Fans of raw pork liver savored their last chance to taste the dish on Thursday night as they expressed mixed feelings on the arrival of a new food safety regulation Friday that bans eateries from serving pork sashimi.
“I often eat (pork liver sashimi) at yakiton (grilled pork) restaurants. I don’t know what I’ll do if I can’t eat it anymore,” said Hiromi Sasamoto, 33, as she downed the sashimi at Aji no Isohei, a pub in Tokyo’s Oimachi district.
“I always order this if restaurants have it on the menu,” said Shota Komukai, 31, who was with Sasamoto, adding that he likes the melting texture and sweetness of what is known locally as buta reba sashi.
A 42-year-old man who hadn’t eaten pork liver before said he came to taste it because Thursday was the last day to try it.
Compared with beef liver sashimi, “it tastes plainer. It’s delicious,” he said.
Restaurants said they got extremely busy serving the sashimi as the deadline approached.