Yariki

Simmered with beef sinew and small intestines brought in fresh from Shibaura, the signature gyu-nikomi stew at Yariki is slowly cooked down in a house miso broth. Kept rich by continuous topping-up since the shop first opened, this deep, comforting dish makes a natural starting point alongside a draft beer or a pickled ginger gari sour.

Skewers form the backbone of the counter offerings, ranging from standards like shiro (large intestine), reba (liver), and tongue finished with sesame oil and salt to hard-to-find cuts such as nodo-gashira (throat), oppai (teat), and marinated pork cheek steeped in house garlic soy sauce. Thick, sweet pork belly from Iwate's Iwanaka brand and handmade tsukune meatballs flecked with minced gristle and ginger let diners taste and compare different textures and savory fats across the menu.

Between skewers, raw-style and seared dishes keep things lively. The aburi tan sashi features tender, low-temperature cooked tongue root finished with a torch and seasoned with house dressing, while the flagship main branch offers a three-cut sashimi plate combining boiled tripe, fallopian tube, and heart. Clever side plates—including the dashi-infused benitama omelet laced with red pickled ginger and potato salad accented with savory shutō fish preserves—round out the table.

The energetic space offers counter and table seating indoors, plus an open terrace that comes into its own in pleasant weather. Ready with cash in hand, it is an easygoing Ueno tavern well suited to solo post-work drinks or a relaxed round of drinks with friends.