Want to feel like you’re at home, slowly grill some innards by yourself, and pair it with some second-class sake? You can be that selfish…right?
The Watarase Bridge, a must-see for fans of Chisato Moritaka, is also nearby, so don’t forget to check it out…
Hi, it’s “Drunk Uncle”!
Today I went to “Kakita Shokudo” in Ashikaga on my way home from work.
Finally, we’ve arrived in Ashikaga. With JR Ashikaga Station and Tobu Ashikaga City Station, this town can be a killer for first timers. It’s just as confusing as Matsuyama Station and Matsuyama City Station… Ashikaga itself seems to be a town with a long history, and if you like “historical things”, you should check out Ashikaga Gakkou, the oldest comprehensive university in Japan. Drunk Uncle aka Don Juan of Michinoku, who has a complex about his academic background and is only interested in alcohol, women, and gambling, doesn’t pay any attention to “that sort of thing” and walks towards the bar he was looking for…
Oh yes, as you probably know, the famous Watarase River flows through the center of Ashikaga City. Those of you who like the late Showa and early Heisei eras will remember the “Watarase Bridge” of Chisato Moritaka, the wife of Yosuke Eguchi …? There’s also the “Even when I’m an old lady” thing, but if you like that kind of thing, I’ll introduce you to a nice mature woman’s snack bar next time, so feel free to let me know if you feel like it. By the way, Chisato Moritaka is from Kumamoto, so please keep that in mind.
Enough with the pointless talk, I’m in the mood for some offal today, so shall we go get some grilled meat?
Today’s location, Kakita Shokudo, is in a rather hard-to-find location, so I’ll start by explaining that.
Be careful, Kakita Shokudo is located in a rather deep place. It’s at the end of an alleyway, down a path of animals. You can also get there from the other side, but it’s completely private homes, so it’s even harder to find. The town itself and the restaurant are both quite difficult to find for first timers… right?
The exterior is quite sober. Judging from the curtain, the main colors of Kakita Shokudo are red and white, but the yellow and black “warning colors” like a railroad crossing are also used to draw attention so that they can be seen from a distance… They may have actually thought about this… And, it seems that many people cannot find it due to its location, and the appearance is not suitable for amateurs, so it is the kind of restaurant that normal people would not think of going to. If you, “Nerd” or “Geek”, want to grill some stuff, it is safer to go to “Stamina Taro” or “Yakiniku Like”…
According to sources, the restaurant was originally started by the previous owner as a food stall after the war. Walking around Ashikaga at night, there is no trace of the once thriving textile industry, and the streets are sparsely populated, giving the place a somewhat lonely atmosphere. The town changes with the times, but will this long-established restaurant continue to offer the same taste as it used to be? Well, I don’t know what it was like when it first opened, so I can’t really compare.
I don’t know what kind of customers will be there, but nothing can move forward unless I open the door, so I have no choice but to go in…
The interior of the restaurant looks like this. There’s a counter, tables, and a Japanese-style room in the back, so it caters to all situations… As soon as we entered the restaurant, the owner, mama, said, “We’ve finished the rice for today,” but since I’m here for grilled meat today, it’s no problem. The table right inside seems to be monopolized by local regulars from northern Kanto. I could have sat at the counter, but the mama said, “It’s not cleaned up…” I was shown to a Japanese-style room in the back. Basically, I was only ever been shown to Japanese-style rooms here, so if you’re the kind of person who is concerned about foot odor, it’s best not to go here. Saying “farewell at Kakita Shokudo” is just too sad…
The tatami room looks like this. There’s a nonsensical “duck” object, and the roaster is covered in a cute Mickey Mouse towel. The overall feel is very subdued…Looking at the clientele, there are quite a few families, and it seems to be a place loved by locals.
Mama seems to be busy today, so I sit and wait, staring at the menu.
Since this is basically a restaurant, rice dishes are popular, so it seems that many customers order them. The family next to us ordered rice bowls and ramen, but the portions were quite large… Ah… They ordered large portions…? I don’t intend to order more, but I guess this family is the last rice dish… It’s kind of nostalgic. Well, Drunk Uncle is here to drink, so I’ll try pouring some sake over some grilled horumon “Kashira” and gyoza today…
…After waiting for about 10 minutes, mama finally came to take my order. Mama is busy again today. I know that you, the irritable old man, don’t want to be kept waiting, but this is a small restaurant and patience is necessary, so please bear with it… I’ll say it again as a warning to myself, but rather than fussing about the restaurant’s convenience, wouldn’t it be safer to go to “Stamina Taro” or “Yakiniku Like”? Restaurants have the right to choose their customers too…
I feel like roasting slowly today! When I told to mama, she said, “I’ll prepare it now💛”. She put a nicely used roaster on the table. The iron plate is heated by gas, so don’t rush.
The kashira and sake were lined up in front of me… This, this is what I wanted to do. This unique “sauce” is so good. I can even drink sake with the “sauce”… There seems to be some debate on the streets about whether the kashira are salted or the sauce, but in the end, the sauce is the one that takes a lot more effort, so there’s no way it’s going to taste bad, right? By the way, gizzards are of course salted…
…Shall we get started right away?
Take your time, and hurrying is out of the question… In the end, the first bite of grilled meat is the best. Towards the end, the way it’s grilled and eaten becomes sloppy. At the very least, the first batch should be grilled carefully and eaten carefully. …It’s grilled, gulp! It’s great with some sake… Once the alcohol has been consumed, it’s yours, and if you wash away all your money-less obsessions with the sake, then “let the rest be as it may,” right?
Well, the kashira is delicious, they go perfectly with the uniquely mixed homemade sauce (probably added to over time), they go great with sake… And they grill really well… (smirk).
While I was doing that, the gyoza arrived. They were chewy and looked good. The sauce was also good, but they had a nice vinegar and pepper style. The coarsely ground pepper was a blessing…They were piping hot, so be careful not to burn your mouth, okay? Pair this with ponshu and you’ll be on the brink of heaven. To finish off, I gulped down the vinegar and pepper to detox, then paid and left the restaurant.
I don’t know if the taste is the same as it was when the restaurant first opened, but the noodles and rice bowls are apparently good, so if you’re in Ashikaga, please stop by here, right?
Bar information
Kakita Shokudo
Address: 4-2790 Dori, Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture
Payment method: Cash only
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