Shoga King

What's the food that gets you through summer? A huge scoop of ice cream? Extra-hot curry? For many Tokyoites, the ultimate stamina boost is a plate of shogayaki, i.e. pan-fried ginger pork. Its mixture of sweet and bitter keeps anyone going through a hot and humid day, and a set meal with said power dish can usually be had for only a few hundred yen. That's also the case at this specialised Asakusabashi eatery, run by the folks behind Ginza hamburg steak joint AOI. Shoga King's shogayaki is served with a secret sauce made with a whopping 18 different ingredients and can be customised to your liking – how about an extra-spicy version or one with tartar sauce on the side?