Motsuyaki Captain

One of Japan’s lesser-known soul foods, motsuyaki, or grilled offal, is a popular dinner choice after a particularly long workday — or just to treat oneself to a meal of meaty, fatty goodness. Motsuyaki Captain is Nishi-Shinjuku’s go-to joint for motsuyaki. The restaurant takes particular pride in the freshness of its offal; every day, the chef purchases a whole pork intestine in the morning, slowly and methodically disassembling it into constituent parts to grill over bincho-tan charcoal, then serving them up to waiting (and hungry) customers. It’s said to be one of the few restaurants to consistently serve motsu so fresh that even the offal’s characteristic oily smell is absent. So confident is Motsuyaki Captain in its quality control, in fact, that it even serves offal sashimi (motsu-sashi), a menu offering only available at a select few restaurants. More adventurous guests will find that aside from motsuyaki staples like heart and tongue, Motsuyaki Captain’s menu even contains parts that are difficult to find in other motsuyaki restaurants, such as cartilage (nankotsu). In a brightly-lit interior furnished extensively with wood grain, guests are invited to take their seats at the counter to see their favorites grilled right before their eyes, chatting all the while with the chefs, staff, and other regulars.