Usaya (Izakaya), Shimokitazawa

First of all, sorry for the late update...Today's feature is "Usaya", a very cute looking restaurant that looks like it's going to crumble anytime, as does the surrounding near-to-collapse neighborhood.

The cute upgrade shack-like "Usaya"

The izakaya (food serving Japanese-style pub) "Usaya" uses the premises of an old 1923 candy store of the same name, located in the "Kita-Guchi-EkiMae-Ichiba", the North Exit Market. This old market, whose businesses are slowly but surely closing one by one, is also dubbed "Yamiichi" (Black Market) as it used to be, with the still immensely popular American Market "Ameyoko" in Ueno, one of the main locations in Tokyo to go buy stuff more or less illegally obtained from the American bases in Japan.

how to get to Usaya from the station North Exit

Though it is very tiny in size compared to Ameyoko, Yamiichi still has that corrugated iron feel as well as some strange odors (mostly of cat piss...) peculiar to Asian markets and you should absolutely go visit it when in Shimokitazawa. Unfortunately, almost all the shops are closed so don't go there thinking you'll find some butchers, grocers or fishmongers frantically at work. There still are quite some Kodak moments worth the walk, not to mention the pleasure of feeling like you've lost yourself in a little movie set.

There also have been talks for years of destroying the slum-like market, so hurry up before the Setagaya ward decides to flatten the place once for all.

The big surprise at "Usaya" is that THERE IS NO FOOD MENU... "We don't have any menu" was the response of the smily lady when we naturally asked for it. Wow, Ok...We must have looked like deers in the headlight, so she quickly began to explain to us that we should just tell her

1) what is our budget

2) whether we are hungry or just want few things to munch on with some booze

3) if we are hungry, how many dishes we'd want

4) anything we wouldn't want in the recipes

Not knowing whether the place was expensive, there was not much we could say, but we decided to go for "give us three dishes and we'll take it from there"

The first thing that was brought to us was the classic summer appetizer boiled soybean "Edamame" to munch on with our Asahi draughts. Do you see the hairs on the beans? That's usually a good sign that the beans have been picked by hands and not with big machines, which prevents the vegetables from being hurt during the harvesting process, thus keeping it fresh.

What was nice during the whole dinner was the surprise factor. Not knowing what's coming to you is actually quite some fun.

The first main was a fresh and delicately seasoned Katsuo No Tataki Salada (lightly broiled Bonito Salad). As you can see, it was charmingly presented, with a real attention to not only the taste, but the colors involved. Japanese put a special emphasis on trying to make in the summer a cuisine that is cool and refreshing to the palate and to the eyes, and this recipe was a success in that regards. The simple but tasty sauce seemed like a mix of sesame and olive oil plus a hint sour ingredient that I couldn't recognize. The red pepper, the asparagus, the green beans, the zucchinis, the red cabbage and the surprisingly-not-bitter bitter gourd Goya were very nicely boiled, offering nice textures and aromas to go through.

The fish was well cooked and not smelly at all, which combined very well with the overall light dressing.

Next came the Yasai To Ebi No Itamemono (stirred vegetables and prawn), in a pretty red-lacquered antique plate. The ingredients were quickly oil-fried (Su-Age) before being stirred in Oyster sauce. Good stuff. The Indochinese-meets-Japanese recipe contained big chunks of delicately sheared eggplants, asparagus, yellow pepper, carrots, haricot verts and medium-sized prawns. Simple but effective. We loved it.

The "oh my god no menu and no price!?" scare to the "hey, this place is actually really nice!" happy surprise reached almost the summit with the third dish, another summer classic, the Inaniwa Udon (Udon inaniwa style). The Inaniwa Udon is a recipe from the southern part of the Akita prefecture in Northern Japan. The flat-shaped wholewheat noodles are smaller than regular Udon and are usually served cold, to be dipped in Tsuyu (a mix of dashi, mirin and shoyu) sauce. There are condiments on the side, often grated ginger, thinly chopped dry seaweed Nori and chopped leek, which you can add to your likings. Below is my little bowl of noodles floating in the Tsuyu broth with everything topped. The main bowl of noodles in iced-cold water from which you help yourself is not on the picture, but I can assure you that it was big. Probably enough portions for three in an expensive restaurant.

Though the noodles could have had more firmness or "Koshi", it still was a very refreshing dish. The perfect closer.

