The Origin of Yakitori, “Funachu” in Asakusa Senzoku Street

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This time is the Origin shop pf Yakitori (grilled chicken), “Funachu” in Asakusa Senzoku Street.

*This restaurant had been closed.

As the web site of the shop says, this is the shop which was established by Mr. Tadao Nemoto, “Father of Yakitori”, who was contributed to spread Yakitori.
The site says, Funachu was the shop of selling fish in river or pond and sold less in winter, so he tried selling grilled chicken.

He sold Yakitori at low price in disregarding to profit and many people came to buy and eat Yakitori as today.
His motto was “Don’t be angry, arrogant and greedy.”, “Decrease our profit, Increase people’s profit”
I visited, saying, legendary shop.

This is inside of the shop.

Firstly, I looked through menu.

Ordering beer or high-ball first, I did “Tokusen Hakutsuru Ginjou Nama-Chozou-shu” because the say was my birthday and wanted to drink something richer.

Food order was…

needless to say, “Goukai Yakitori”, which was grilled chicken cut largely, with Binchoutan(high grade coal) and Edo style sauce.
Added to this, “Special Funachu Salad” and “Torikawa Ponzu”(chicken skin with Ponzu sauce).

After a while, Nihonshu and appetizer came.

Appetizer is

Stewed lotus root, Hijiki seaweed salad, Tofu.

This is “Tokusen Hakutsuru Ginjou Nama-Chozou-shu”.

I had them with pray that there would be something happy in this year and in 40s, or at least there would not be something unhappy.
The Hakutsuru was dry Ginjou-shu. The fragrance was not much, it was dry but had typical sweetness of Ginjou-shu. I felt it was stronger than the catalog spec of alcohol degree.

And then salad came.

It was so much, for me^^;
At the same time, Torikawa Ponzu came.

So much!

I guess that it was more than one served in other shops by 1.5 or 2 times.
After a while, Yakitori came!

It was big!
This is origin of Yakitori.
Firstly having Negima (chicken and green onion).

The sauce was sweet and hot, the balance was good!
Then Torikawa.

Crisp and moderate salty were good!
Next liver.

There were no bad smell and taste, the outside was resilient, the inside was soft.
Tsukune(meat ball)

Meat ball.
I am not enough English writing skills and have no expression except for “tasted good” ^^;

And Sasami (Chicken breast)
Plum”s acidity sourness and salty was moderate and tasted good!

I had been fulfilled and drunk well though I had not done so usually… might be sick?
…I thought so then but it’s because I had eaten too much ^^;

“Decrease our profit, Increase people’s profit” has been living in this shop!
Drunk was cased by my hunger.

Though drunk and fulfilled, I ordered Torikawa and chicken thigh with sauce because I imagined that the origin of Yakitori had been them, not Negima.
And it hit upon me that Chu-hai (Japanese spirits and soda) was born here in Asakusa.
If so I wanted to enjoy Chu-hai and Yakitori here, because they was born in the same place in same time and I ordered them.

Though my imagine but in the legendary shop I ate origin of Yakitori drinking Chu-hai born in the same time as Yakitori.
These were my delusion but if there were not the legend or history of the shop and menu I couldn’t have the delusion.

I think that the shop that enables us to do so is very precious.
Funachu was the so precious shop!