If we could meet every 2-3 months as I wished, but it had been over six months since our last gathering, we decided to have a reunion at Uokin, a popular spot in Ikebukuro where I used to work ten years ago. Without a reservation, even the daytime drinking tables were fully booked, so we had to wait outside until exactly 6:00 pm. Once seated at a table for four, we started with a toast with beer, enjoying the rich foam of Premium Malts that quenched our dry throats in one go. - Scallop Cream Croquette: The freshly fried croquette was so hot that it almost burned the roof of my mouth. The scent and sweetness of the scallop were delightful and delicious. - Namero (miso-flavored minced fish): A very smooth namero with a subtle seasoning that allowed the umami of the fish to shine through. - Eel-filled dashimaki tamago: The dashimaki tamago had a strong dashi flavor, and the large pieces of eel inside complemented it perfectly with their sweet and savory sauce. It was served hot and the size was quite generous. - Grilled yellowtail collar: A hearty dish with the head of the fish almost sticking out vertically, surprising us all. The delicate flavor and ample meat to pick at in silence kept us entertained. - Assorted sashimi platter: Yellowtail, kanpachi, tuna, salmon, red snapper, bonito, octopus, and fresh oysters... a total of eight varieties? The platter also included tamagoyaki and kanpyo maki, making it incredibly cost-effective. Each sashimi was fresh, firm, and delicious, with yellowtail and kanpachi standing out for their rich fattiness. The unexpected addition of fresh oysters brought joy to the table. - New potato fries: Freshly fried and piping hot, with a fluffy texture and a strong potato flavor. The portion was generous, and I immediately bought some small new potatoes to try making them at home. - Tuna and umeboshi crystal roll: A satisfying size with a subtle plum aroma, making it easy to eat. The tuna was rich in fat, and the balance with the plum was excellent. Personally, it became one of my favorite snacks. - Miso soup with seaweed: Served as the final dish, the miso was light but flavorful, with a strong dashi taste. The generous amount of seaweed added a nice touch. We also ordered chicken karaage, which I forgot to take a picture of. It was crispy and fragrant with ginger, tasting delicious like a specialty karaage shop. We enjoyed green tea highballs and Black Dragons, indulging in a lot of food and drinks for around 5,000 yen per person, which was a great value. With such delicious food, featuring fish, pork, and chicken, it's no wonder the place is packed even during the day. I heard they have multiple locations and different types of bars, so I look forward to visiting them. Thank you for the feast!

The complimentary cream croquette was delicious. The lemon sour was a bit too strong in alcohol flavor for my liking. The crab miso butter topped crackers had a taste that I personally didn't enjoy. The grilled salted sweetfish was fluffy in texture and very tasty, with just the right amount of salt.

The sashimi platter at Yasugi no Uo Kin is delicious. Although I ordered the medium size, I was served the largest size, so I couldn't finish it along with the other dishes I ordered. The complimentary crab cream croquette was delicious as always. Personally, I wish they had Suntory Kakubin for highballs. They have a good selection of lemon sours. The drinks are a bit pricey at Yasugi no Uo Kin branches. The seating is quite crowded and close together, so it can get noisy. If you enjoy a lively atmosphere, this place is recommended. The service was good, with the kitchen staff being attentive. Thank you for the meal.

Sakaba, a well-known fish restaurant, needs no introduction. I first learned about it from an acquaintance about 15 years ago. Personally, I'm not a fan of fish being served in chunks... but I do appreciate when they serve more types of fish in a mixed platter than expected. It's exciting when there's no prior information! When I first visited Tsukada Farm, I was really impressed... Recently, it seems that the cream croquette served as an appetizer is a must-have? It's nice when it's served hot, but this time it was a bit cold. But overall, the balance is still great. And yes, the beef over rice dish is not a mistake, just so you know. Thank you for the meal once again!

