Yakiton Saitamaya

This humble, well-lit yakiton place seems simple at first glance—walk in, order a drink, and they bring you a platter of nine skewers from different parts of the pig. Because of the freshness and taste, this place is so well patronized that even French chefs howl in jealousy. The variation in salting and flavoring will bring you back again and again. If you’ve got room left over after the initial serving, definitely try stuffing in their hatsu suteeki, the heart steak. They sautee heart meat and bacon in olive oil and it’s slathered in escargot butter. I recommend combining it with a baguette and a beer, lemon sour, or maybe a glass of red wine.