夏のビールのお供には安定安心の焼鳥を : Hama Kei Nokendai Ten

I took my son to the station for his afternoon evaluation exam while picking up lunch at Nokeidai Station.
That day, our local high school had a scheduled Koshien game in the afternoon. I hurried to buy lunch and settled in to watch the game on TV.
With that in mind, I thought it would be nice to enjoy a beer, so I definitely needed some snacks.
After grabbing lunch from a long-established gyudon (beef bowl) shop, I rushed to the yakitori restaurant in the same building.
Since it was 30 minutes before the local high school game, the area in front of the station was quiet, and there were no other customers, so I quickly made my order.
At Hama Kei Nokeidai, I saw someone contemplating whether to buy from a distance, but they left the area, so I hurried to place my order.
Next to the shop, there was a large banner for "Shumai Day," which caught my attention, but I prioritized ordering yakitori first.
I ordered:
- 2 pieces of "Kawa-kushi (Salt)" for JPY 138 (tax included).
- 2 pieces of "Kawa-kushi (Sauce)" for JPY 138 (tax included).
- 2 pieces of "Toriniku Reba-kushi (Sauce)" for JPY 135 (tax included).
- 4 pieces of "Buta Bara-kushi (Salt)" for JPY 158 (tax included).
- 1 piece of "Bonjiri-kushi (Salt)" for JPY 148 (tax included).
- 2 pieces of "Negima-kushi (Salt)" for JPY 138 (tax included).
- 2 pieces of "Negima-kushi (Sauce)" for JPY 138 (tax included).
- 2 pieces of "Tori Tsukune-kushi (Sauce)" for JPY 130 (tax included).
- 2 pieces of "Ume Shiso-kushi" for JPY 180 (tax included).
- 5 pieces of "Tori Shumai" for JPY 44 (tax included).
- 2 pieces of "Hokkaido Corn Butter" for JPY 98 (tax included).
- 5 pieces of "Negi to Kawai no Tori Dango" for JPY 52 (tax included).
- 2 pieces of "Potato Croquette" for JPY 98 (tax included).
The total came to JPY 3,646, and they kindly gave me an extra "Tori Kawa Shio" as a bonus. Thank you!
I hurried home and started eating my bento while watching the high school baseball broadcast.
They won the match and advanced to the next round. In the evening, we had a small victory celebration at home, just my wife and me.
We laid out the yakitori and side dishes we bought along with some home-cooked meals and dug in right away.
Hama Kei's yakitori is always reliable and delicious. I always wish I could enjoy it fresh off the grill, but that’s difficult, so I reheated it in the microwave this time.
For the sauced items, I added some extra sauce that they provided in a bag.
The salt-grilled items were delicious as they were. Yakitori really pairs well with summer beer.
I decided to steam the shumai in a steamer. I wondered how it would taste since it was made with chicken, but it was indeed quite mild.
It simply couldn’t compare to the richness of pork. I think pork shumai is the best.
The "Negi to Kawai no Tori Dango" had a nice crunchy texture from the kohlrabi and green onions, and the chicken mince was delicious with a sweet and savory sauce.
The delightful crunch with every bite was a highlight. I definitely want to buy this again next time.
The Hokkaido Corn Butter was deep-fried in a batter that allowed me to enjoy the corn to the fullest.
I bought the potato croquette hoping for the familiar taste from a long-time favorite shop, but this one was overly sweet and didn’t match my expectations, so I won’t be buying it again.
As expected from a chicken specialty shop, the yakitori was flawless. As a takeout-only option, it offers consistent taste and quality.
As for the other side dishes, I suppose you won’t know until you try them.

I wrapped up my first dermatology appointment of the new year and decided to stop by a nearby sports bar for a quick drink (well, actually two) (￣∇￣). I was excited to use the JPY 500 discount coupon I got at the restaurant for my next visit, but before I knew it, my appointment the following week was already over (ﾟДﾟ). Plus, it looks like I won’t have the chance to drop by early anymore.｡ﾟ(ﾟ´Д｀ﾟ)ﾟ｡

Unaware of what was to come the next week, I sent a message on LINE before heading home.
When I asked if there was anything my family wanted to eat, I got an immediate reply asking for yakitori (grilled chicken skewers).
Unfortunately, there were no takeout yakitori shops near Keikyu Tomioka Station, so I decided to travel one station over to buy some.
I could have just walked the 850 meters in about 11 minutes, but heading home after having a drink made me a bit lethargic, so I took the train instead, paying JPY 136 for the 700 m distance (。-`ω-) Hmm, quite weak of me.

