Some Gyu Motsu Outside Hamamatsucho Station

That was a pleasant surprise. A colleague and I stopped for lunch today in one of the many alleyways just outside of Hamamatsucho Station and randomly picked this place. There were no more than ten items on the menu, ranging from a simple grilled fish to some sashimi sitting on some cold ground potato porridge or something. When I asked for something uniquely local, my colleague recommended the gyu motsu, which was some kind of stewed cow stomach lining or intestines or something. It doesn't sound very appetizing, but this thing rocked. In no small part due to all the fat attached to the pieces, this thing was so rich and full of flavor that I gobbled it up. It was a bit salty, but it was done up with potatoes like niku jyaga , making it a rather palatable stew. (Besides, the accompanying tsukemono pickles and miso soup helped to break up the richness.) In fact, I thought this was stewed pig skin at first, given the thick tenacious texture and tasty attached fat that came with it, until I realized that it was cow innards instead.

What's with this sudden streak of innards that I've been eating lately? It's not typical of me, but this stuff sure was good. And for only 600 Yen (US$5), this meal left me quite stuffed. Nice one.