Location: Chatan - if heading north on 58, turn L at Lester gate 2 / Cowdy restaurant and then the first possible R onto the northern extension of Hamby street. One block north of the Big Echo complex, there is an izakaya that faces the street with an orange and green sign. There is space for about 6 cars in front of the restaurant, but with a valet system they can squeeze in about 12. The building has a wooden covered walkway out front and an arched entryway at the south side.
Hours - evenings after 6p, unsure which day closed
Whenever we drive by this place, the parking lot is always packed with Japanese plate cars. Inside, the restaurant has the cosy traditional izakaya feel, with some semi-private rooms and a few seats at the bar. There is an English menu which does not mention all the dishes available, leaving off things like local seaweed, tofu squares topped with tiny marinated fish, etc. All drinks are 399Y, including beer, wine, and standard cocktails. There is a 315Y per person service charge, and admittedly the waitstaff were obsequious. We had 3 items - the sushi sample plate (approx 1030Y), the Japanese radish salad (approx 550Y) and the fried whitefish (gurukun, approx 780Y). The sushi plate was 2 salmon, 2 tuna, 2 Okinawan fish, 1 marinated octopus, 1 cuttlefish. This is much better quality stuff than the conveyor belt places, with lovely fatty fish and the perfect amount of wasabi. The radish salad was spectacular - a bed of curly leaf lettuce with a white prawn cracker nest filled with mild slivered radish, topped in mini-whitefish, nori, and radish sprouts. The dressing had a subtle fantastic shiso leaf flavour. The gurukun was one of the nicest fried fish dishes we have ever had. The batter was a light and crispy tempura type coating, the fish moist and delicious, the dipping sauce balanced and not overpowering. With drinks and the service charge, this izakaya is not an inexpensive dinner destination, but should be commended for its high quality food in relatively atmospheric surroundings.