I arrived at Hama Kei Nomiya Branch.
Located just 10 meters to the right after exiting the ticket gate, it’s a popular chicken delicacy and yakitori shop among the locals.
Fortuitously, despite being the last to exit the ticket gate, there were no customers in front of the shop.

I guessed that people were probably enjoying drinks with the large amounts of alcohol they had bought for their travels or for the New Year celebrations as I checked the display case.
Since I had already eaten some sausages, I opted to be a bit modest in my purchases.

I picked up:
- 2 'Kawa Kushi (sauce)' for JPY 115 (tax included).
- 2 'Tori Liver Kushi (sauce)' for JPY 115 (tax included).
- 2 'Tsukune Kushi (sauce)' for JPY 108 (tax included).
- 2 'Kawa Kushi (salt)' for JPY 115 (tax included).
- 2 'Butan Tan Kushi (salt)' for JPY 125 (tax included).
- 3 'Buta Bara Kushi (salt)' for JPY 142 (tax included).
- 3 'Negima Kushi (salt)' for JPY 108 (tax included).

In total, my purchase came to JPY 1,906.

The staff that day were bright and responsive.
They bagged the sauces and salts into small pouches, and I headed home, but by then I had lost all motivation to take the train.
Instead, I quickly took a taxi from right in front of the station, making it home just in time for dinner that my family had prepared.

With mushroom ajillo, konjac tofu, fried yam, shishamo, and a delightful pairing with 'Ike Junmai Sake' bought in Izu Kogen, our dinner turned out to be a wonderful experience.
The rich sauce and salt from Ogawa-machi complemented the drinks perfectly, making it an enjoyable weekend dinner.
It’s truly convenient to have specialized shops where you can grab what you want to eat whenever you crave it.

After a long stretch of rainy weather, we finally had some sunshine in the afternoon.
My wife and I felt that our bikes needed maintenance, so we decided to visit the bike shop after the rain cleared.
My wife's bike needed a tire change, while mine required some parts replacement in the drivetrain.
It seems both repairs coincided with their recommended maintenance periods.
After arranging the necessary parts and timing, my wife suggested on the way back home, "Since it's getting late and our son has been craving yakitori, why don't we buy some on the way?"
Great idea! For meat lovers, this makes perfect sense.
So we stopped by this place with a wide variety located right at the station front:

**Hama Kei Nōmendai Branch.**
During my last visit when it was around lunchtime, the shop was pretty empty, but at 5:30 PM, there was quite a line of customers ready to buy.
Luckily, the staff managed to serve two customers at a time, so we didn’t have to wait long to make our purchase.
We decided to buy both some classic yakitori and a few items that caught our eye.

- **Yagen Soft Cartilage Skewer (Salt)** - JPY 147 (tax included) - 1 piece
- **Momo Garlic Skewer (Salt)** - JPY 137 (tax included) - 2 pieces
- **Gizzard Skewer (Salt)** - JPY 137 (tax included) - 2 pieces
- **Pork Kabuto (Salt)** - JPY 115 (tax included) - 2 pieces
- **Pork Belly Skewer (Salt)** - JPY 142 (tax included) - 3 pieces
- **Bonjiri Skewer (Salt)** - JPY 137 (tax included) - 2 pieces
- **Plum Shiso Skewer (Salt)** - JPY 108 (tax included) - 2 pieces
- **Yakitori Pack (Sauce)** - JPY 1,000 (tax included) - 1 pack
- **Chicken and Burdock Fried** - JPY 400 (tax included) - 1 pack
- **Jumbo Chicken Wing** - JPY 390 (tax included) - 1 piece

Total: JPY 3,631.
Even amidst busyness, the prompt service and accurate orders made for a pleasant experience.
A yakitori shop truly needs to have a sense of urgency.
If the service is slow, it can dampen the excitement of buying.
This place, however, was just right.
Although the plastic bag was charged, they kindly packed everything into a reusable one I provided.

