If there is such a thing as a plain-vanilla yakitori shop, Katoriya in Jiyugaoka is the epitome of the breed. The place is run by a lovely Mama-san and two friendly guys, everybody dressed in blue T-shirts. First opened in 1963, Katoriya was renovated end of 2009 (and some hygiene issues of the past are now fortunately resolved).

I don’t have to explain that Yakitori grilled on a gas-grill and those grilled on a charcoal grill taste different, fortunately the charcoal grill at Katoriya survived the renovation. Everything is grilled to perfection, particularly the なんこつ (Nankotsu / pork cartilage skewers) (100 Yen) have to be mentioned, 10 of 10 points on my Korikori scale. Very nice the トマト巻 (Tomato-maki / Tomato and bacon skewers) and アスパラ巻 (Asupara-maki / Green asparagus and bacon skewers) (140 Yen). Once in a while on the menu: raw pork liver (380 Yen). One of my favorites is a dish which bears the name of the place: かとりや漬け (Katoriya-zuke / pork stomach in spicy miso sauce) (380 Yen). Recently Mama-san put some healthy items on the menu, very recommendable is the ニンニク芽サラダ (Ninniku no me sarada/ garlic sprout salad) 280 Yen). The drink menu has no surprises, but I should mention that the shōchū mixed drinks are really strong, I mean  r e h e h a l l y  strong. And the shōchū is Kinmiya brand.

Katoriya is always packed, maybe because of the steady inflow of people who could neither get a seat nor a smile at nearby Kaneda.....

1 min walk from Tokyu line Jiyugaoka station, L-shaped counter for 20 guests, standing counter for 5 - 6 guests. Toilet clean, western style, unisex.

Beer (633ml bottle): 580 Yen