maido
It's November 1st, but on this day I had some errands in Shinjuku early in the morning, so I was wandering around the area near Nishi-Shinjuku. Surprisingly, even though it's November, the temperature was... hot. I saw some people wearing short sleeves, so I also put my jacket in my bag and rolled up the sleeves of my thin shirt. While walking around the west exit of Shinjuku Station, I came across a rugby official shop and decided to take a look. They had some items like this, so I took a photo. They also had the national team uniforms, but they were all sold out. Personally, I wanted the black jersey that the Japan national team players wear before changing into their uniforms. It has "Japan" written on the back, but unfortunately, it wasn't available for sale. After that, I walked around the area known as "Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho," a small alley filled with nostalgic izakayas. It's full of Showa era vibes, but recently there have been many foreign tourists taking lots of photos, especially during the World Cup season. In one corner of this nostalgic alley, there was a completely different horumon (offal) restaurant, so I decided to stop by. The restaurant's name is "Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho Sakaba Jounetsu Horumon." I was feeling thirsty, so I ordered a beer and some appetizers like a kimchi assortment for ¥490, and sakura yukke for ¥890. Then, I decided to order a set with various cuts of meat for ¥1,990. Once the charcoal grill arrived, I started by grilling the thickly sliced tongue, which was tender and flavorful. Then, I grilled the other cuts of meat one by one, taking my time. There was a special type of horumon called "kurohoru" (black horumon) which was made from the small intestines of rare black wagyu beef. It was tender and delicious, a must-try for horumon lovers. After finishing the lean cuts, I decided to try the horumon pot for ¥790, which had a different mix of meats each day. I grilled and enjoyed it with some vegetables, which were also tasty when grilled. I drank plenty of beer but only had a light meal of meat before leaving the restaurant. The restaurant is located in Shinjuku, just a 5-minute walk from JR Shinjuku Station West Exit or a 1-minute walk from Toei Oedo Line Shinjuku Nishiguchi Station. It's a modern restaurant in the nostalgic alley of Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho, known for its charcoal-grilled meats. It's a good place for those who want to enjoy a hearty horumon meal. Just be careful as the smell of smoke can stick to your clothes due to the charcoal grills.