01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Start with freshly fried smelt tempura and tender, simmered baby taro. One diner recalled that the smelt’s gentle bitterness went well with a drink, while the taro was served hot and fluffy. They moved from a large bottle of beer to shochu, then sake, and also ordered ark-shell sashimi, seared bonito and a tuna roll. Their account gives a sense of how diners can choose the next plate to suit their appetite: the bonito came in four thick slices, while the ark shell was served as two pieces.
The blackboard menu ranges from sashimi and sushi to tempura, fried dishes, grilled food and stir-fries, making it easy to dither over what to order. Listed options include doteyaki, grilled offal, an assortment of kushikatsu, fried horse mackerel, yakisoba, yaki udon and grilled rice balls. Put together a few small plates or skewers for a light bite, or add a stir-fry, noodles or a sushi roll to make more of a meal.
Another diner remembered the squid yaki, a style associated with Japanese night stalls, as a nostalgic taste, and paired it with a chūhai. Some visitors find the blackboard lettering small and the choices a little overwhelming at first; taking a photo of dishes that catch your eye may help. Oku has counter seating and can suit solo diners. Reservations are available. It is open from 14:00 to 21:00 and closed on Tuesdays.