Fish Kin Nishi Ikebukuro Branch [Visit Time] Around 9:00 PM on weekdays [Purpose] Second round [Reservation] Not required [Waiting Time] None [Number of People] 2 [Spending] 3,000 to 4,000 yen [Order] Tamatebako (for 2 people) 1,980 yen Today's pickles (water eggplant) 660 yen Corn tempura with miso namero 760 yen [Recommended for] Those looking for good value and delicious fish in the Ikebukuro Station area [Impression] "I felt like eating fish so I decided to visit! When it comes to delicious and cost-effective izakayas, I always think of Fish Kin. It's user-friendly. This time, I used it with a female friend. It's not fancy, but has a user-friendly atmosphere. The staff worked efficiently, and the drink orders were quick! The complimentary cream croquette was surprisingly large and delicious. The popular must-order sashimi platter, Tamatebako, was ordered for two people and it had 8 types of sashimi, which was a lot! Each piece was generous in size, and very satisfying! It included oysters, horse mackerel, and clams, making it truly luxurious. Another must-order item is the miso namero! It has a rich flavor with a hint of ginger, and it's seriously delicious! It goes perfectly with alcohol! This is definitely a must-order!" [Recommended Items] Tamatebako (for 2 people) 1,980 yen, miso namero 760 yen Please give it a try and enjoy your meal! Thank you for the delicious meal!

I had relatives from America visiting Japan, and they wanted to go to a Japanese izakaya. I made a reservation at Uogin, a top-notch fish izakaya in Yahaba. We had a great time eating and drinking, although I struggled with English conversation and forgot to take pictures of most of the amazing food we had. They were really happy though, and they promised to barbecue a 1kg rib steak for me when I visit their homes in Waikiki and Washington. They loved the sashimi, but when I asked what they wanted for dessert, they requested chicken Karaage. American tastes are truly American!

Fishin-san, who is always not there, had an empty outdoor table when I peeked in after the first round was over, a little after 9 o'clock. Since I had already eaten, I ordered a sashimi platter and potato salad to snack on while enjoying some sashimi. The sashimi was amazing as always! I decided to pair it with some sake and had a great time chatting with my friends while observing the hustle and bustle of Ikebukuro. Thank you for the delicious meal.

I had a hearty drink from noon. Snacks were also prepared properly from noon. It's the usual Uokin. When drinking during the day, there are many standing bars, which is fine, but this time it was a date after a night shift. The choices for day drinking in Ikebukuro have increased.

The real Papa activity with my daughter... Part 2: I want to eat fish! Their offerings were perfect in both quantity and quality. The sashimi platter was like a treasure box, the simmered sea bream was tender and perfectly seasoned. In addition to the delicious fish dishes, the smoked cheese wrapped in nori was also tasty. The seasoning of the crab cream croquette was also excellent! We were very satisfied!

I stopped by after a long time and was surprised that the 6-point platter looked like a 10-point platter as usual, haha. #Ikebukuro #izakaya #sashimi platter #6-point platter #miso marinated roe #chicken karaage #pork belly #sauteed pea shoots #sea bream roe #simmered dish #scallops #cream croquette

On the final day, Fish Kin was fully booked. The menu overall has large portions and strong flavors, which may be perfect for drinkers. A recommended dish is the "Tamatebako" (1980 yen), which offers a variety of sashimi cuts. It's a seafood izakaya that you'll want to visit after a hard week.

We were served freshly fried scallop croquettes as an appetizer. The salt-marinated roe was a delicious dish with a sesame oil aroma. The potato salad had big chunks of potatoes. The recommended dish was simmered flounder. We enjoyed it with black Hoppy. The prices are a bit high, but the food is delicious. We were the first customers when they opened, so we had to wait a while before someone came to our table... Thank you for the meal.

I finished my errands early so I decided to have dinner even though it's still past 4 pm. The place I was interested in was closed due to understaffing, so I went to a famous restaurant in Shinbashi instead. I tried to order a drink but the server didn't come even after making eye contact, but the appetizer arrived first, haha. I ordered a sashimi platter and a temaki roll, which was very fresh. I hurriedly paid and when I checked the receipt, I realized they charged a service fee even though the service was terrible.

I finally visited this place after always seeing it crowded in the afternoon. The appetizer was surprisingly generous in portion, it was a cream croquette. The recommended dish was the "Tamatebako," which I found to be satisfying in both portion and taste. The grilled yellowtail collar, potato salad with avocado, and deep-fried chikuwa with seaweed were all delicious and left me feeling very satisfied. I think this place is great for a daytime drinking session if you want to eat some fish. Orders were served promptly, which was a plus. I would definitely come back if I have the chance!

After enjoying a rooftop BBQ for lunch, we headed straight to the Tsukiji Fish Market in Ikebukuro. We arrived at 3 p.m. and already half of the spacious restaurant was filled up! There were many people who, like us, wanted to drink from early in the day. Since we had just finished BBQ, we only ordered one dish! A sashimi platter! It was impressive as we were a group of five people! I'm not sure if it was because we were seated near the restroom, but the smell from the drain was quite bothersome. We continued drinking and then moved on to the next restaurant!

