A note on the words: motsuyaki means grilled offal on skewers, and nikomi is offal stewed slowly in miso broth with tofu and konnyaku, a jelly-like cake made from konjac root. Namero is raw fish chopped with miso and herbs. Tare is the sweet soy glaze, shichimi the seven-spice pepper on the table, and chuhai a shochu highball. Kagetsu is a lemon sour brand. Prices are as of this writing (August 2026).
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Motsuyaki Daitoryo Shiten on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
I want to eat something good today too. This is Hangover Meshi. Today I had arranged to drink in Ueno. If I have arrived a little early, then obviously the thing to do is to stop somewhere for one on the way. It is only proper. So, if I am going to be quick about it, the first stop is Daitoryo. When you ask whether you can get in they put you in the line, so note that it does not mean you get in on the spot. If you are willing to wait, the turnover is reasonably fast, and if you sit quietly they soon show you to the counter.
I nearly always come here when I drink in Ueno.
Daitoryo’s special nikomi, 420 yen
Horse mackerel namero, 450 yen
Daitoryo has a big menu, but I think the right pace here is a few quick drinks, something to pick at, and out.
At the very least it is not a place to linger ^^
The first thing I ordered was Daitoryo’s special nikomi.
It would not be an exaggeration to say this is what you should order first. And — late in the day to be noticing this — it is horse offal.
It looks suitably weathered and good, but the flavor is delicate. A round, white-miso-like broth, with the light savor particular to horse offal spreading slowly through it. There is no off smell at all, a faint springiness remains inside the softness, and the more you chew the more savor seeps out. Delicious. The tofu and white konnyaku, not too deeply steeped, make good palate breaks, and a little shichimi shaken over sets the mood. Overall it is not too strong, with a salt level judged so exactly that it never gets in the way of the drink, and a lightness that lets you drink easily. Perhaps because I eat it so often, the moment it is in my mouth I want to say “this is Ueno” — a flavor that carries both nostalgia and energy.
First, a lemon sour. That Kagetsu bottle has a nice look to it.
About five skewers is enough to satisfy me.
So, the recommended assortment. A mixture of offal skewers — liver and the rest.
They arrive wrapped in fragrant smoke, which is exactly right.
Kashira (cheek), hatsu (heart), liver, shiro (intestine), tongue — all of them small and easy to eat, with light fat and a memorable springiness. The tare does not lean too far into sweet-salty; it is restrained, bringing out the charcoal aroma and the savor of the meat. The reason I keep ordering tare over salt is that I am drawn to that light tare. It goes tremendously well with a drink, and the dense, unctuous liver and the snap of the shiro both stand out. The grilling is judged beautifully — crisp and fragrant outside, plump inside.
I tried a pickled plum in the chuhai. This works.
So: nikomi and skewers, and out. Daitoryo is always popular, but these two dishes in particular are good. Coming to Ueno, dropping in just for these, and then moving on when you are done — using it that way is surprisingly good. Why not try it?
Motsuyaki Daitoryo Shiten (Izakaya (Japanese style tavern) / Keisei-Ueno Station, Ueno-Okachimachi Station, Naka-Okachimachi Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
