It's no exaggeration to say that this is one of Tokyo's "living legend" restaurants.
The line outside before it opens hasn't died out once in its 10 years.

When you're lined up, sometimes people will ask you "I always see a line out here, but is this a ramen shop?"
Indeed, it's rare even for Tokyo to find an "izakaya with a line."

This izakaya we're introducing, "Kanemasu," is a Michelin-starred location despite being a fairly common "standing bar" style shop, and it has garnered fans from across Japan thanks to its delicious food.
"I want even more people to taste these genuine flavors for even cheaper prices."
The owner arrived at the shop's current unique sales style by following those very feelings.

You can expect to pay around 6,000-8,000 yen per person. It wouldn't be wrong to call this a "high-class" izakaya.
The prices aren't necessarily cheap, but if you were to get food of the same quality around Ginza you'd certainly be paying around twice the price.

When you peek inside, the small interior that seats 20 is sure to be packed with customers.
No matter how crowded it gets, the two chefs who stand behind the counter handle the constant flow of orders with ease.

The daily specialty menu, written on a blackboard, changes every day based on what ingredients they obtained at Tsukiji Market.
No matter what you order, you're sure to be satisfied.

<Kanemasu's Signature Menu>

★Raw Beef and Uni Roll (2,300 yen)
Many yakiniku restaurants and izakaya try to copy this specialty of "Kanemasu."
The marbled beef's depth combines exquisitely with the sweetness of the uni.
I've had this dish at many restaurants before, but Kanemasu's "Raw Beef and Uni Roll" is definitely the best of them all.

★Hair Crab Salad (2,300 yen)
This is one of "Kanemasu"'s most popular dishes, and many customers order it if it's available.
There's plenty of hair crab meat dressed with mayonnaise packed inside the shell.
The rich crab meat mixed with the kani-miso inside the shell is unbearably good.

★Nikomi (900 yen)
This is "Kanezawa"'s take on the izakaya classic.
As expected from a high-class take on nikomi stew priced around twice as high as at a typical izakaya, the dish is filled with large chunks of beef shank.
The brown broth is richly flavored and is reminiscent of beef stew.
I'd love to try this alongside Kanezawa's signature "Black Draft Beer."

★Grilled Anago (1,600 yen)
The anago (conger eel), another of Kanezawa's staple dishes, comes out in such a large portion that it's hard for one person to finish it alone.
Cooked in a sweet-and-salty sauce, the anago gains a rich flavor similar to that of unagi.
The meat from near the head is soft and tender, while the meat of the tail has a firmer texture, so you can enjoy two sides of the same dish.

★Tuna Sashimi (1,900 yen)
High-quality medium-fatty tuna is carefully sliced with a knife, then wrapped in nori with sea grapes and perilla.
The refreshing fragrance of the perilla pairs beautifully with the marbled tuna.
The crunch of the sea grapes also adds a great texture accent to the dish.

Recently, Kanemasu has seen a surge of young female patrons coming to take pictures of the shop's "photogenic" original dishes.
It's a bit frustrating for the shop to become even more tightly packed, but there's no downside to the tastes of a famous restaurant like this being passed down to the next generation.

Kanemasu's staff do not speak English, but you should be able to communicate enough by gesturing to other customers' dishes and asking for the same thing.

If you're interested in getting a real taste of "Japanese cuisine," be sure to drop by "Kanemasu" for an authentic experience.