For people living alone, whether or not there is a delicious delicatessen nearby is an important factor that determines how fulfilling their diet is. If you're feeling a bit over-calorie after eating out a lot, or if you want to pick up an extra side dish, we visited a convenient local delicatessen for those times, and visited Osozai to Senbei Monja Sato, located in the Yahata Shopping Arcade near Yoyogi-Koen Station.

Osozai to Senbei Monja Sato is a new type of restaurant created by Koji Sato, who runs Portuguese restaurants such as Cristiano and Mar de Cristiano in the Tomigaya area. They sell handmade rice balls and side dishes by weight in front of the store, and in the tatami room in the back you can try their unique rice cracker monja. When asked why he opened a side dish shop, Sato, who has worked in a variety of shops, replied, "Because there weren't any side dishes nearby. My wife's grandmother is a great cook, and we make our side dishes based on recipes she taught us. We stock about 20 different types of rice balls and side dishes, such as simmered vegetables made with local Aichi miso, fried foods like fried chicken, boiled fish, grilled fish, and more, which change daily."



While they pay particular attention to the ingredients and seasonings, they don't overshadow them. Rather, their policy seems to be to maintain "home-style flavors that soothe the mind and body." I tried Sato's recommended salmon roe rice balls and side dishes, and sure enough, they were delicious! They tasted like home-cooked food, but the crispness of the fried food, the seasoning, and the low salt content all made it clear that they were "professional-quality" dishes, carefully thought out and made with care.



"We use rice from Yamagata, and store-bought herring roe is too salty, so we use homemade. We also use a creative way to form the onigiri. We don't hold them in our hands at first, but instead incorporate air into the rice, resulting in a fluffy texture," says Sato. The rice balls, filled with mellow, salty herring roe, fall apart with just a little pressure. "My kids love our 'Worcestershire Chicken Dumplings,' made with a mixture of chicken meat and innards from a chicken shop in Tsukiji for a nice texture; our 'White Tofu,' made with silken tofu from Kobayashi Tofu in Bunkyo Ward, simmered in dashi; and our 'Simmered Daikon Radish,' made with daikon radish seasoned with Aichi's soybean miso, which they eat often," says Sato. All of the side dishes are reasonably priced, starting at 210 yen per 100g, which is probably why this shop is loved by everyday customers.

They also plan to start selling their own canned goods in the future. "Osozai to Senbei Monja Sato" is a place where you can buy delicious side dishes that you can eat with peace of mind whenever you visit. Locals are envious of having a store like this in their neighborhood. They start selling freshly made rice balls and side dishes every morning from 9:30, so why not stop by if you're in the area?



[Store Information]
Sato's Rice Crackers and Rice Crackers
Address: Moritomo Building 1F, 1-9-22 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-6804-9703
Hours: Takeout 9:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Closed: Mondays