Debayashi

Diners recommending the corn tempura describe a crisp coating and bursts of sweetness. It is listed on Debayashi’s menu as “Corn Tempura” for 680 yen. It sounds like a good place to start, perhaps with a beer.

Another dish a diner said they would return for is the French fries. Choose from sansho pepper salt, anchovy butter or sour-cream chilli sauce. The menu lists them at 630 yen, with an additional 50 yen for some sauces. One person who ordered the anchovy butter said the slim-cut fries suited their taste so well that they ordered another portion. Choosing a flavour to share, then adding a few more small plates, is part of the appeal.

For something cold, options include potato salad with mackerel and iburigakko pickles with cream cheese. One diner specifically praised the potato salad’s savoury flavour and said it had no fishy smell; it also features among diners’ recommendations. With cold small plates as well as fried dishes, it is easy to build an order around the pace of the meal and your drinks.

Beyond the familiar snacks, diners have also enjoyed the Gorgonzola gnocchi, the aonori seaweed and Gorgonzola gnocchi, and udon with bacon and shuto fermented fish entrails. One diner added baguette to go with the gnocchi sauce, making it an option when you want something more substantial between snacks. Several diners also mention being served seared bonito as an appetiser, though what is served may vary from one visit to another. Dinner is popular and reservations are accepted, so consider booking if you have plans.