Quality Japanese Staple Food
Published: July 8, 2024
※Prices are subject to change from those in effect at the time of the interview. Please contact the store directly for the latest information.
‘Seasonal Fish & Vegetables Minatsuki’ opened in July 2016.
The menu is updated about once a week, and popular dishes become staple items,
so you can always enjoy delicious food.
This hidden gem focuses on sashimi and seafood dishes, incorporating seasonal foods yearly. Winter season will have hotpot dishes and rare items like fugu (puffer fish). This is the kind of food you’d see at a standard ‘Izakaya’ (Japanese style pub), but you can trust that the dishes are made with lots of experience and attention to detail.
The owner, Mr. Okuyama, has over 40 years of experience as a chef. He previously ran a restaurant in Tsukiji before opening his current establishment in Ojima.
You can feel the difference in the dishes he prepares; the taste is never overpowering, and the balance is just right. He is confident in his cooking but quite modest in conversation.
Five assorted fresh fish from the Goto Islands (1,980 yen)
This is the standard item on the menu: an assortment of 5 types of sashimi beautifully laid out on shiso leaves and hand-cut fine threads of white radish (much tastier than the premade white radish threads found in many shops). The decorative flowers are edible, too! My favorite way to eat sashimi is with some wasabi and the green herb buds (pictured in the center) with soy sauce.
Grilled angel prawns with salt (660 yen)
As cooked through, these can be eaten whole from head to tail, making the outer shell edible. They are salty and crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. The shell has a lot of calcium, making it healthy and tasty.
Eel and onion simmered with egg (1,200 yen)
This dish is also loaded with nutrients and has a rich taste. Thanks to the onion and scallions. It’s great on a cold day or towards the end of a meal. It’s comforting and satisfying.
The shop has its original shochu named after the shop itself (Minatsuki).
The shelves inside the restaurant are filled with shochu bottles that are kept for regular customers. Winter highlights on the menu include ‘oden’ and ‘hot pot dishes.’ Various hot pot course meals are offered, but the fugu course requires a reservation. Since some dishes, like oden, are not a regular menu item, make sure to check availability when you visit.
Please note that this is a smoking restaurant. According to the owner, since many regular customers are locals who are smokers, smoking is permitted inside.
Please also note that because there are only 2 staff members (the owner and his wife), they don’t speak English, and they don’t provide an English menu. They would prefer it if customers could communicate in Japanese to some extent.
It is possible to rent out the shop for a private event for up to 12 people.
≪English Article Journalist Profile≫
・Name：Natalie
・Age：Thirties
・Nationality：Poland
・Hobbies：Sewing, DJ, Up cycling, Illustration
※Information is based on November 2024. Prices, operating hours, and other details may change. Please verify with the store directly.
※All amounts mentioned in the article are inclusive of taxes.
