At a supermarket in Setagaya where you can have the best home drinking experience, my favorite items are the raw hamburgers made with only A5 grade female black wagyu beef and the same beef tendon meat. The origin varies from Miyazaki, Oita, Ishigaki Island, Yonezawa, etc., but the cost performance is overwhelmingly good. Whenever you find it, make sure to buy it. However, during the summer vacation, I visited the Toshima main store once and the Nozawa store twice, but came back empty-handed. I'm not sure if it was just a coincidence or if there is some background to it, but if they have stopped stocking these items, it would be a serious issue. Looking back at past experiences, I realized that I was able to buy them on weekends, especially on Saturdays. So, I decided to act quickly. When I called the Setagaya Nozawa store on Saturday morning, they confirmed that they had received the Miyazaki black wagyu beef female tendon meat and raw hamburgers, so I immediately headed there. I took the Tokyu Ikegami Line and the Tokyu bus to reach the store near Nozawa Ryugonji, arriving a little after 11 am. I was able to secure the tendon meat and raw hamburgers as they were still available. I also purchased a block of Okinawa pork loin and the freshly cut Parmigiano Reggiano that I had been looking for. The 250 yen per 100g beef tendon meat was simmered in curry, while the approximately 700 yen raw hamburger was cooked medium rare, and both were exquisite. It's rare to find beef tendon curry or hamburgers that surpass these even in famous restaurants. The cost performance is outstanding. Another highlight this time was the pork loin pot roast. Seasoned with Okinawan salt and other ingredients, the pork is cooked in a clay pot with apples, potatoes, onions, and herbs, resulting in a delicious dish. The quality of the pork is crucial, and the simplicity allows you to savor the richness of the pork's lean meat and fat. The Parmigiano Reggiano was a perfect match for the dry white wine as a snack. This time, my strategy paid off, and I was able to make a satisfying purchase.

"Super Shinano-ya in Setagaya-ku, Nozawa 3-chome, where the best home drinking can be realized. I usually walk from Tokyu Toyoko Line Gakugeidaigaku Station, but when I looked it up when I went to Oimachi on the weekend, I found out that I could take Tokyu Bus Mori 91 route and get to the nearest Nozawa Ryugunji bus stop in about 10 minutes. I headed to the shop from Oimachi Elementary School bus stop. I was looking for raw hamburgers made only with A5 rank black wagyu cow meat. The origin varies depending on the season, such as Miyazaki, Oita, Gifu, etc., but it is always delicious no matter where you buy it. It's much tastier than the ones in restaurants, priced at 700-800 yen per piece compared to 1500-2000 yen at restaurants. It's popular, so it's often sold out, but if you find it, you should definitely buy it. I arrived at the shop around 2 pm and headed straight to the meat section. Fortunately, the raw hamburgers were not sold out yet. The beef that day was Ishigaki beef from Okinawa Prefecture. I bought two packs of 400g each for 1580 yen each. First, I cooked one pack medium rare and ate it as a regular hamburger, and it was full of meat juice and the richness of the red meat was amazing. The sauce was just Tokiha sauce's raw sauce and meat juice sautéed in a frying pan, but it surpasses the taste of famous restaurants. I made the other pack into a meat pie by wrapping it in store-bought pie dough. With the filling being 100% black wagyu beef, it was bound to be delicious. Once again, I was able to make a satisfying purchase. Also, the shop is located in Nozawa 3-chome, where I lived for a few years over 40 years ago. On my way back towards Gakugeidaigaku Station, I discovered Doctor Nakamatsu House in Shimoma 6-chome. At the time, I had no idea that such a famous person lived in the neighborhood, in addition to the existence of this supermarket. According to the recent Jun-sanpo, Doctor Nakamatsu is still healthy at the age of 93. Congratulations to him. Addition: This time, in addition to the Ishigaki beef raw hamburgers, I also bought a block of Okinawa pork belly. Originally priced at 379 yen per 100g, it was on sale for half price. I rubbed salt into it at home and aged it in the refrigerator for a week. Using the mini smoker from the American company CAMERONS, which can make smoked food indoors using the hot smoking method, I smoked it with hickory chips for 40 minutes to make homemade bacon. Previously, I used to finish it in about two days, but it seems that a week is necessary for aging. The finished bacon, whether lightly fried or crispy, is delicious in anything, such as in soup. It's incomparable to the products from major manufacturers sold in supermarkets. I bought the smoker from Cook and Dine Hayama a year and a half ago, and since then, I have been able to do without buying bacon. "

On this weekend day, I went to my favorite supermarket, Shinano-ya Nozawa store. I was looking for the "Kyushu Black Wagyu A5 Female Raw Hamburg" and the "Foie Gras and Angus Beef Luxury Bowl" that I had bought before and enjoyed. However, when I arrived after a 15-minute walk from the Tokyu Toyoko Line Gakugeidaigaku Station, I couldn't find either of those items. I was particularly disappointed because I was counting on the luxury bowl for that day's lunch. Nevertheless, I purchased the following items, including family portions: Shinano-ya's own hamburg bento, Singapore chicken rice, and Matsusaka-style Oyama chicken grilled meat bento, each priced at 699 yen. I ate the "Matsusaka-style Oyama chicken grilled meat" bento. I've heard that in Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture, known for Matsusaka beef, locals prefer chicken grilled meat over beef, but this was my first time seeing and eating it. The bento had a chunk of chicken sautéed in red miso and grilled cucumber on a bed of rice, along with bean sprout namul and rolled omelet. The chicken grilled meat had a rich miso flavor that even people from Kanto would appreciate. It had a subtle sweetness and a hint of garlic. The base chicken was of good quality, being Oyama chicken. The grilled cucumber, which I rarely eat, added a nice touch. It was disappointing that the luxury bowl was not available, but it led me to have a new taste experience.

In the September issue of DANCYU, there was a feature on a supermarket in Setagaya-ku, Nozawa 3-chome, which was introduced as a place where you can have the best home drinking experience. I immediately visited the store in Denenchofu after seeing the magazine. This store is one of the three food halls among the dozen liquor stores in the area. As part of my regular weekend food sourcing tour along the Tokyu line, I visited for the first time. The store is located on Ryuunji Street, about a 10-minute walk west from Gakugeidaigaku Station. I used to live in the same neighborhood over 40 years ago, and back then, I don't think there were any high-end supermarkets like this one, although there were Summit stores. Originally starting as a liquor store and still a major business type, it is no surprise that they have a wide selection of sake and snacks. They also have a great variety of fresh foods and deli items. Everything seems to be of high quality chosen by discerning eyes, yet the prices are reasonably affordable. This time, I purchased a Spanish extra dry sparkling wine, a mix of nuts flavored with barrel-aged soy sauce, tearing cheese, Australian steak meat, Saga Miyazaki black wagyu A5 female hamburg steak, and a luxurious bowl with foie gras and Angus beef. They were all delicious, but the best this time was the hamburg steak. The rare-cooked black wagyu hamburger steak is almost free of fillers, allowing you to taste the true flavor of the meat. Each one weighs 200g, so they are quite satisfying. And two of them for 1380 yen is unbelievably cheap. There's no doubt that it ranks in the top three hamburgers of my life. The bento with foie gras and Angus beef on top is also less than 1000 yen. The price is a bit luxurious, but the taste is quite luxurious. The sparkling wine is also refreshing and delicious, everything was a hit. The only downside is that it's in a inconvenient location, but I'm starting to get hooked. I highly recommend this place not only to drinking enthusiasts but also to others.