Kakuten

Tucked into Shiba in Minato Ward, Kakuten is an unpretentious izakaya where raw fish and slow-simmered dishes anchor the table. A mixed sashimi platter featuring flounder, mackerel, and whelk makes a natural opening alongside a glass of draft beer or a chilled bottle. From there, the menu turns to classic drinking fare: tender beef tripe stew, melting pork kakuni, pan-fried aubergine with miso, and deep-fried satsuma-age fishcakes. Poured over warm sake or whisky, the meal concludes easily with rice dishes—either onigiri or comforting bowls of ochazuke steeped in broth, chosen with pickled plum, salmon, spicy cod roe, or nori.