Sumibi Yakiniku Yamagen

Found quite close to Ogikubo Station, Yamagen is a yakiniku joint specialising in extra-fresh offal and high-quality meat. The menu changes daily based on the stock situation – make sure to ask if they have the daily special (¥1,280). What's peculiar here is the dedication to salt: their offal can be ordered with either miso or salt, but the latter is by far the better choice. In order to draw out the maximum amount of flavour from the meat, these folks use sea salt imported all the way from Christmas Island. The popular salted large intestine (¥590) should be grilled until the skin gets a little crispy, after which the fat is cooked just enough for a slight brown colour. Squeeze some lemon on top and you'll get a refreshing taste that never gets old. Yamagen also boasts an extensive wine list, so drinkers will feel right at home as well.