Hyperlocal Tokyo

According to my host, it's said that only one out of seven people get to enter this place! The silver salmon is delicious, and it's enough to make you drink two cups of sake! Even if there are empty seats, they'll tell you they're full! It's truly a place where you need luck to get in, so you're lucky if you manage to!

This is a long-established restaurant in Ueno, isn't it? It feels like it's been around forever. They have two locations in Ueno. "Goma Saba" (mackerel with sesame seeds), "Sashimi 3-Point Set", and "Magoshi Sashimi" (horsehead fish sashimi) - all incredibly delicious sashimi. The other dishes looked tempting too, and I regret not coming here sooner. This time we sat at a large table, but I'd love to try the counter seating and have a drink there someday.

As usual, I visited this place for a weekday afternoon drink. Even though it was June, the temperature felt like 28°C and the humidity was 75%, making it very humid and hot. I headed to this restaurant, which my companion had chosen. We walked through Ameya-Yokocho, but the open-air pubs within Ameya-Yokocho were packed with people waiting in line. The pandemic is completely over, and there are so many foreigners! We arrived at Taru Matsu Ueno Store. We didn't have a reservation, but we told them we were two people meeting up. They said, "If you arrive by 5:00 PM, you can sit here." and led us to a table. At the same time, a "Full" sign was put up at the entrance. We were able to squeeze in just in time! 😄 The air conditioning was blasting inside, making it very comfortable. It was a completely different atmosphere from the hustle and bustle outside. There were still some empty seats, but they seem to announce that they are full early based on their capacity. I see. Thanks to that, we were able to have a quiet conversation. I'm grateful. However, since this is a restaurant that mainly serves sake from barrels, I don't think it's very beneficial for people who don't like sake. The food comes out quickly after ordering, but to be honest, the taste isn't that great. It's cheap, but the portions are small. Therefore, I feel that people who don't like sake won't find much value here. I don't like sake, so I'm not sure if I'll go back. P.S. The restrooms are clean, but they are Japanese-style, so please be careful.

I've been wanting to visit this place because it's not often you get to drink sake from a cask. Finally made it! I only had sake from the cask, with a chaser of beer. A true sake lover's experience. The appetizers were also delicious, I chose light options like simmered greens. The atmosphere is relaxed and perfect for enjoying drinks. I love it! Thank you for the delicious meal! I'll be back!

This is an izakaya (Japanese pub) in Ueno. It's always crowded, so it's hard to get in without a reservation. The main focus is on sake, and the food, like heshiko (fermented fish) and gomadaba (mackerel with sesame seeds), is also great with sake. There are two floors, and the space is large, so it's easy to use for both small and medium-sized groups. They also have hot pot, which is great for the cold season.