At fishing ports in Japan, you’ll find plenty of famous spots for sushi and sashimi. But there are also cheap, tasty meat dishes that keep the people working there fed and going. Tsukiji even has a well-known beef bowl shop: Kitsuneya.
This place is a long-running shop founded in 1947. The original owner was a clog craftsman who loved drinking and created a simmered offal stew as a snack to go with his sake. It became popular and the stall turned into a gathering place for people working in the market. The sight of a huge pot bubbling away at the storefront has been a signature scene of Tsukiji since the postwar years.
When I arrived just before 11 a.m. on a weekday, the line was already huge. People waiting and eating were spilling out onto the street. Surprisingly, most customers weren’t Japanese — it was packed with international travelers. Even so, the line moved pretty quickly.
After about 30 minutes it was my turn to order. The main choices are a beef bowl and a hormone (offal) bowl, both 900 yen — clearly tourist pricing. Cash only. Many people around me were ordering meat-and-tofu stew or adding a raw egg as a topping.
The beef bowl is good, and the rice comes piping hot. But honestly, it didn’t feel dramatically different from what you’d get at a chain like Yoshinoya.
It’s a fun place to visit for the lively atmosphere and history. Just don’t raise your expectations too high about the beef bowl itself, or you might feel a bit underwhelmed. Tsukiji is a tourist destination, after all.
Leave a Reply