A cold rainy evening in Shibuya and I'm looking for a quick bite to eat. Not that easy to find anywhere that's really half decent. But at least there's Reikyo. The brickwork facade looks welcoming, and I like the no-messing-about attitude of the folks that run the place (all from Taiwan or thereabouts). But what draws me in is the decor. Specifically the curtain that hangs across the counter that runs along the open kitchen. A curtain of Taiwanese sausages — chozume in Japanese — and these are some of the best. They fry them quickly, then slice thinly and serve simply with a mound of pakchi (leaf coriander). Perfect with that first beer. The food at Reikyo isn't fantastic but it's alway good. And it's always fun to hang out at the counter watching the kitchen crew at work. I'd stay longer if it weren't so smoky. But I usually end up having a couple of dishes and then moving on.
But it's always nice to have an old favourite as a standby when you find yourself hungry in a neighbourhood like this.
