I love this restaurant where the shy master serves delicate dishes. I love everything about the atmosphere, the food, and the staff. You can't go wrong with anything you order. It's a shame I can only visit occasionally due to the location, but I will definitely be back. The appetizers include chilled tea-steamed new onions with plum, fresh conger eel sashimi, vinegar-marinated water shield and tomato, water eggplant with myoga and shiso, fried potato salad, salt and pepper-grilled Fuji cherry pork, and green tea soba.

It's always a cozy and wonderful place to visit. When you want to have a casual drink around Ichigaya, be sure to stop by.

【Background】My wife and I entered the restaurant. We usually don't make reservations, just try our luck if there's a table available. About a 50% success rate.【Food】We always order the recommended sake of the day. We also get fried cashew nuts and green tea soba every time. The crispy hot cashew nuts go well with the sake, and the green tea soba is a refreshing way to finish the meal. Sometimes the chef, who works alone, may miss an order, but we just take it in stride.【Price】Around 6000 yen per person【Summary】A stylish Japanese izakaya that you can casually enjoy. Definitely worth a visit when you're in the area.

The atmosphere is nice, but the course and alcohol are free-flowing, with a limited amount of alcohol available. There are different types of alcohol, but the quantity is small. There are no bottles, so is it geared towards women? The dishes are also small. The sashimi was delicious, but the rest seemed too creative. For example, a piece of fried conger eel the size of a slice of sashimi was served, which seemed more novel than satisfying. If it's over 6,000 yen per person, I would expect a bit more satisfaction.

Delicious appetizers are served as part of the course. A comforting soup is also served in between. There is a variety of sake and shochu to enjoy while drinking. It's a great place to have fun with customers and friends. Reservations are required.

A delicious restaurant that values high-quality ingredients and puts effort into its dishes.

The atmosphere at the farewell party was great.

Overall, the quality is excellent.

In March 2016, I revisited this place for a mini reunion with my college classmates. They are all friends who love sake, so I end up being in charge of eating. The conversations are always lively here. Every dish is exquisite with carefully extracted dashi, and they are so delicious that I can't help but keep eating. It always makes me feel grateful to be Japanese and reaffirms that feeling. I can't drink, but I will definitely visit again with a different group next time. Thank you for the wonderful meal! In March 2015, it was my first visit here for a mini reunion with my college classmates. They are all sake lovers, so this was the recommended place for our gathering. As a non-drinker, I can't join in the sake discussions and sometimes feel a bit left out. But the reunion with beloved friends after a long time is always so lively and fun. Now, onto the food... The amount of time and care put into each dish before it is served on the plate is truly remarkable. The skilled chefs and cooks are said to keep the kitchen clean and tidy even during cooking, and it was evident here. From the kombu-jime to miso pickles, the simplicity of the dishes doesn't allow for shortcuts. Each dish is made with precision, and it feels like the Japanese cuisine is not just about Japanese people eating, but about Japanese food being enjoyed. The dishes are a perfect balance of strength and finesse, much like the concept of "softness overcomes hardness" in judo. The young owner here taught me that being Japanese is something to be proud of. It was truly an art form that leaves a lasting impression. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

