilage) seems to be on the menu only after 4 pm, at least on weekends. The 自家製中華がつ (Jikasei Chūka gatsu / homemade pork stomach Chinese style) (330 Yen) is quite tasty. A must-eat are the 手作りギョーザ  (Tezukuri  Gyōza / fried wonton-dumplings) (400 Yen), big, crispy, juicy, delicious. Also recommendable are the 手作りシュウマイ (Tezukuri Shūmai / steamed pork dumplings) (330 Yen). Sashimi: don’t order it. The drink menu is not abundant, but also nothing to complain about. The glass of shōchū (220  Yen) comes with plum-sirup  (in an old  whiskey bottle...) if you ask for it, same stile like Ōhashi in Senju. Sake: don’t.

I wonder why I love this place. Its not the food. Nor the drinks. And its dirty (to be frank: the filthy gowns of some parttimers are disgusting...). Maybe its the prospect of a heavenly nap on an Inokashira park bench....

5 min walk from JR Chuo-line and Keiō Inokashira-line Kichijōji station. 2 floors, 1st floor with a counter directly at the grill (but you will need a gas mask), a center winter-garden (tables) and several rooms with tables or tatami  seating. 2nd floor with a gallery of the winter-garden and some more separate rooms. Capacity of about 350 persons. Friendly service by the part-timer staff, all seem to be foreigners, but they know their stuff and are quick. Toilets unisex and definitely not suited for hygiene freaks. Reservation possible.

Beer (633ml bottle): 500 Yen

2nd Opinion...

Journey

Whoppo