01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Set along a street in Kanda-Ogawamachi, Morichan greets passersby with an unpretentious Showa-retro facade. Come midday, nearby workers and students slip past the noren curtain, ordering everything from tabletop grill sets to hearty, fast-served rice bowls depending on how much time and appetite they have.
Lunchtime favorites center on yakishabu—thinly sliced beef quickly seared on the grill—and bottomless wagyu curry. Generous slices of beef cook to a surprising tenderness, releasing the natural sweetness of their marbling. Alongside, the self-serve curry features a mellow, deeply flavored roux enriched by slow-cooked beef, ready to be ladled generously over steamed white rice.
When you prefer a meal without grilling it yourself, the slow-simmered motsuni set (stewed offal) and the Morichan-don, featuring thickly cut, charred pork belly, are dependable alternatives. The stewed offal is soft and balanced, neither overly salty nor heavy, making it an easy partner for white rice.
In the evening, the tables fill with glasses and grill plates loaded with fresh offal cuts such as shimacho (large intestine), marucho (small intestine), and beef heart, alongside parboiled offal sashimi and an assortment of izakaya snacks. Accompanied by cold draft beer, highballs, and assorted sours, it is an easygoing, convivial spot to share drinks and freshly grilled meats.
