Ôsako

Choose a dish from what is available that day, then take your time over a drink you enjoy. At Ôsako, obanzai is the starting point for a dinner you can shape around your appetite and mood. One solo diner chose horse mackerel nanbanzuke, praised for its delicate seasoning, and bonito sashimi, which they said had no unpleasant fishiness. Both make an easy start to an evening of small plates and drinks.

The menu lists an assorted selection of simmered dishes, as well as sets combining simmered dishes with sashimi, or with both sashimi and grilled dishes. You can begin with a few small plates centred on simmered food, then add sashimi or grilled dishes for a more substantial meal. If choosing proves difficult, there is also an omakase course. One customer reported that the dishes were served to suit their appetite, suggesting the restaurant may suit both a hearty dinner and a slower evening of drinks and small plates.

There is a varied choice of sake to pair with the Japanese dishes, including T立山, Kikusui, Hakurakusei, Kokuryu, Hiroki and Nabeshima. Red and white wines are also available. You might choose a drink to go with your food, or pick a sake first and match a few small plates to it. Gyoza and mapo tofu are also mentioned as popular dishes, offering something different from the obanzai.

Suitable for solo dining, Ôsako also accepts reservations. It is an option for an evening in Kagurazaka when you want to set your own pace for food and drinks.