I visited this modern Japanese restaurant for a same-day reservation after a gathering in the neighborhood. The interior had a counter with 6 seats in front of the kitchen, and 3 tables with 10 seats in the front, with jazz music playing and spotlights highlighting the dishes. I decided to try the recommended "Sake Course" (4500 yen including tax) for my first visit. The course included the following: "Appetizer: Kinshin Carrot Mousse" - a sweet start with a crunchy texture of lotus root. "Oyster White Miso Soup" (additional 300 yen) - a sweet flavor with a simple taste of oysters, root vegetables, and fried tofu matching well with the white miso. "Tuna and Avocado with Fresh Yuba Sauce" (selected by a companion), "Sashimi: Seared Barracuda/Red Snapper/Konbu-cured Octopus/White Mirugai (Soy Sauce/Salt/Sake Kelp)" - the red snapper had a delicate finish with richness and texture, especially flavorful with sake kelp. "Grilled Amberjack Liver" - a bold dish with a refreshing finish from yuba and scallions. "Fuji Cherry Pork and Radish Simmered Dish" - the radish absorbed the meat's umami flavor excellently, complemented by kujo green onions. "Cod and Fresh Wheat Gluten Tempura with Turnip Miso Vinegar" - an additional order of "Grilled Rice Balls" (not tasted). We enjoyed this course with "White Wine" (650 yen x 3), "Red Wine" (650 yen x 3), and "Barley Shochu (Mugi Jiru)" (600 yen x 7) for around 8000 yen per person. The overall cuisine leaned towards a sweet and strong flavor profile, featuring standard Kyoto-inspired ingredients with labor-intensive dishes and intense (sweet) seasoning providing ample satisfaction. However, the somewhat monotonous flavors throughout the course raised some doubts about the balance, but it was a perfect course for leisurely drinking. They also offer a set course with meals and dessert, but reservations are required. With a counter available, it's a convenient place for solo dining, especially during late hours. The polite and friendly service from the staff and the chef (owner?) smiling and seeing us off added to the casual yet authentic atmosphere of this hidden gem of a modern Japanese restaurant in the backstreets. It's a place worth knowing. Thank you for the feast!

In Kyoto and Osaka, there are many restaurants that fall between traditional Japanese cuisine and kaiseki, but are categorized as izakaya. Even though they are not your typical izakaya, with their interior and dishes being more high-end, they are still classified as such. It's like they are being humble. One such place is Ai Ta, where the young chef experiments with various dishes beyond traditional Japanese cuisine. The prices are comparable to izakaya, but the flavors are definitely on par with a high-end Japanese restaurant. I always end up ordering my favorite dishes, so this time I decided to try something different. Tonight, I ordered the deep-fried whitebait and onion salad for 750 yen, seared amberjack with ponzu sauce for 850 yen, and squid sashimi with liver soy sauce for 750 yen. Just reading the menu for the seared amberjack with ponzu sauce makes my mouth water. The searing process removes excess fat from the amberjack, and when paired with ponzu sauce, it creates a delicious combination. Amberjack is tastier when seared rather than served raw. Since it's currently in season, I highly recommend ordering it. You'll love it. I plan to revisit this place soon.

① Exterior, atmosphere, interior, etc. It is about a 5-minute walk from Ichigaya Station, but the restaurant is located in a quiet and somewhat hidden place. The entrance has a deep navy noren curtain and warm lights shining. Inside the restaurant, there are 6 seats at a counter in a unique shape, 2 four-person tables, and 1 two-person table. The place has an elegant and cozy feel, with clean walls, polished floors, and tables. It is a pleasant atmosphere suitable for dates or even small business meetings. ② About the food We decided to try the chef's recommended "Omakase course (6 items for 4,200 yen)" which does not include a meal or dessert. While each dish was not bad, the overall quality of the course felt lacking. The seasoning of most dishes was monotonous, and there was a lack of variety in flavors, making it a bit boring. It would have been better if there was more creativity in the seasoning and presentation of the dishes to create a more satisfying overall experience. ③ Staff service Since we sat at the counter, the head chef mainly served us. He recommended unique sake and tried his best to provide good service, but it was clear that he was handling both cooking and service, resulting in slightly lacking attention. The female staff member in charge of the hall lacked charm and the overall service was just satisfactory. ④ Cost performance The price of 4,200 yen for 6 sake appetizers seemed reasonable, but unfortunately, we did not feel very satisfied after leaving the restaurant. The cost performance was not as good as expected. ⑤ Other observations A male customer who seemed like a regular at the counter was ordering various items a la carte. Since each individual dish was not bad, it might be smarter to order your favorite items separately and create your own combination.