Nihon Saisei Sakaba

How often do you get the chance to suck on some pig rectum? Probably not often enough, unless you frequent the backstreets of Shinjuku, in which case you’ll be squealing like a pig with delight at this motsuyaki stand-bar. The menu’s now available in unbowdlerised English, on a wipe-clean laminated card. Sink your lips around colon, gullet, spleen or womb, all for a mere ¥150 per skewer. The rectum was a surprise; delicately textured like soggy crackling, it gave little pops on the tongue with every bite. So enjoyable, in fact, we ordered another, and did it again. If that doesn’t sound like your kind of bag, the tongue or pork temple skewers can ease you in more gently. The pricier ¥200 skewers bring you even rarer treats: glans, birth canal, breast or even ‘higher quality womb’ – and let’s face it, what other kind of womb would you really want? Despite the oddness of the ingredients, every dish we tried was remarkably delicious, perfectly char-grilled and seasoned, then enthusiastically presented by the beaming chef. Nihon Saisei Sakaba is more than just a freak show of weird dishes though. The service is very welcoming to everyone, and so are other customers; it’s a good place to get chatting to your neighbours. The wood-panelled Showa interior is also a treat on the eyes, and with the beers and sakes flowing easily, you’ll soon be as happy as a pig in shit.