Yuuyu

Down a lane in Tsukudocho, Shinjuku, izakaya ゆうゆう offers a wide-ranging menu, from fish sashimi and meat dishes to comforting hot plates made for the drinking table. The seafood selection makes an immediate impression. There is rich, fatty bluefin tuna sashimi, alongside firm-fleshed sea bream, ikejime kanpachi (amberjack), and Oita hamachi—fresh fish to choose from according to the mood of the evening. The menu also brings together Kumamoto horse sashimi with just the right amount of marbling, the rarer 馬うね刺 (uma-une sashimi), and mackerel slowly grilled Hamayaki-style, available by reservation. It makes for a meal with something to appeal to both fish and meat lovers.

After starting with something cold, it is easy to reach for a hot dish. Motsu miso nikomi, offal simmered until the flavour has seeped in, sits alongside a rich house-special miso and bacon macaroni gratin and a house-special aubergine curry and cheese bake. These carefully prepared plates have the bold flavours that pair well with a drink. Vegetable stir-fries are plentiful, too, including komatsuna greens sautéed in butter and lotus root stir-fried with soy sauce and butter. They make an easy fit for a relaxed, everyday drink.

To drink, there is draft beer and highballs, as well as sake from around Japan, including Gikyo from Aichi and Kaiun from Shizuoka, available by the glass or in go measures. Lighter options include lemon and umeboshi sours, along with Isami shochu. In the calm atmosphere, the drinks and dishes leave room for an evening at your own pace. It is an easygoing place for a solo stop after work, with small plates to nibble on, or for settling in around a table with friends and lingering over drinks.