こんや (Konya)

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This izakaya is opened by four chefs who all own their own restaurants in the same area. Though not them but someone else is cooking in this place. The front door looks like someone’s apartment! It was a dinner party and we had the 4000yen dinner course, plus endless additional orders from the a la carte menu cos we were all pigs. Buri and radish is complimentary appetizer.
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お造り(ヤリイカ、平目、メジ鮪)。塩漬けレバ刺。
Sashimi(Yari-ika, hirame, mejimaguro). Salt-pickled raw liver.
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女のだし巻玉子。(男のだし巻玉子。) セロリのはちみつ味噌漬け。
Female version dashi-maki tamago(Japanese rolled omelette), which tasted the same as the male version, only sweeter.
Celery pickled in honey and miso. (Pic shows only the messy leftover ^^;;)
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スモークチキンときのこのサラダ。
本鱒(ます)の石狩鍋仕立て(味噌)。
Smoked chicken and mushroom salad.
Honmasu salmon Ishikari-nabe(miso based). Very fatty salmon very good!
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太刀魚の変わり揚げ。
大山地鶏の炭火焼き:もも荒塩焼(柚子胡椒)、つくねタレ焼き、ササミ焼き(わさびと梅じそ)。
Somen-coated fried Tachiuo(Scabbard fish).
Charcoal-grilled chicken: thigh with yuzu-kosho, Tsukune with sauce(comes with raw egg too), sasami-yaki(chicken breast) with wasabi and umejiso(sour plum and shiso).
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白ばい貝の海女さん煮(a la carte)。
穴子と里芋の柚子あんかけ(a la carte)。
Simmered shellfish.
Anago and satoimo(taro) in Yuzu ankake(starchy) sauce.
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洋風まるごとトマト煮おでん(a la carte)。
カキの天ぷら海苔あんかけ(a la carte)。
Western style whole tomato oden.
Oyster tempura in seaweed ankake sauce.
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こんやまぜごはん(味噌汁付き)。
Pickles and rice. Comes with miso soup.
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酒盗チャーハン(a la carte)。 本日のデザート:柚子大福、ガトーショコラ。
Fried rice with “shutou”(salted bonito guts). Dessert from the course: gateau chocolat and Yuzu Daifuku.

The food is generally good in a standard izakaya sort of way. A bit salty to keep you drinking. Maybe not a reliable reference since I went with a huge group but (a lot of) food+drink is about 8000yen.
Menu(J): 1, 2.

こんや (Konya)
Add: 2-22-10, Ebisu, Shibuya-ku
Tel: 03-5423-5820

KAIKAYA (開花屋@神泉)

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タラの白子、ゴルゴンゾーラグラタン¥1000。
漁師の棒ギョーザ、¥780。
Cod soft roe, Gorgonzola gratin. Nice but the white sauce is a bit watery.
Gyoza with pork and shrimp. This is very good!
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0711280051大粒あさりの老酒蒸し、¥850。
地魚の焚火焼、¥2300。
Clam steamed with chinese wine.
White fish, flavored with sweet herb oil and breaded, broiled in oven.
Sakura and Ume ice-cream.

We also had plum wine, and rice. The ice-cream were free. And the bill was about 8000yen for two people. The food is good this time too, though I thought our choices last time were better(see tag for old entry). We sat at the counter and while the tobacco smoke from the couple next to us didn’t bother us so much as last time, our eyes were tearing and noses running because of the smoke from the open kitchen. We went on a weekday and it was sooooooo busy even after 9pm. The delivery was so slow that at first we just sat there for half an hour straight without any food. And they kept forgetting our orders…my friend said she loves the lively atmosphere and the friendly staff so she doesn’t mind, but I confess the environment is too tough for me…
Menu(J): 1, 2, 3, 4.

KAIKAYA
Add: 23-7 Maruyama-cho, Shibuya-ku
Tel: 03-3770-0878

よね津@学芸大学 (Yonetsu/Yonezu)

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Sour plum wine.
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突き出し。黒潮天然白身魚ちり造り。
Appetizer: clam and seaweed(?) and wasabi.
Shiromi-sakana(white-meat fish) otsukuri(sliced raw fish).
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夏野菜の煮こごり。 かつおたたき。
Summer vegetables gelatin. Bonito tataki.
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四万十川ごりの唐揚げ。 鯨カツ。
Fried gori(some kind little river fish). Gei-katsu(fried whale meat). These two are absolutely delicious specialties of this restaurant and are must-order. Whale meat actually has the texture and taste of venison! Make sure you order Gei-katsu early or it might run out.
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さんまの友肝焼。 新しょうが旨煮。
Grilled sanma(Pacific saury). Apparently rolled with its liver, but I couldn’t tell. Simmered ginger, simple but good.
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どろめ(生しらす)。豆腐の玉子とじ。
Raw shirasu(white bait). Tofu and egg hotpot.
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帆立貝とハス芋の炊き合わせ。鴨汁ぶっかけそうめん。
Scallop and hasuimo “takiawase”(boiled vegetables). This came in a big bowl but I forgot to take pic. Cold soumen with duck soup.
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0708010076土佐の棒寿司(カマス)。冷製茶がゆ。いちじく甲州煮。
Bouzushi(literally “rod sushi”). Cold tea porridge. Fig koushuni(simmered with red wine, soy sauce etc.).

