MustEatList

Where to eat, one dish at a time. Curated places, community votes.

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The best Motsuyaki in Tokyo

Also spelt motsu yaki, motsu, horumon and horumonyaki. A curated shortlist, shaped by your votes.

Editorial picks

Selected from published food guides and local reporting. How the list works

  1. Number 1.Akitaya

    Hamamatsucho and Daimon, Minato Tsukiji, Tsukishima and Toyosu

    Open
    3.30pm to about 9pm, shut Sun and holidays
    Where
    2-1-2 Hamamatsucho, Minato-ku

    Ask for tan and nankotsu, with the beef motsu nikomi alongside. It has been grilling since 1929 near Tokyo Tower. Shut Sundays, holidays and the third Saturday, closing early.

    What to orderTan and nankotsu skewers with beef motsu nikomi

    0 votes

  2. Number 2.Yamariki Honkan

    Morishita, Koto Tokyo Station, Nihonbashi and Kanda

    Open
    5pm to 10pm last orders, shut Sun and holidays
    Where
    2-18-8 Morishita, Koto-ku

    The nikomi with egg is the reason people come, and the garlic toast goes with it. Book ahead for the Honkan, and remember Sundays and public holidays are closed.

    What to orderNikomi with egg, plus the garlic toast

    0 votes

  3. Number 3.Akimotoya

    Nogata, Nakano Ikebukuro and Takadanobaba

    Open
    5pm to midnight, 4pm weekends, shut Mondays
    Where
    5-28-3 Nogata, Nakano-ku (one minute from Nogata station south exit)

    Miso-glazed yakiton is the order here, and the style is copied across the city. Cash or PayPay only, cards are not taken, Mondays are closed, and the counter fills by seven.

    What to orderMiso-glazed yakiton, and nikomi with tofu

    0 votes

  4. Noyaki

    Shimbashi, Minato Ginza, Yurakucho and Shimbashi

    Open
    About 3.30pm to 10.30pm, weekends shut
    Where
    2-8-16 Shimbashi, Minato-ku (near the SL Square side)

    Yoshida Rui picks out the shiro here, grilled plainly with salt. Skewers come two at a time, so order in pairs. It trades weekday afternoons and evenings only, and weekends are shut.

    What to orderShiro, grilled with salt

    0 votes

  5. Motsuyaki Daitoryo, Ameyoko honten

    Ueno Ameyoko, Taito Asakusa and Ueno

    Open
    10am to 11.30pm, every day
    Where
    6-10-14 Ueno, Taito-ku (under the railway girders, Ameyoko)

    Horse-offal nikomi with a plate of five skewers, from ten in the morning under the railway girders. Cash only, seating is mostly outdoors, and the honten has no lavatory.

    What to orderHorse-offal nikomi and the five-skewer plate

    0 votes

  6. Saitamaya

    Higashi-Jujo, Kita Ikebukuro and Takadanobaba

    Open
    4pm to about 9pm, one sitting Sat, shut Sun
    Where
    2-5-12 Higashi-Jujo, Kita-ku

    Abura and the chire with escargot butter, in that order. Booking is close to essential, and Saturday runs a single sitting that ends once every seat is taken.

    What to orderAbura, and chire with escargot butter

    0 votes

  7. Uchida (Uchi-da)

    Keisei Tateishi, Katsushika Asakusa and Ueno

    Open
    From 2pm till sold out, Sat 10.30am, shut Sundays
    Where
    1-18-8 Tateishi, Katsushika-ku (Tateishi Nakamise arcade, by Keisei Tateishi station)

    Order kashira with vinegar and shichimi, one plate at a time. Cash, no bookings, and the queue forms in the Nakamise arcade before opening; they shut when the motsu runs out.

    What to orderKashira, dressed with vinegar and shichimi

    0 votes

  8. Nihon Saisei Sakaba

    Shinjuku 3-chome Shinjuku

    Open
    3pm to 11.30pm, later Fri, shut public holidays
    Where
    3-7-3 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku

    Take the five-skewer assortment over binchotan, and stand if the counter is taken. It opens at three, which is the quiet hour, and public holidays it does not trade.

    What to orderThe five-skewer assortment over binchotan

    0 votes

  9. Kishidaya

    Tsukishima, Chuo Tsukiji, Tsukishima and Toyosu

    Open
    4pm to 9pm, shut Sundays and Mondays
    Where
    3-15-12 Tsukishima, Chuo-ku

    Gyu-nikomi first, then niku-dofu, both made the same way for decades. Sundays and Mondays are closed, and the line on Tsukishima's back street starts before four.

    What to orderGyu-nikomi, followed by niku-dofu

    0 votes

  10. Motsuyaki Taishu Sakaba Tsumiki

    Kanda, Chiyoda Tokyo Station, Nihonbashi and Kanda

    Open
    4pm to 10pm last orders, open every day
    Where
    2-12-13 Kanda-Kajicho, Chiyoda-ku, Ichibangai Kyodo Building 1F and 2F

    Motsu arrives cut that morning, so take the kashira and the shiro. Standing room at street level by Kanda station, open daily from four, with last orders at ten.

    What to orderKashira and shiro from the morning delivery

    0 votes

  11. Ohashi

    Kitasenju, Adachi Asakusa and Ueno

    Open
    4.30pm to 8.30pm last orders, weekends shut
    Where
    3-46 Senju, Adachi-ku

    Niku-dofu at 380 yen is what the regulars order, followed by the beef nikomi. Weekday evenings only, from half four to half eight, and it fills within minutes of opening.

    What to orderNiku-dofu, then the beef nikomi

    0 votes

  12. Stamina Kushiyaki Nakagaki

    Meguro and Kamiosaki Nakameguro, Ebisu and Meguro

    Open
    5pm to 11pm last orders, open every day
    Where
    2-14-3 Kamiosaki, Shinagawa-ku, Mikasa Building 2F

    Pork shiro and tan, from offal that reaches the counter the morning it is cut. The room sits on the second floor near Meguro station, opens at five, and seats very few.

    What to orderPork shiro and tan skewers

    0 votes

  13. Taishu Sakaba Maruyoshi

    Akabane, Kita Ikebukuro and Takadanobaba

    Open
    3pm to 9.40pm last orders, shut Sundays
    Where
    1-2-4 Akabane, Kita-ku

    Leba and kashira from the grill, priced from 110 yen, with drinking starting at three. Sundays are closed, and it is standing-room busy from six, so arrive early.

    What to orderLeba and kashira skewers

    0 votes

  14. Motsu Sakaba kogane

    Gaienmae and Jingumae Roppongi, Azabu and Akasaka

    Open
    6pm to 11pm, from 3pm Sat, Sun and holidays
    Where
    3-42-15 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Meg Building 1F

    Start with the pururu su-motsu, then work along the skewers, some dressed with genovese or Korean chilli. Weekdays it opens at six and weekends at three, in a small room off Gaienmae.

    What to orderPururu su-motsu, then the skewers

    0 votes

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