増淵ゆう
Three days before the visit, the restaurant was fully booked on Tabelog, but I took a chance and called, managing to secure a reservation for 5:00 pm. They have a 2-hour time limit during busy hours, and they will remind you 15 minutes before to ensure you leave on time. If you arrive right on time, you will be seated promptly. The seating is close to the counter with no coat hangers or place for belongings, so be mindful of that. The restaurant looks smaller in person than in photos, and there is a plastic curtain in the kitchen, perhaps for COVID-19 precautions.
We had:
- Appetizer: grated daikon radish with small plate of whitebait
- Salad: seaweed and kettle-boiled whitebait
- Sashimi platter (for 2): saury, yellowtail, tilefish, tuna, scallop, alfonsino, seared belt fish
- Side dish: stem seaweed
- Steamed clams: clams, Manila clams, cod steamed in sake
- Fried shrimp: fried striped shrimp
For drinks, we had Sapporo draft beer and Asahi Super Dry in bottles. The sake we tried were Atago no Tsuma and Bakuren, both dry. Atago no Tsuma was fruity and Bakuren got us excited. The portion of the appetizer was just right, the salad was a good service for two, and the seaweed was delicious. The sashimi platter seemed small at first, but it was just enough. The saury, tilefish, and belt fish were particularly tasty. The stem seaweed had a slightly sour taste, which was enjoyable. The steamed clams seemed a bit underwhelming for the price, but the cod was flavorful and went well with the broth. The fried shrimp was a safe and delicious choice that paired nicely with beer.
Overall, the food and value for money were good. The total bill was under 10,000 yen for two people. I would like to visit again with 3-4 people to try more dishes. The service from the kitchen staff was great, but the service from the floor staff was a bit intimidating (laughs).