Kawatarō @ Nakasu

September 29, 2022 Dave Perry

***Ika ikezukuri (live squid sashimi)***

Kawatarō claims to be the first restaurant in Japan to install an on-site fish pool from which the very freshest seafood could be served, pool-to-table. The validity of such a claim aside, this sprawling, delightfully retro Shōwa era restaurant is popular among both locals and visitors alike.

The menu encompasses a variety of fresh seafood from the Genkai Sea, but the star of the show is undoubtedly the Fukuoka speciality ika-ikezukuri; bite sized sashimi prepared from the torso of live Yobuko squid. The result, as the still living squid arrives at your table, is a surprisingly sweet tasting, slightly chewy and transparent flesh the flavour of which is best brought out with either salt or soy sauce and wasabi.

Several prix fixe courses are available, utilizing the whole squid to create ika-ikezukuri, shūmai dumplings, geso (squid leg tempura) and soup, accompanied by several delicate appetizers, simmered dishes and a dessert.

Kawatarō

092 271 2133

Burger Police @ Toritsu-Daigaku

August 31, 2022 Dave Perry

***Radicchio salad with hazelnuts and anchovy dressing***

Created by Daisuke Takubo of TACUBO fame as a means of supporting suppliers and providing customers with a more casually affordable offering during the Covid-19 pandemic, Burger Police is a popular destination for lunch or dinner.

Utilizing quality ingredients and preparation befitting a fine dining restaurant, Burger Police takes a decidedly minimalist approach to the gourmet burger, reducing it to the bare (yet thoroughly delicious) essentials, complimented by bistro style appetisers and a pleasant selection of natural wines.

This approach is exemplified by the deceptively simple Salt Burger, a fluffy, crisply toasted bun encompassing a juicy patty of freshly ground lean beef seasoned with nothing but salt and butter to bring out flavours and textures that defy expectations.

Burger Police

03 6303 1104

Tonkatsu Ōryū @ Shirokane

July 19, 2022 Dave Perry

***Jōhire (prime fillet) tonkatsu (200g)***

***Jōhire (prime fillet) tonkatsu (150g)***

***Jōrōsu (prime roast) tonkatsu (200g)***

A venerated tonkatsu-ya with a thirty-plus years history that has survived relocation, ownership and name changes to remain a respected and much frequented destination for tonkatsu fans, Ōryū serves premium quality cutlets at premium prices.

Perpetuating the legacy of the original restaurant, Daigo, Ōryū maintains a focus on carefully prepared breaded cutlets (pork, beef, chicken, tuna and shrimp) sourced from a respected local butcher specializing in Matsusaka pork, and purveyors of fresh seafood such as the delicious Yamayuki tuna.

Each cutlet is coated in low sugar breadcrumbs and lightly fried in corn oil, resulting in a pale, crisp and light tasting outer coating.

Tonkatsu Ōryū

03 3440 9529

Seifūrō @ Yokohama Chinatown

June 28, 2022 Dave Perry

***Zensai moriawase of shūmai, chāshū, kikurage and pītan***

A venerable Chinatown eatery in business since late-1945 and beloved of novelist Ikenami Shōtarō, Seifūrō is known for its delicious shūmai dumplings (also available for take-out), fried rice and wanton noodles.

With only six tables on the ground floor, queues are the norm with waits of up to 45 minutes not uncommon. Once inside, the interior is all nostalgic simplicity harking back to the restaurant’s post-war heyday.

Customer service can be somewhat hit and miss, ranging from gentle hostility to effusive hospitality. Photography is also, rather unsuccessfully, prohibited.

Seifūrō

045 681 2901

Izakaya With @ Gakugei-Daigaku

May 31, 2022 Dave Perry

***Chicken liver sashimi with egg yolk***

***Dry tofu noodles with sanshō and chicken breast***

***Soy sauce ramen with pork and chives***

Originally specializing in Nagoya delicacy Taiwan mazesoba, in late 2021 Izakaya With spruced up its interior and menu to encompass a wider range of tapas-sized Taiwanese, Chinese and Korean inspired dishes.

Fresh ingredients, solid cooking and punchy flavours, such as the anago potato salad or dried tōfu noodles in sanshō sauce, keep things interesting despite limited beverage options.

Any visit is best concluded with a tasty bowl of home-style mazesoba or soy sauce rāmen with pork and chives.

Izakaya With

03 6412 8448