Shumai Utopia in Kitasuna

Published: March 7, 2018

On the busy Maruhachi-dori Avenue in the aptly-named “Meatopia Kitasuna” building, stands a vanishing sight in Kitasuna – a butcher’s shop.

 

 

Yamaya is a family-run butcher, which has been in operation for 70 years. And, as the current 3rd generation manager, youthful-looking Mr. Koichi Kawashima, says, during that time the number of butchers in the area has declined as supermarkets have proliferated.

 

 

Nevertheless, Yamaya is still going strong. It is well-known for the quality of its meat cuts and its wide range of “bento” (lunch boxes). Its clientele consists of two separate sets of customers: local housewives who come to Yamaya to buy their meat, and business people who drop in for their bento; whilst I was there a person from a local office came in to pick up an order for 10 bento. Mr. Kawashima told me that some customers even travel to Yamaya by car to buy their bento, and he reckons that though he and his team produce about 500 of these daily, it is rare for any to be left over at the end of the day.

 

 

Mr. Kawashima’s uncle showed me a list of the wide selection of bento on sale, and what surprised me was, in addition to the different types of fried meat available, there was also a selection of fried seafood, including horse mackerel, oyster and prawn. Like the fried meat, these are also sold separately.

 

 

Mr. Kawashima is proud of the quality of meat on sale, and looking at the various types of pork, chicken and beef lined up on display behind the counter window, I can understand why.

 

 

Rich in colour and beautifully presented, this domestically-produced meat looked mouth-wateringly delicious.

 

 

Behind the counter is a bustling hive of activity and there is little time for chatting. The business employs 9 staff and 3 family members, who are all put to slicing and mincing meat, frying, preparing the bento, and

 

 

….. making one of Yamaya’s specialities, “shumai” (Chinese-style steamed dumplings). I was introduced to a group of ladies who were beavering away at creating these little steamed delicacies, and I was fortunate enough to get to taste a couple of freshly-made ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first thing you notice is that these steamed darlings are larger than some usually found in supermarkets and, as you bite into them, that they contain crisp pieces of onions as well as pork. Mr. Kawashima recommended that I not add any soy sauce, but instead just enjoy the pure taste of the shumai. And he was right; they are delicious. The ladies in the shop make between 400 to 500 of these every day.

 

 

Mr. Kawashima also gave me some of the shop’s “kara-age” (fried chicken) to sample. This is also made on the premises to a secret marinade recipe which includes soy sauce and ginger.

 

 

Biting into the chewy outer layer produces a rush of flavour in the mouth, followed by really tender chicken.

 

The store also sells a selection of sauces, stock, mayonnaise, Japanese-style curry mixes and other items to go with the meat and fried foods on sale.

 

 

 

 

My only regret is I do not live close enough to Kitasuna to pay regular visits to Yamaya, as I still want to try a customised bento.

 

 

Story and Photos by Jeremy Hutchinson