01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
When you are craving grilled pork offal skewers and tender slow-cooked sashimi, Ninben Kamiitabashi in Minami-Otsuka is a rewarding destination. Alongside classic skewers such as liver, pork cheek, and heart, the kitchen prepares specialty cuts and inventive creations. Highlights include ami-reba, in which pork liver is wrapped in caul fat before grilling to retain its rich juices, skewered tongue sinew, and Yanaka dango, tender meatballs molded around stems of young Yanaka ginger.
Sharing equal billing with the grill is a lineup of sashimi prepared using low-temperature cooking methods. The meltingly smooth reba-toro liver sashimi is a centerpiece, accompanied by cuts like harami skirt steak sashimi and a 3-item offal sashimi platter that make natural companions for a drink. The small-plate dishes are just as distinctive: su-dofu, firm tofu steeped in tart red-shiso juice, cleanses the palate between richer bites, while thoroughly braised seasoned potatoes and comforting motsu stew round out the table.
To drink, guests often reach for frozen shochu sours such as the lemon sour or baisu sour made with slushy shari-kin, as well as the house-favorite tomato shochu high. As the proprietor often manages both the grill and customer service single-handedly, placing an initial order for your desired skewers and starters all at once is the best way to enjoy a relaxed, unhurried meal.