I went to Uogane, which is always crowded, for a second round from 9pm. I had to wait about 10 minutes for them to clean up the table, but I was relatively smoothly guided to my seat. The complimentary dish was scallop cream croquette, which left an impression. The staff's service was also good.

Fish Kin Group is a chain of izakayas originating from Shinbashi. With over 50 stores offering not only seafood izakaya but also bistros, Italian, French, etc., the slightly higher price setting reflects the freshness and high quality of the seafood that surpasses the level of typical izakayas. Location: 3 minutes walk from Ikebukuro Station. Business hours: 11:30-23:00 (L.O. 22:00). Closed: New Year's holidays. Crowdedness: Visited on a weekday night. It was crowded but we were seated quickly. Today's order was the "Treasure Box" (¥1980) + "Garlic Fried Rice" (¥760) + "Spicy Drooling Chicken" (¥660). We were served crab cream croquettes as a complimentary appetizer, hot and crispy with creamy crab filling. The "Treasure Box" sashimi platter included thickly sliced sashimi, oysters, shrimp, and rolled omelette, all high-quality. The sashimi selection of kanpachi, tuna, and bonito was very satisfying. The white octopus was tender and fresh. The Garlic Fried Rice was not just garlic-flavored rice but a variety of ingredients like egg, bell pepper, and meat, enough for two people. The Spicy Drooling Chicken had a great combination of dry onions and chicken.

I visited for a casual daytime drink. I chose Uokin in Ikebukuro, a safe bet because Ikebukuro tends to have a high rate of disappointing restaurants. This was my first time at Uokin in Ikebukuro, but I have been to their main branch and other branches before. We arrived around 3 pm and were told that if it gets crowded, they will switch to a time limit system. We ordered a sashimi platter, which was fresh and delicious, but seemed a bit pricier and smaller in portion compared to before. The grilled soybeans were good, but slightly overcooked. The simmered long yam with soy sauce was tasty, and the skin-on made no difference. The fried burdock was average, I prefer thicker pieces. The rock oysters were rich and my friend loved them. We tried to order simmered bamboo shoots and seaweed, but they were not available. We also ordered shrimp mayo, which was okay but had a thick batter. The tomato salad had a surprising sweet dressing. The rolled omelette with cod roe was good. We noticed another table ordering the simmered bamboo shoots and seaweed, so we added that to our order. It was delicious, with tender bamboo shoots and flavorful seaweed. As it got busier, we ordered garlic fried rice and a drink each for the last order. The garlic fried rice took over 30 minutes to arrive, and by the time it did, they said there were no more drinks for the last order. The garlic fried rice was very flavorful. Before we could finish it, they told us it was time to leave. We left the rice unfinished and paid the bill. They took a while to give us change, and then asked us if we could leave soon. The slow service and rushed attitude towards the end made us decide not to visit again. The food was okay, the value was average, but the service was lacking. No smoking area was provided outside the restaurant. Our decision not to revisit was solely based on the service.

Namero and sashimi are delicious, and there is a wide variety of sake available which complements the meal well. However, the restaurant can get very crowded on weekends, leading to long wait times for both a table and to place an order. The cleanliness of the counter seats could also be improved.

I had been curious about this restaurant for a while. It always seemed crowded whenever I passed by, even during the day. It looked like a fun place. However, I felt a bit hesitant to go in alone. This time, I went with a friend. It was around 3 PM and the restaurant was almost full. We were seated at a counter that quickly filled up too. The place was really bustling. We started with some beer and were served cream croquettes as a complimentary dish, which I think students would enjoy. I liked it too, but being a light eater, it limited the other dishes I wanted to try. We ordered mountain vegetable tempura, sashimi, and simmered fish. All the dishes were quite generous in portion size! This restaurant seems perfect for groups, as the portions are quite large. Today, just the two of us found it a bit overwhelming. I can see why this place is popular among drinkers, with its great value for money and all-day service. I would like to visit again with a group of four or more next time. Thank you for the meal!

Ikebukuro is a great place for daytime drinking on weekends with a good atmosphere. Today, I was in the mood for seafood and decided to go to Uogane, a classic spot. The appetizer was a crab cream croquette, which was delicious. Tamatebako was as delicious as always, and the seaweed tofu was also tasty. The seasonal mountain vegetable tempura was delicious too. The sake-steamed baby clams were a bit sweet, but still tasty and went well with the sake. I've noticed before, but the staff here seem less energetic compared to the ones in Shinbashi. Thank you for the meal.