A note on the words: eihire is dried stingray fin, lightly grilled and torn into strips, a standard izakaya snack with sake. Tarako is salted cod roe. Zenkoku meishu, in the shop’s name, means “fine sake from all over Japan.” The shop sits under the elevated railway tracks, a classic Tokyo drinking location. Prices are as of this writing (August 2026).
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Zenkoku Meishu Tarumatsu Honten 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. Tarumatsu is an izakaya you see all over Ueno, and walking along I found what looked like the main shop, so I dropped in. So this is where the main shop was. The place is near Okachimachi, under the railway arches. It has the feel of being run by an older woman, an atmosphere slightly different from the other branches. The shop even seems a little tidier. “Ah, I see, this is the main one” — you sense it somehow.
Three-piece sashimi assortment, 1,900 yen
Eihire, 680 yen
Fried cheese, 500 yen
Grilled bacon, 780 yen
Seared tarako, 690 yen
Here too, let us order a few things here and there and keep drinking.
So, once we had toasted with the first beer.
Sea bream and amberjack. With tuna, a three-piece assortment for 1,900 yen.
I thought that was a little pricey for sashimi, but look how fresh it is. This is the good stuff.
One piece and — yes. Fresh, delicious sashimi. At that quality 1,900 yen makes sense.
So this was an izakaya where you can eat good sashimi. Worth remembering.
And having ordered another beer, you cannot forget the eihire.
The sweet seasoning is good. I like it grilled a little longer, so it chars slightly and turns crisp ^^
And then, fried cheese.
It is only deep-fried, but this is the sort of junk food you want. The cheese inside is soft and good. Best of all, the fact that it comes with ketchup is a clever touch. Of course that is going to be good. It is seasoned like something off a children’s menu, and of course an adult is going to enjoy it too.
Then a few highballs, and done.
It was my first visit, and the main shop is a little different from the other Tarumatsu branches. There is less of the jumble to it — the sense of a proper counter turning out dishes that suit good drink. Eating the sashimi, I thought they meant it. (Not that I am saying anything against the branches.) Next time I come out drinking I shall stop at the main shop. Here it looks fine to eat at the counter.
Zenkoku Meishu Tarumatsu Honten (Japanese sake bar / Okachimachi Station, Naka-Okachimachi Station, Ueno-Okachimachi Station)
Tabelog dinner rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
