Hormone Barbecue Koei Head Shop

In Shinjuku, the city that never sleeps, there’s a place where you can enjoy yakiniku (barbecue) from the crack of dawn. It’s Hormone Barbecue Koei Head Shop, a restaurant founded in Higashi-Shinjuku back in 1996 and approaching its 30th anniversary. While technically it’s more of a late-night extension than an early morning spot since it operates through the night until 7:00 AM the next day, the fact remains: you can enjoy yakiniku here from the early hours.

But just how much demand is there for early morning yakiniku? Personally, I could totally handle a hearty yakiniku feast first thing in the morning, but isn’t it true that most people would say, “Yakiniku first thing in the morning? That sounds way too heavy to eat…”? So, I was really curious about how many people actually gather at the shop. But when I actually went…

Conclusion: It was bustling beyond imagination… Around 5 a.m. on a weekday morning, this is what Hormone Barbecue Koei Head Shop looked like…

I visited Hormone Barbecue Koei Head Shop around 5 a.m. on a weekday. I walked from the Shinjuku Station area where my hotel was, and honestly, I didn’t expect any customers at that hour. But when I actually got there, it was different. The restaurant has seven tables seating about 30 people, and it was almost completely full. Barely, the table furthest back was empty, and I managed to slip in just in time.

The customer base was definitely young people. Groups who’d been drinking all night and were wrapping up with yakiniku made up about two-thirds of the crowd. But the remaining third were solo diners, the type who just come alone with a sports paper, enjoying their yakiniku in peace. Even at 5 a.m. on a weekday, the place was surprisingly busy. While you might not have to queue up, you could easily find yourself waiting outside the shop for a while.

The meat portion was so huge it felt like a reverse fraud—I regretted ordering it… Introducing 5 dishes from Hormone Barbecue Koei Head Shop, including their signature dish, the Ultimate Offal.

Now, let me introduce the 5 yakiniku dishes I ordered that day at Hormone Barbecue Koei Head Shop. First up…

Domestic Beef Yukhoe

Domestic Beef Yukhoe (Price: ¥1,400 tax included), ordered as a beer snack. In this day and age where restaurants serving beef yukhoe have drastically decreased, being able to eat domestic beef yukhoe is incredibly fortunate, right? Moreover, it uses genuine raw meat, not heated yukhoe meat like at places like Hormone Shimata in Gunma Prefecture. Smash the egg yolk in the center, mix it thoroughly into the sweet soy sauce dressing, and take a bite… Seriously, if beef yukhoe disappeared, it would be a huge problem.

Premium Tripe

Next up was the Premium Tripe (Price: ¥1,200 tax included). The seasoning comes in two types: sauce or salt. This time, I mainly ordered dishes with sauce. It’s thick and meaty with a satisfying crunch. With each chew, a subtle sweetness gradually spreads. The sauce on the tripe, meanwhile, tastes like classic kimchi. It’s spicy but mild, so the meat’s flavor isn’t overpowered and comes through beautifully.

Abomasum

The third dish was Abomasum (price: ¥800 including tax), which I’ve been hooked on ever since trying it at Kyoto’s Yakiniku Ebata. Like the upper tripe served earlier, it has that same crunchy texture, so some might think, “It’s a waste to order another one…” But really, the upper tripe and giara are different. Unlike the upper tripe, with giara, the rich flavor of the fat slowly seeps out with each chew. Washing down that seeping fat with beer is just irresistible, you know…

Chicken tail

For the fourth dish, I ordered chicken tail (price: ¥800 tax included) as a palate cleanser. I specifically asked for salt instead of sauce on this chicken tail, but it didn’t serve as a palate cleanser at all. The sheer volume that arrived was incredible… probably double what you’d get at other places. And this chicken tail was richly marbled with fat, plump and juicy. I’m confident I could easily polish off two or three glasses of draft beer with just this one dish.

Ultimate Offal

Finally, the signature dish of Hormone Barbecue Koei Head Shop: Ultimate Offal (price: ¥1,000 including tax). This Ultimate Offal has an absolutely insane amount of fat… Even before grilling, the fatty layers are piled up thick like snow. Naturally, grilling it over charcoal inevitably leads to a massive flare-up. It requires considerable skill to grill it without burning it, as it charred easily without meticulous attention. But honestly, the umami richness of the fat in perfectly grilled Ultimate Offal is incredible… Frankly, it’s on a whole different level compared to the offal at your average place. If you love offal, this dish is an absolute must-order.

That wrapped up our order for this visit: five dishes, white rice, and drinks. I’d actually planned on ordering more, but every offal dish was incredibly generous… like 1.5 to 2 times the typical portion size you’d get at other places. It felt like reverse fraud! When all five dishes arrived, I regretted ordering so much. And yet, eating all this cost me less than ¥7,000. With value like this, Hormone Barbecue Koei Head Shop is a godsend. Highly recommended if you’re craving yakiniku in Shinjuku!

Hormone Barbecue Koei is located in Shinjuku Kabukicho, with four branches in total… Access to Hormone Barbecue Koei Head Shop is a 0-minute walk from the nearest station, Toei Oedo Line Higashi-Shinjuku Station.

Besides the Head Shop, Hormone Barbecue Koei operates three other branches: Shokuan-dori Branch, Shinjuku East Exit Branch, and Sakura-dori Branch, all surrounding Shinjuku Kabukicho. They also have one branch inside Haneda Airport Terminal 1. Having yakiniku at the airport before the flight? That sounds super luxurious. Next time I fly to Tokyo, I might try airport yakiniku at Haneda.

Now, here are the shop details…