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 a big gulp of sake (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.

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