It's late at night, and you don't want to eat anything too heavy. You want a light snack and a nice drink before heading home. For times like these, why not consider Tacos Shop in Kichijoji, a city packed with a variety of establishments, from sophisticated eateries to trendy bars?
Tucked away in a corner of Harmonica Yokocho, just outside the north exit of Kichijoji Station, is Tacos Shop, a Mexican taco shop. The space is tiny, measuring just 7.2 m2, and would be overcrowded with even 10 people, but it somehow doesn't feel cramped. Perhaps it's the high ceilings or the owner's personality, but the space is so cozy, you'll want to linger. Owner Kondo originally ran an Italian restaurant in Mitaka, the next station from Kichijoji, and opened this place as his second location last December.
The menu, updated daily by hand, features a variety of unusual toppings that will have you thinking, "Are these tacos?!" "Before opening this restaurant, I took a quick three-day trip to Mexico to research tacos. However, perhaps it's precisely because I don't know much about Mexican food that I'm able to create a menu that uses a variety of ingredients without being bound by convention," explains owner Kondo. Because he sources high-quality ingredients and creates the menu each time, you can enjoy different flavors every time you visit. He also sometimes uses different cooking methods to prepare the same ingredients, so the taste may be different from the last time you had it. The fact that there's something new to discover with each visit is one of the reasons why you'll want to return again and again.
Owner Kondo-san
The tortillas are baked individually after an order is placed, and he uses two types of flour, white and black, to match the flavor and color of the ingredients. Every time a tortilla is grilled on the hot plate, the fragrant aroma of corn fills the store, stimulating your appetite. In Mexico, it seems to be standard to buy several small tacos at once, and following suit, the tacos at Taco Shop are about the size of your palm. Because they're small, you can order several different types and enjoy comparing them!
On this day, I chose several dishes, including "Pork and Sweet Orange Carnitas" and "Kimpira Ren con Mole." The "Pork and Sweet Orange Carnitas" is a dish that brings out the flavor of the ingredients, featuring tenderly stewed pork paired with the bitter-sweet taste of candied sweet oranges. The "Kimpira Ren con Mole" boasts the crunchy texture of lotus root, and while it's a Japanese ingredient, the fragrant aroma of corn and the sweet and spicy sauce go perfectly together! Apparently, this dish was inspired by Mexican "mole," a sweet and spicy sauce made from a mixture of chocolate and chili peppers. When substituting "sweet and spicy" seasoning with Japanese ingredients, it struck me as a match for the sweet and spicy flavor of kinpira. Tacos are delicious just as they are, but they're even better when you customize them with the condiments on the table. Key lime, cilantro, and purple onion, which are almost always available at Mexican food stalls, are essential ingredients for the flavor, and they're always on hand.
Clockwise from front left: "Zucchini and Anchovies" (400 yen), "White Asparagus" (500 yen),
"Kimpira Ren Con Mole" (400 yen)
Front: "Pork Offal and Takana Pickles" (400 yen), Back: "Pork and Sweet Orange Carnitas" (400 yen)
The most popular item is the "Limón Sour" (600 yen)
The area around Harmonica Yokocho in Kichijoji has the image of being filled with regular customers, so it can be a little hesitant to enter for the first time, but Taco Shop is always packed with customers who have heard about it on social media or by word of mouth. On weekends, it seems that the proportion of customers who live outside Kichijoji is higher than that of locals. "We want to create an 'open bar' that will give people who have never been to a bar in this area the chance to try it," says the bar's concept, and even if it's your first time drinking in the area, you can enjoy a drink without feeling nervous. Why not drop in casually? Please note that the bar is closed on irregular days, so please check the bar's Instagram account before visiting.
TACOS Shop
【Store Information】
TACOS Shop
Address: 1-1-5 Kichijoji Honmachi, Tokyo
Hours: 5:00 PM - 2:00 AM (Sat. & Sun.), 2:00 PM - 2:00 AM (Sat. & Sun.)
Instagram: @tacosshopk
Tucked away in a corner of Harmonica Yokocho, just outside the north exit of Kichijoji Station, is Tacos Shop, a Mexican taco shop. The space is tiny, measuring just 7.2 m2, and would be overcrowded with even 10 people, but it somehow doesn't feel cramped. Perhaps it's the high ceilings or the owner's personality, but the space is so cozy, you'll want to linger. Owner Kondo originally ran an Italian restaurant in Mitaka, the next station from Kichijoji, and opened this place as his second location last December.
The menu, updated daily by hand, features a variety of unusual toppings that will have you thinking, "Are these tacos?!" "Before opening this restaurant, I took a quick three-day trip to Mexico to research tacos. However, perhaps it's precisely because I don't know much about Mexican food that I'm able to create a menu that uses a variety of ingredients without being bound by convention," explains owner Kondo. Because he sources high-quality ingredients and creates the menu each time, you can enjoy different flavors every time you visit. He also sometimes uses different cooking methods to prepare the same ingredients, so the taste may be different from the last time you had it. The fact that there's something new to discover with each visit is one of the reasons why you'll want to return again and again.
Owner Kondo-sanThe tortillas are baked individually after an order is placed, and he uses two types of flour, white and black, to match the flavor and color of the ingredients. Every time a tortilla is grilled on the hot plate, the fragrant aroma of corn fills the store, stimulating your appetite. In Mexico, it seems to be standard to buy several small tacos at once, and following suit, the tacos at Taco Shop are about the size of your palm. Because they're small, you can order several different types and enjoy comparing them!
On this day, I chose several dishes, including "Pork and Sweet Orange Carnitas" and "Kimpira Ren con Mole." The "Pork and Sweet Orange Carnitas" is a dish that brings out the flavor of the ingredients, featuring tenderly stewed pork paired with the bitter-sweet taste of candied sweet oranges. The "Kimpira Ren con Mole" boasts the crunchy texture of lotus root, and while it's a Japanese ingredient, the fragrant aroma of corn and the sweet and spicy sauce go perfectly together! Apparently, this dish was inspired by Mexican "mole," a sweet and spicy sauce made from a mixture of chocolate and chili peppers. When substituting "sweet and spicy" seasoning with Japanese ingredients, it struck me as a match for the sweet and spicy flavor of kinpira. Tacos are delicious just as they are, but they're even better when you customize them with the condiments on the table. Key lime, cilantro, and purple onion, which are almost always available at Mexican food stalls, are essential ingredients for the flavor, and they're always on hand.
Clockwise from front left: "Zucchini and Anchovies" (400 yen), "White Asparagus" (500 yen),"Kimpira Ren Con Mole" (400 yen)
Front: "Pork Offal and Takana Pickles" (400 yen), Back: "Pork and Sweet Orange Carnitas" (400 yen)The most popular item is the "Limón Sour" (600 yen)The area around Harmonica Yokocho in Kichijoji has the image of being filled with regular customers, so it can be a little hesitant to enter for the first time, but Taco Shop is always packed with customers who have heard about it on social media or by word of mouth. On weekends, it seems that the proportion of customers who live outside Kichijoji is higher than that of locals. "We want to create an 'open bar' that will give people who have never been to a bar in this area the chance to try it," says the bar's concept, and even if it's your first time drinking in the area, you can enjoy a drink without feeling nervous. Why not drop in casually? Please note that the bar is closed on irregular days, so please check the bar's Instagram account before visiting.
TACOS Shop【Store Information】
TACOS Shop
Address: 1-1-5 Kichijoji Honmachi, Tokyo
Hours: 5:00 PM - 2:00 AM (Sat. & Sun.), 2:00 PM - 2:00 AM (Sat. & Sun.)
Instagram: @tacosshopk
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