Along with Sensoji temple and Kaminarimon, if you are visiting Asakusa, you should definitely drop by Asakusa Hanayashiki, Japan’s oldest theme park. There are no cutting-edge thrill rides or attractions making use of advanced technology, but you can experience an atmospheric Japanese amusement park that looks just like it would in the olden days.

Just a short distance away from Hanayashiki is Gyumotsunabe Yoshifuji. It is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in a quiet location one street farther in from the main street. Other than its fixed holiday (Tuesday), it is open from 5:00 p.m. to midnight (last order at 11:00 p.m.) every day.

The interior of Yoshifuji is purely Japanese style. If you are alone, you can head right to the counter seats, while groups should get a table or a Japanese tatami room further in. There are Japanese rooms on the second floor as well so that you can enjoy your food in a calm atmosphere.

As stated in the name of the restaurant, its specialty is ‘motsunabe’, which is a beef offal stew. The photograph is “two portions of beef offal stew” (牛もつ鍋二人前) (3160 yen including tax). Yoshifuji’s beef offal stew contains cabbage, which is rare in the Kanto region, but that is because it is prepared “Kyushu-style.” In fact, Yoshifuji’s main branch is in Fukuoka, and the main branch in Tenjin Daimyō thrives on serving chicken stew and offal stew. It also contains leeks, great burdock, and thick fried tofu, and the star of the stew is the fresh meatl!

The beef offal stew’s soup comes in two types, miso and soy sauce. The photograph here shows a miso-flavored stew, but it seems that their customers’ preferences are equally divided between the two. The ingredients indeed match both flavors perfectly.

The tender offal full of the umami of beef flavors goes perfectly with leek and miso! The flavor is pretty rich. To finish up, you can choose either the “champon noodles” (400 yen including tax) or “zōsui” (500 yen including tax). It is a waste not to enjoy every last drop of this soup in which umami is concentrated.

And this is a standard dish of Hakata that most regular customers order. The “offal seasoned with vinegar” (酢もつ) (420 yen including tax) is a great palate-cleanser to have together with the rich beef offal stew. It is pork uterus marinated in vinegar. Its texture is firm and chewy, and the vinegar is wonderfully refreshing without being too sharp! Apparently, the yuzukoshō, made of yuzu and chili, that is served with it is made with fully mature chili pepper, which is how it gets its red color. You can dip the offal in it if you prefer and enjoy the different flavors.

Lastly, this is the “grilled beef skirt steak” (牛ハラミ焼) (1,700 yen, including tax) that is hugely popular with regular customers. This can be enjoyed with the two types of sauces that are served with it, “soy sauce + wasabi” and “grated daikon + ponzu.”

At Gyumotsunabe Yoshifuji, you can enjoy the various parts of beef and pork in the restaurant’s recommended flavors. It is a restaurant that is perfect for filling your belly after having fun at Hanayashiki or any of the other sights nearby.

Yoshifuji is a restaurant with a traditional Japanese atmosphere. Nevertheless, it is equipped with a system in which you can order while looking at an English menu by scanning the QR code that is present on each table with your smartphone. Also, as measures against COVID-19, alcohol sanitizers have been placed at the entrance and in the restrooms; tables are fewer in number and spaced apart; and employees wear masks. In this manner, all of the employees are working together to prevent its spread. They also have free Wi-Fi and accept credit cards as a method of payment, so people can also visit this restaurant with peace of mind.

TIP★TOP DINER, a darts bar near Asakusa Rokku-Dōri, is a nightlife spot perfect for when you’ve had a meal after sightseeing in Asakusa but you want to have a little more fun before returning to your hotel. It is open every day from evening to the time when the first train departs the next day. (*Currently, it closes at 12:00 a.m. as a measure against COVID-19.)

