 is one of those chance izakaya discoveries that remind us why we love dining in Japan so much.){kind=link}
[content_slider]
[content_slide]
[/content_slide]
[content_slide]
[/content_slide]
[content_slide]
[/content_slide]
[content_slide]
[/content_slide]
[content_slide]
[/content_slide]
[content_slide]
[/content_slide]
[content_slide]
[/content_slide]
[/content_slider]
TOKYO | Yakitori Horse Market (Marukashi Kanda) is one of those chance discoveries that remind us why we love dining in Japan so much. It was our final night in Tokyo, and our group had hit up all the places on our food list. We were in Kanda, a part of Tokyo we love, and looking for a good izakaya. We walked around the neighbourhood for a few minutes, popping our heads in and out of a few places, before finally stumbling across this place.
No English on the sign or menu, and full of salary men (and women) enjoying a feed after a long day at the office. The smell of charcoal grilled meat permeated the air and the vibe was vibrant and relaxed. We knew we’d found our place. As is often the case in Japanese izakayas where language is a barrier, we were still able to communicate to our waiter that we wanted to enjoy what he thought was best from their selection of sashimi and yakitori. We sipped on yuzushu (like umeshu aka plum wine, but with yuzu instead of plum), snacked on edamame, and awaited what was to come.
First up, squid sashimi. Top marks for presentation on this one, prepared in pieces before being reassembled on the plate to look like a whole squid. As fresh as it gets, with just a bit of wasabi, ginger, and lemon to season. Then the yakitori, which also hit the spot. An assortment of charcoal grilled chicken skewers, the highlights were the negima (thigh and leek), kawa (skin), neba (kidney). and nankotsu (cartilage). The only disappointment was the hatsu/kokoro (heart). That one was full of flavour, but chewier than the best we’ve tried.
As for the name, maybe there’s horse on the menu? We’ve enjoyed horse meat in Japan before but it’s not common. Who knows if that’s even the correct translation as it’s near on impossible to find anything in English about the venue online. Our advice is use the map link and photo of the front in this post to find the place, and let the staff feed you the good stuff.
Yakitori Horse Market (Marukashi Kanda)
1-5-3 Kuzimachi, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 101-0044
Japan
Telephone: 050 3477 5997
E-mail: n/a
Website
Open
Mon – Thu: 5:00pm to 12:00am
Fri: 5:00pm to 1:00am
Sat: 5:00pm to 10:30pm