Tokyo Observations

More izakaya notes, not all of which I had the pleasure of going to.

• Horoyoi (Shibuya-ku): red felt tip pen circles mark the specials; simmered bamboo shoots, salt-grilled ayu sweetfish, yellowtail sashimi, raw hotaru ika firefly squid; horse mackerel sashimi straight from the tank; hot potato chips, Japanese-style German potatoes; julienned potatoes with spicy cod roe, foil-baked mushrooms.
• Maru (Shibuya-ku): green beans with sesame sauce, deep-fried tile fish (cooked with scales on).
• Saiki (Shibuya-ku): a Tokyo institution serving crab cream croquettes, squid and celery
• Shinsuke (Bunkyo-ku): working class pub; the only sake served is Ryozeki (sweet style, barrel version); raclette japanese-style; nuta, or mixture of blanched, thick green onions, udo stems, wakame seaweed and tuna cubes; mashed potato salad; tatsuta fried chicken.
• Yamariki Shinkan (Koto-ku): all about guts and stuff but refined dishes too; asparagus and pork tempura rolls, scallop & tomato, grilled whole surume squid.
• Hiro (Meguro-ku): a tiny place under the railway arches in Nakameguro; soy marinated daikon peels, miso-cured tofu; grilled chicken with ume paste, deep fried tofu with mushroom sauce; spaghetti vongole Japanese-style,
• Morimoto (Shibuya-ku): yakitori specialist, grilled eel, chicken sashimi
• Buchi (Shibuya-ku): a tachinomiya, or standing bar, a relative of the izakaya; sea urchin with scrambled eggs, char-grilled jamon iberico, udon noodles with sesame dipping sauce; famous for one-cup format sake, fried whole garlic with miso, tea-glazed walnuts, whitebait nam pla fritters, broccoli rabe and scallops sashimi in mustard dressing, sliced duck breast with ponzu sauce.