A friend took us to this local and casual washoku place for dinner. A bit out of the way for me but it is only a few minutes walk from Gakugeidaigaku station which is near Shibuya. A tiny restaurant with mainly counter seats. We sat at the only table at the back which can accomodate 4-6 people. Everything we ordered were delicious without exceptions. I especially loved the Bonito tataki, fried gori and fried whale meat. Everything on the food and drink menu are reasonably priced. We ate and drank(mainly ninonshu) til we couldn’t move, and it was a bit more than 7000yen per person. They have a set dinner course less than 5000yen but my friend never tried it so not sure what would come out.

Menu(J): 1, 2.
よね津 (Yonetsu/Yonezu)
Add: 3-4-13 Takaban, Meguro-ku
Tel: 03-3716-5991

KAIKAYA (開花屋@神泉)

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桜海老と水菜のサラダ。くるまえびの甘エビ味噌炒め。
Sakura prawn and mizuna salad. Kuruma-prawn in prawn sauce.
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鮮魚のカルパッチョ。雑魚(ざこ)のグリル。
Fresh fish carpaccio with garlic, olive oil, balsamico and sweet basil. Grilled fish with garlic, olive oil and lemon.
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マグロのかまのスペアリブ。
“House Special” tuna spareribs.

I have heard about this place for years and have always wanted to try it but somehow never got around to it. Finally! All the food are very good! Quite heavy use of olive oil and lightly salty to eat alone, but with a bowl of rice, you simply can’t stop eating. The restaurant is very tiny and crowded. The waiters are friendly and patient even though they are so busy. Sort of an izakaya but we didn’t order any alcohol and just had tea and it was okay. We sat at the big table sharing with other people and the guy sitting next to us wouldn’t stop smoking so that was a bit tough. But if you sit at the counter, maybe you can avoid the smoke to some degree. The homepage has Japanese and also English with the whole menu translated to English. Indeed there were two tables of foreigners(other than us) the day we went. Three of us shared all the food, plus a bowl of rice, less than 2000yen each. Very cheap! The nearest station is Shinsen, but it is just 15 mins walk from Shibuya. Some reviews in English here.
KAIKAYA

みますや (Mimasuya)

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さくら刺(霜降り、赤身)。
Sakura sashi(sashimi of horse meat) – shimofuri(meat marbled with layers of fat) and lean meat.
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牛煮込み。キノコ煮。
Simmered beef with onion. Simmered mushroom.
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あん肝。穴子。
Ankimo. Anago.
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カキフライ。柳川鍋。
Fried oyster. Yanagawa-nabe – hotpot made with dojo(loach – a small fish related to eel), burdock, leek and eggs.
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肉豆腐。唐揚げ。
Meat and tofu. Kara-age.
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ばい貝やわらか煮。焼き茄子。
Simmered water snails. Grilled aubergine.
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ゲソ揚げ。玉子焼き。
Fried squid tentacles. Egg roll(very sweet).
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季節のぬた。刺身盛り合わせ。
Maguro and vegetables with miso. Sashimi.
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串カツ。ふぐのビール揚げ。
Fried pork skewers. Fried fugu.
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きぬかつぎ(里芋)。お茶漬け(梅)。
Little taro. Ochatsuke – hot green tea poured on top of rice with savory soup seasoning and sour plum topping.
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060125 124カレーうどん。肉うどん。焼きおにぎり。
Curry udon. Meat udon. Grilled onigiri.
A hundred-year-old izakaya with 99% of customers being salarymen and ojisan. ^^;;; The food is typical izakaya food, cheap and tasty. Many sake choices.
みますや

もくち 青山店 (Mokuchi)

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前菜。岩がき。 Appetizer. Oyster.
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お造り(4人前)。厚揚げ。Sashimi for 4. Fried tofu.
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鳥の唐揚げ黒酢ソース。桜えびかき揚げ。
Fried chicken with black vinegar sauce, this is very good! Fried sakura shrimp.
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060608 061.jpg黒はんぺん焼き。焼アボカド。いぐさ青汁鍋(1人前)。Fish pancake. Grilled avocado with dried tomato. Hotpot with pork, mizuna and tofu.
Overall the food is very basic izakaya food, not bad but a bit mediocre for the price. 4 people shared, each has 2-3 drinks, about 5000yen each.
もくち

おわん@池尻大橋 (Owan)

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自家製豆腐とおひたし。鶉の燻製。
A dinner that I have been looking forward to for a month! Nice and trendy interior, all counter seats. Tofu and the boiled veggy are free. Smoked quail eggs.
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刺盛り(馬レバ刺、かつお、さより)。黒豚しゅうまい。
Sashimi: horse liver(just tastes like any liver ^^;;), katsuo, sayori. Shui-mai.
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霜降和牛しゃぶしゃぶサラダ。桜海老と新玉葱のかき揚げ。
Beef shabu shabu salad. Fried sakura-shrimp and onion.
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霧島鶏の水炊き。炙り焼きチャーシュー丼。
Chicken hot pot and Grilled pork rice bowl.
All the food are very nice! Though I was looking forward to eat a lot of fish sashimi but their menu changes and when we went they didn’t have what we wanted to eat.
おわん