The steadily climbing level of satisfaction reached its pinacle when we asked for the check. With the appetizers, the three well-cooked dishes, two beers and a glass of Masamune sake, we were charged ¥4,100! It's not jaw-dropping cheap, but the atmosphere was excellent (Try to go during the summer so to enjoy the tables outside), the service impecable and the food good, so...ABSLOUTELY no complains!

You might be lost when ordering, but if you want three dishes (which was enough food as they bring everything as slowly as a classy French restaurant), just say "ORYORI MITTSU ONEGAI SHIMASU". Good luck!

The place is at just over a minute walk from the station. Please refer to the video above for directions. It's easy!

Usaya is closed on Sundays and open the rest of the week for dinner from 18:00pm to 01:00am

080-3158-4613 (that's a cell phone number so the phone bill will be slightly more expensive than a fixed line call...)
Setagaya-ku, Kitazawa 2-24-14
Click here for a MAP

Part2: Ya-Yu (Japanese), Shimokitazawa

It is the first time I cover one place twice but I really think Ya-Yu deserves it. The cost performance is incredible, and for me, that's a good enough reason.

The first time we went there, we opted for the traditional "Ika No Shiokara" (squid marinated in its own guts) to match our beers, so this time we selected the "Cheese No Miso-Zuke" (cream cheese marinated in fermented bean Miso sauce). It wasn't mind-blowing, but it definitely did its job as the perfect appetizer.
You like cream cheese? You like it even slightly saltier? There you go, order it. The miso aroma is almost inexistant, just enough to add that salty kick to the cream, whereas the finely chopped shiso leaves bring freshness to the recipe for a perfect taste balance.

Since we loved the vegetables they served us on our first visit, we tried their "Hatake No Sashimi" plate (cuts of raw vegetables). The different veggies are served with two small portions of low-salt Miso paste and a Japanese-style cold Bagna Cauda sauce (vegetable oil with hints of anchovy and garlic). Man, those ingredients were good!

The beautiful dish contained some cucumber, Goboh (Burdock root), red radish, chicory, chinese cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, cauliflower and all sort of delicious stuff among which a newbie in the veggie-world and still very rare yellow crunchy ingredient called コリンキー (the Japanese word sounds like the English "Colin Key"), a pumpkin that has been modified to suit raw eating. It doesn't really taste like pumpkin when you chew on it, but the after-taste is quite like it.

Anyway, all the stuff was fresh and a pleasure to eat. The textures were great so were the color of each roots, leaves and fruit. I think it's better to eat them without sauce to further enjoy the experience.

When you sit at the counter, you get to see the chef preparing all the dishes. Not only you have the opportunity of being able to witness the care and attention with which he cooks his cuisine, but you get to have a good look at potential future orders. I couldn't forget the "Tori No Karaage" (fried chicken) I had seen him cook on the first visit, so we went for it.

It's a simple but very well done KaraAge. The skin was hard and crunchy, the meat was firm and juicy but tender inside. It was once again low on salt (which tendency I like, as you might have noticed by now) and I liked it. This guy doesn't make any flashy stuff. Just like the menu, it's all basic recipes, but beautifully done and at a cheap price.

By the way, I had ordered in the meantime a recommended by the chef glass of Sake called "Suminoe" from the northern Miyagi prefecture. I think it was a tint yellow (couldn't tell whether the glass was that color or the alcohol), and it tasted smooth, slightly on the dry side and probably great with any food.

Our final dish was the Kakuni Chahan (fried rice with simmered pork) which was a grandiose way of finishing this satisfying meal. The portion was big, so be sure that you're still a little hungry when you order it, as its size might exceed your expectation. The taste of the cuisine did exceed my expectations for sure: the rice was fried just the way I love it, that is dry and not sticky; the egg as well as the fibrous bits of simmered pork and the generous topping of chopped leek combined really well in a sober yet delicious fried rice.

So, another recap: two beers, a glass of nice cold sake, a small appetizer, three dishes for a total of ¥4,400. Not bad?

Yu-Ya is closed on Mondays and open the rest of the week from 18:00pm to 24:00pm (L.O. 23:00pm). They will be open until 02:00am (L.O. 01:00am) in July

03-3411-5036

Setagaya-ku, Daizawa 5-33-5

Click here for a MAP

Ya-Yu (Japanese), Shimokitazawa

We went yesterday evening to this new restaurant getting very positive reviews on the internet. I wasn't too sure whether that choice was a good one as the restaurant looks quite nice and classy, and that's just so NOT Shimokitazawa. Like if something wasn't right.
But oh boy, was I wrong... This turned out to be a very pleasant surprise and a nice dinner.

