Japanese pork skewer (butakushi) izakaya, Koin Agaru, offers bistro-esque Japanese contemporary dishes. It is to savor pork tongue sashimi, œuf mayo, and the king of “city pop” Tatsuro Yamashita.
Ride on Time – Tatsuro Yamashita (1980).
It was Tatsuro Yamashita that I noticed first, audio-wise. Whether it was from the 2020s or the 1980s, it was him.
Tatsuro Yamashita is the king (or one of the kings) of J-pop and city pop. His music, in one sentence, is a dreamy mellow voice in Japanese with the sound deeply influenced by The Beach Boys.
The killer tunes of Japan’s ’70s and ’80s are now upgraded to a new genre “city pop.” That makes the California sound (by musicians like The Beach Boys back in the ’60s) Japan’s 2020s (sort of). What a wonderful world.
Being seated at a cozy, round wooden resin table for 2, “gimme some Coca-Cola Dreamworld” was what I would say to a waiter. But I ordered sake instead. Because I was not in California. I was at Koin Agaru in Kyoto, Japan.
The interior of Koin Agaru.
Umeshu plum wine.
Red wine.
Koin Agaru is an izakaya. Its focus is on pork skewers (butakushi in Japanese). The pork version of yakitori can be a good translation for butakushi.
Drink menu, left, food menu, right. “Natural Wine” and “Panscape (name of a nearby bakery)” were the only English options.
The food menu could read a nowadays understated bistro-esque izakaya that requires above-average literacy to fully understand the language. The food menu was a good reading material where French “œuf (oof) mayo” and Japanese “pork tongue sashimi” were treated equally.
Œuf mayo (200 yen / $1.50).
Woof!
Œuf mayo is a French egg dish. It’s an “egg mayonnaise.” Koin Agaru’s unconventional œuf mayo had a salty, complex kick of an anchovy. It was good. The œuf mayo on a bed of pasta could swindle me triple the price. It was that good.
Kakuni braised pork with a mashed potato with a plain œuf mayo.
Kakuni braised pork is usually made with soy sauce, sugar, and Japanese mirin rice wine. Koin Agaru’s kakuni braised pork had a little note of star anise and reminded me of Taiwanese lo bah png. Extra starchy mashed potato and a side of plain œuf mayo added width and depth to the dish. I’m quite confident that I can eat it endlessly if they appear on a bowl of rice. The mashed potato saved me from exploding my stomach.
Pork liver sashimi, left, pork tongue sashimi, right.
Pork tongue sashimi.
Tongue sashimi of any kind is a rare occasion in Japan. So is pork tongue. Now, the hybrid “pork tongue sashimi” is somewhere beyond. Its texture was unbelievably pleasant. It was non-binary between ham and fish. With a dash of slightly sweet soy sauce, the dish tasted just flawless.
Pork liver sashimi with sesame oil and a heap of leeks and ginger.
The pork liver sashimi was extra rich. I could order a baguette (200 yen, one of the two English options) and smear each piece of the sashimi as a pate. But the trinity of the leeks, ginger, and sesame oil made me stay where I was. Biting into slabs of rich butter was the sensation I got when having at it. The robust zing of the Japanese garnishes was a constant reminder of my right decision (of not smearing the sashimi on the baguette). The pork liver sashimi and the pork tongue sashimi were both phenomenal.
3 omakase pork skewers: pork cheek (kashira), left; pork heart (hatsu), middle; pork intestine (shiro), right.
The pork intestine was pleasantly chewy and its grease was a precious offering. It immediately reigned as my best squishy pork dish of the 21st century (tschüss, German eisbein). The pork heart was leaner than chickens’ and provided a contrast to the pork intestine. The pork cheek was exceptional with a mint flavored, bitter chimichurri-like sauce. I needed 3 skewers for each.
The storefront of Koin Agaru.
The porch light says “Koin/後院” in Japanese.
“Koin Agaru/後院上ル” means “Up Koin St.” in the vernacular.
The prices at Koin Agaru are slightly more expensive than ordinary Japanese izakayas, which are not expensive at all. Who minds affording 200 yen / $1.50, absolutely chef-driven exquisite œuf mayo? I don’t.
When in Kyoto, and at Koin Agaru, savor Kyoto’s finest pork dishes and the California sound with Tatsuro Yamashita’s dreamy Japanese voice and lyrics. The only problem at Koin Agaru is that they don’t serve carnitas and tacos, just yet.
The Beach Boys’ song “Only with you” covered by Tatsuro Yamashita.
Koin Agaru | 47-4 Mibubojocho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 〒604-8804, Japan
Umeshu plum wine: ¥400 / $3 / £2.50 / €2.90
Red wine: ¥850 / $6.50 / £5.30 / €6
Œuf mayo: ¥200 / $1.50 / £1.30 / €1.30
Kakuni braised pork: ¥850 / $6.50 / £5.30 / €6
Pork liver sashimi: ¥550 / $4.20 / £3.40 / €3.90
Pork tongue sashimi: ¥600 / $4.60 / £3.80 / €4.30
3 pork skewers: ¥600 / $4.60 / £3.80 / €4.30
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Koin Agaru | 47-4 Mibubojocho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 〒604-8804, Japan