TIP★TOP DINER, which is on B1 of the building, has a counter, tables, as well as tables for standing and drinking, and from the entrance, it is much more spacious than you can even imagine.。

Many bottles of various types of alcohol are packed tightly behind the counter. For example, if you feel like having a beer, other than Japanese beer brands, they also have beers from all over the world, such as Carlsberg, Corona, Guinness, and Löwenbräu. Other than these, they have a wide variety of whiskeys like Macallan 12 Years, Bowmore 12 Years, Rose of Texas, and Hakushu. You can also order wines and various cocktails, so alcohol lovers will not be able to resist this place.

What distinguishes this place the most are the four darts machines placed at the back of the diner. Note that TIP★TOP DINER is registered as a smoking facility.

If you’re hungry after playing darts for some time, you can enjoy various snacks that are popular, even with the regular customers. These “chorizos” (600 yen including tax) have a crisp texture and sharp spiciness that go well with beer.

If you want something a little more filling, they also have hot dogs (500 yen including tax) and fried chicken (600 yen for two pieces, including tax). Other than these, they have a wide range of meal-type snacks such as salads and pizzas on a menu fitting for a diner.

But if you’re peckish for something sweet at TIP★TOP DINER, we also recommend the banana split (700 yen including tax), a vividly colored dessert that is equally popular.

The diner offers free Wi-Fi. The English menu is displayed on tablets placed on each table, and you can place orders straight from there. You can also use a credit card for payment. Snacks are also available for takeout.

Lastly, let us tell you about the measures that TIP★TOP DINER is taking against COVID-19. In addition to the disinfection of the entrance and restrooms with alcohol, the tables and chairs used by customers are also disinfected continuously. Also, all of the employees wear masks. Because the diner is located underground, the air purifier and ventilator are turned on fully. With all these measures in place, one can have fun with peace of mind.

Pass through Sensoji temple and Hanayashiki to find an area known as Oku Asakusa. It is a tranquil area with many general residences, but it has become popular with tourists in recent years for its many hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Lodge Akaishi is a café that has been in Oku Asakusa for 49 years and is popular with the local regular customers. It is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. the next day from Tuesdays to Saturdays, and from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. the next day on Sundays and public holidays. (*Currently open from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. due to COVID-19.)

Upon entering the café, you will immediately see the thick supports across the ceiling and the brick walls. The word “lodge” is in its name because it is decorated to look like a mountain lodge. The floor is also wooden, which is rare nowadays, and the interior has an atmosphere that makes you want to stay for a long while.

In the calm atmosphere of Lodge Akaishi, we order its specialty, “Neapolitan spaghetti” (800 yen including tax).

Thick spaghetti noodles mixed with ketchup, onions, ham, and mushrooms. No matter how you look at it, it is precisely the nostalgic spaghetti of the Showa era.

Along with their famous Neapolitan spaghetti, we recommend ordering the “cream soda” (650 yen including tax), which comes in a nostalgic green color. Leisurely tasting their Neapolitan spaghetti and taking a break with some ice cream and soda will make you feel as if you have gone back in time to the Showa era in an instant.

If you have a little more space in your stomach, we also recommend their famous shrimp sandwich (1,150 yen including tax). This dish comes in a generous-sized portion with three large deep-fried prawns in it and their secret tartar sauce that is passionately loved by their regular customers.

While Lodge Akaishi has neither free Wi-Fi nor an English menu, the nice owner and kind staff will attend to you courteously. Also, while you will have to pay 50-100 yen for the box, you can also get most items on the menu other than the soups as takeout. You can also take out their famous “shrimp sandwich” to your hotel and enjoy it there.

Lastly, let us tell you about the measures that Lodge Akaishi is taking against COVID-19. Alcohol sanitizers are placed at the entrance and in the restrooms, so please use them. Also, the employees all wear masks, and it seems that they ask customers who enter the café to wear masks as well.

This time, we introduced “nightlife spots” that are open until late at night near Sensoji temple. Asakusa is deep and has many ways to be enjoyed, with sightseeing in the daytime and food and fun at night. How about searching for hole-in-the-wall spots that even Japanese people living in Tokyo don’t know about?

Written by Nagata Kotageru, Dali Corporation