The classy looking Ya-Yu

Ya-Yu just opened in last December and is still looking brand new. It's so unusual to see classy places in this neighborhood that you feel you might be in trendy Aoyama for a second.

We felt a little intimated at first when entering the elegant (for Shimokitazawa) restaurant but much better as soon as the chef and the other two staffs gave us a smily welcome and a very polite and genuine "Irasshaimase" (The welcome formula you get when entering any Japanese restaurant).

Ika No Shiokara

Not really knowing what to order, we went for our favorite appetizers "Ika No Shiokara" (raw squid marinated in its own guts) to accompany our opening beers, the Horenso To Bekon No Salada (Spinach and bacon salad), another one of our beloved dish the "Nasu No Dengaku" (roasted eggplant topped with Miso) and the delicious when well cooked "Wakasagi To Takenoko No Tenpura" (Japanese smelt and bamboo sprout tenpura)

The Shiokara was good, not too salty, with fresh and firm slices of squid in it. I preferred the smoother and sweeter "Shiokara" we were served at "Gohan Gohan", but it was worth it nonetheless. A bowl of steamy white rice would have been welcome.

The copious spinach and bacon salad

By the time we had eaten half of the marinated squid came the very big salad. At a cheap ¥680 and in such a refined decor, I was expecting a small dish; but my predictions turned out to be largely erroneous. The big plate of tasty spinach made in local Setagaya topped with excellent sauteed bacon and fresh tomato is more than enough to fill a little appetite so be warned (click here for a picture of some of the relatively unknown but numerous crofts existing in still quite rural Setagaya). It is a simple salad only seasoned with vinegar but the ingredients being very fresh, it's really worth it.

This restaurant seems very attentive to details and they were definitely checking out how we were doing with our fares: they clearly made sure to bring us the eggplant dish after we were done with the green fiesta.

The savory Nasu No Dengaku

The cooked eggplant that was brought to us was a rather large piece of beautifully purple BeiNasu. Beinasu, literally eggplant from the USA, is a Japanese modification from the original American species "Black Beauty". It is famous for keeping its form pretty much intact even after baking or stewing and is largely used in Japan for Dengaku purposes. The Dengaku recipe consists in adding a layer of Miso (fermented bean paste) on top of the main ingredient before quickly french-frying and/or roasting it.

"Yu-ya" asks you to choose the type of Miso you want on top of your eggplant: we opted for the smoother and sweeter Saikyo Miso, which you will often come across in southern Kansai region. The said paste is pale colored (it is also called Shiro Miso, or white Miso, in comparison to the red and brown tinted regular Miso) and less salty: regular Miso contains an average of 12% salt when the Saikyo one is at 5%.

I think it was the right choice as the mellower fermented bean glaze on top allowed you to enjoy more the tasty, fleshy and juicy vegetables. It also went very well with the generous topping of chopped Negi leek. Good stuff, go for it!

Wakasagi To Takenoko No Tempura

The last dish was delicious as well: (another) big portion of deep-fried bamboo sprout and Japanese smelt "Wakasagi". Wakasagi, often angled in lakes around Japan, is a very tender fish which is excellent in Tempura. It was no exception yesterday, as the easy to bite flesh and slightly crunchy Tempura batter provided a harmonious texture collaboration. Add just a hint of salt and go nuts. Eat the head as well.

The deep-fried bamboo sprout was definitely worth it too. The thick and crunchy cuts were sweet in taste and provided a lovely aroma.

let's sum it up: one appetizer, three above-average size mains, two beers and "Grapefruit Sour" in an upgrade atmosphere = ¥4,100. Unbelievable. Talk about cost performance.

This place is going to be doing very well, I can promise you. We already couldn't get in the other day as we had no reservation. Booking is a must if you want to make sure you'll have a seat.

Yu-Ya is closed on Mondays and open the rest of the week from 18:00pm to 24:00pm (L.O. 23:00pm). They will be open until 02:00am (L.O. 01:00am) in July

03-3411-5036

Setagaya-ku, Daizawa 5-33-5

Click here for a MAP

Gohan Gohan (Kappo), Shimokitazawa

After 10 years in Shimokitazawa, despite the fact that we love to eat and try as many places as we can, there are still a LOT of restaurants we haven't been to: that's how many joints there are in this neighborhood. What is more surprising is that we still find some places that we've NEVER seen, neither heard of, though they've been there for a while, and which happen to be delicious.

