My Favorite Store. Vol.8 "Katoriya" by Hiroyuki Ikeuchi

2025.7.31

Photo： Suzuki Yusuke

Text： Suzuki Yusuke

Edit： Suzuki Yusuke

Everyone has their favorite place. Restaurants, cafeterias, coffee shops, cafes, bars... Because they're friends, the food is delicious, it's comfortable... The genres and reasons vary from person to person. If there's one thing we can say, it's that if you have a place like that, your life is sure to be rich. So, we want that person to tell us about their favorite place. In our eighth installment, actor Hiroyuki Ikeuchi visits "Katoriya" in Jiyugaoka, a place he's been frequenting for over 20 years. After reading this article, you'll inevitably want to stop for a beer and yakitori.

I've been going to this yakitori restaurant for over 20 years, and the conversations with the proprietress are priceless.

I think I was around 24 or 25 years old. I used to live in that area (Jiyugaoka, where Katoriya is located) and a friend contacted me saying "Let's go for a drink" so that was the first time I went there. So I've been going there for over 20 years now (laughs). (Before the renovation) it had a more seasoned feel to it, but the fact that it only has counter seats remains the same now as it was then.

The restaurant is about a 30-minute walk from Jiyugaoka Station. The restaurant has a counter and standing area only, with smokers and non-smokers separated into two sides and seated at the end.

I usually go alone (to the restaurant) when I have work in Tokyo and feel like finishing early, so I like to go early. The first thing I order is beer and katori-ya-zuke. Katori-ya-zuke is pork belly tossed in a special sour sauce, and it's delicious. After that, I'll have a green tea cocktail and then a vegetable cocktail. Is that a vegetable cocktail? It's tomato-based and delicious, with Tabasco sauce in it! I also like nama-pi, which is beef on top of green peppers. I also recommend eating shumai with the sauce. I usually have five or six drinks in about an hour and then head home, but recently I've been coming here about once a month.

While beer is divided into draft and bottled beer, Ikeuchi prefers the former. At Katoriya, you can choose between Asahi or Kirin. The glasses bearing the store's name also add to the excitement.

The "Vegetable Split" is based on tomato juice. When you order, the waiter will ask you if you want to add Tabasco and black pepper, so feel free to add as much as you like.

The hostess, Kayo-san, is very easy to talk to. She calls me "Ike-chan" and will ask me things like, "It's hot, do you want some sake?" and we'll drink together. The grill is hot and Kayo-san likes alcohol, so she'll gulp down the sake in one gulp (laughs). It's fun to tease her a little while we drink, saying things like, "It's burning, it's burning (because she's been drinking) (laughs)." Kayo-san also comes to visit when I'm performing on stage.

Ikeuchi also recommends the specialty "Katoriya Pickles." They also offer the half-size version shown in the photo, perfect for solo diners. It comes out quickly, so you can enjoy it while waiting for your skewers.

My job takes me to the countryside a lot, and I like independently owned restaurants with red lanterns and handwritten menus. If I find a place that catches my eye, I usually go there alone. The old days of drinking with large groups of people is gone. I think the personality of the staff and the atmosphere of the restaurant are important for a restaurant you want to keep going back to for many years. Katoriya is a perfect example of that, and when I go there I feel like I've "come home."

The shumai is topped with mayonnaise and bonito flakes. Needless to say, the rich sauce goes perfectly with alcohol.

The meatballs, covered in sauce, are served with beer burgers. We also recommend sprinkling some chili pepper, which is available on the table, on top.

Katoriya

Address: 1-12-9 Jiyugaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo

TEL: 03-3718-5505

Business hours: 16:00-22:00 (Monday-Friday), 13:00-21:00 (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays)

Closed: Irregular holidays

Instagram: @jiyuugaoka_katoriya

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Hiroyuki Ikeuchi (Actor)

Born in Katsuta City, Ibaraki Prefecture (now Hitachinaka City) in 1974, he is active in a variety of fields as an actor, appearing in TV dramas, movies, stage plays, and commercials. He has also attracted attention for his down-to-earth lifestyle, which includes farming, enjoying the outdoors, and cooking.

Instagram: @hiroyuki.ikeuchi