This smokey and raucous little yakitori spot is only a short walk from Matsumoto Station. It takes some effort to find as it is buried within an alleyway and further obscured in a corridor. We went on a Thursday night and the place was filled...with locals and a sprinkling of foreigners. After a brief wait, we squeezed in between the other tourists and eventually ordered a set menu (slightly under $20 per person).
I ordered myself a draft beer and soon enough the food started coming. The server knew enough English to explain what we were eating, which turned out to be an assortment of chicken parts (wings, gizzards, livers, etc) and veggies (eggplant, asparagus). The meal finished with a miso soup with rice, which was a welcome sight after all the grilled meats.
The food was good except none of us enjoy liver and yakitori-style liver did not change our opinions. Everything else however, was fantastic and we ended up leaving the place very full and satisfied with the experience.
As for drink options, I only tried the beer, which was refreshing and paired well with the food. However, I saw plenty of folks having sake and others that drank what looked like whiskey and soda in a mug. My friends, who don't drink, had calpis.
Despite the place having been outed on TripAdvisor, it still felt like quite the "local" experience with plenty of regulars drinking theirselves red-faced and having a laugh with the staff. Definitely a memorable experience for us.More