Tonight, we were looking to eat in a Japanese restaurant in front of the bookstore/gadget vending "Village Vanguard", to find out that it was unfortunately (or fortunately) closed. As we were standing bummed in front of the closed restaurant, a very nice smell of dashi caught our nose (soup stock made of boiling Kombu (kemp) and Katsuo-Bushi (dry Bonito shavings)). The aroma was coming from this place we never really paid attention to (though it's right across my favorite Village Vanguard) called “ごはんごはん” (Gohan Gohan, literally Rice Rice), which we decided to go to after checking out the menu outside, full of relatively cheap dinner fares.

I can not say that we first felt welcome in this place. As we entered, the yakuza-looking cook wearing traditional clothes with a dragon motif on it (how more mafia-like could you get?) first stared at me for a good 3 seconds without a single smile or nod, which doesn't happen a lot in Japan believe me. The kind of introduction that makes you regret you even entered the joint. I'm not even sure he even eventually said hi when we sat in front of him at the counter.

The menu in the restaurant is written by hand and pretty much unreadable if you're not used to read manuscript Kanjis (here again, you wonder whether they actually want to sell anything to customers) so just remember that the place is specialized in "Kama-Meshi" (traditional japanese rice dish cooked in a Kama iron pot. Click here for the wiki article). Wanting to try something else, I asked the slightly more welcoming lady for some recommendations, to which she proposed the "Ni-Zakana" (fish simmered in a water-mirin-sake-shoyu sauce).

While waiting for the food, the lady brought us a pretty good "Ika No Shiokara" (squid fermeted in its own guts) that we munched on with the help of a bottle of beer. We found out at check that the Ika No Shiokara is charged around ¥350 per head, as a table charge fee...Shio-Kara can be very fishy, but this one is delicately flavored. It's still an acquired taste so eat at your own risks.

Ika No Shio-Kara

After 10mn or so, the dishes got to us. While leaving the Ni-Zakana in front of me, the lady told me that it was simmered Shake (salmon) and that I could eat everything besides the white part around the eyes, even the bones. The plate came with a big bowl of rice, some good pickled Chinese lettuce and an EXCELLENT Aka-Dashi miso-soup (made of regular "Mame-Miso" fermented bean paste and "Kome-Miso" fermented rice and bean paste) which was amazingly pungent. I know it sounds weird but the flavorful and dense soup almost remind me of a hot-chocolate.

The first impression I had was that the dish looked very dark in color. Ni-Zakana usually look slightly lighter than the one they offer here. Although it is typical of the northern half of Japan to offer recipes that are generally saltier and densier in taste and darker in color than the southern part cuisine, this Ni-Zakana was still very brown in color and powerful in shoyu and sugar aroma.

The first bite was surprising. It was DELICIOUS. So good that I actually forgot about the lack of hospitality. I even had to tell the cook that I loved his fish. That's probably when the ice broke: from then, he became smily and managed to talk a little bit.

Not only the sauce was good, but the fish parts all kept their characteristics even after a long simmering. A fleshier, drier and fibrous flank, and a fattier and more cartilaginous head. Not the messy puree some restaurant sometimes serve you...

Just like what the lady had told me, the bones were unbelievably soft and eating them was a walk in the park. Seriously, I have NEVER eaten bones stewed to such texture. It's hard to explain, but it would be close to a meringue feel: just a little hard at first and quickly disintegrating in your mouth as the melting process goes on. No fears of choking in this place. A revelation.

I asked the less-scary-by-now chef how he did that, to which he replied with a smile "I let it simmer for 8 hours". The below picture is what was left after 20mn: nothing. Bones, skin, flesh, eyes, name it. Gone. Unbelievable. Good stuff.

I have already rumbled for too long (sorry to anyone still reading up to here), so I'll be quick from hereon.

The Tai Kama-Meshi (sea bream Kama-Meshi) was pretty, as you can see, and good. The fish was deliciously tender and excellent in taste, as well as the rice which was well impregnated with the aroma of all the present ingredients (fish, bamboo shoots, carrots). My wife very much enjoyed the dish.

We ended up paying ¥3,500 for both dishes and a bottle of beer. Given the amount of rice and the quality of the cooking, I think it's a very decent pricing.

Don't expect to get a hug here. You might not even get a single smile, but if you want to eat some good Japanese-style fish dish, I strongly recommend this place. Order what we had if you can't read the menu and you will hopefully like it.

Forgot to ask when they are closed. They also have a lunch. (Shall Update asap!)

Setagaya-ku, Kitazawa 2-9-2

03-5453-4832

Click here for a MAP