Once home, while I was enjoying a bath, my wife prepared the other side dishes, and by the time I finished, dinner was perfectly timed.
The yakitori, with its generous size and satisfying flavor, was just as good as I remembered.
Always a reliable choice.

The chicken and burdock fried dish was coated in a sweet and savory sauce made with soy sauce and mirin.
Its crispy texture brought out the earthy flavor of the burdock, with the sesame adding a nice aroma.
This makes for a dish I might try to replicate at home; I really enjoyed it.

As for the jumbo chicken wing, it was essentially a fried half-chicken.
It wasn’t fried; rather, it had a roasted finish, served simply with salt for a fresh taste.
I think they also offered a whole chicken version, which could be perfect for larger groups.

The freshly grilled yakitori prepared on-site is a fantastic convenience during busy evenings.
I anticipate that I will be visiting more frequently in the future.

To relieve my lack of exercise, I headed to the area around Noyamada Station.
I took a break halfway up the hill with a beer and gyoza to recharge, and then on my way back down, I recalled the new shop that opened at the end of April after the closure of the previous Kyodaru in front of the station.

The other day, after visiting Sansui, I thought about stopping by to grab some food when getting into my car. However, since I was tipsy and it was already late with limited choices available, I decided to come back another day.
Today turned out to be the perfect day to stop by.

Hama Kei, a local favorite known for specializing in chicken, operates several deli shops and standing bars throughout Kanagawa Prefecture. This particular shop offers yakitori and side dishes made right on the premises.
A showcase running the width of the store displays their offerings, and in the back, you can see the grill where the yakitori is being cooked.

Since I had such a light lunch, I thought I’d enjoy some drinks with my son when I got home, so I planned to buy yakitori and skewers that pair well with drinks.

I purchased:
- 2 Kawa-kushi (Skin) with Sauce for JPY 108 (tax included)
- 2 Buta Reba-kushi (Pork Liver) with Sauce for JPY 108 (tax included)
- 2 Tori Hatsu-kushi (Chicken Heart) with Sauce for JPY 108 (tax included)
- 1 Momo-kushi (Chicken Thigh) with Sauce for JPY 99 (tax included)
- 1 Yagen Nankotsu-kushi (Cartilage) with Salt for JPY 147 (tax included)
- 2 Buta Tan-kushi (Pork Tongue) with Salt for JPY 115 (tax included)
- 2 Buta Kashira-kushi (Pork Cheek) with Salt for JPY 115 (tax included)
- 2 Buta Bara-kushi (Pork Belly) with Salt for JPY 142 (tax included)
- 1 Bonjiri-kushi (Chicken Tail) with Salt for JPY 137 (tax included)
- 2 Negima-kushi (Chicken and Green Onion) with Salt for JPY 99 (tax included)
- 1 Tsukune-kushi (Chicken Meatball) with Sauce for JPY 108 (tax included)
- 2 Ume Shiso-kushi (Plum and Shiso) with Salt for JPY 99 (tax included)
- 118g of Umai Teba (Delicious Chicken Wings) for JPY 292 (100g/JPY 248 tax included)
- 1 Hama no Renga (Brick) for JPY 248 (tax included).

In total, I spent JPY 2,837.

The staff was friendly, responsive, and handled the orders accurately, ensuring that the grams were exact.
Even though it was handled by just one person, the service was smooth, and they provided clear and detailed explanations about the products, making it easy to purchase some unique items. This is essential.

They separated my items into small bags and handed them to me, so I walked back home along the tracks, which took about an hour.
After a refreshing bath, I began an impromptu feast with the yakitori I bought, combined with my wife’s cooking, enjoying drinks with my son while it was still light outside.
The yakitori, as expected from a chicken specialty shop, was delicious and truly satisfying.

The Umai Teba was chicken wings coated in a sweet and savory sauce, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds, making for a delightful and tender experience.
The Hama no Renga was like a meatloaf shaped into a brick, made from lotus root, pork, and chicken, set with soybeans and gelatin, and topped with a flavorful sauce, providing a hearty bite.

There were also enticing items such as shumai and karaage that I couldn’t purchase this time, and the convenience of this place makes it likely that I will return more often.
In an area with many yakitori izakayas, this takeout specialty shop is sure to be invaluable.