If you're a sake afficianado you'll be delighted by the stellar selection at this unpretentious little izakaya. Chances are you'll make some interesting discoveries, and perhaps even meet a brewer who's dropped in for a drink while visiting Tokyo. The sake list changes weekly, and features many limited-edition, seasonal bottles from small craft breweries - the kind of selections that are seldom sold in retail stores.

Mr. Ishii's food menu is eclectic, focusing on simple dishes prepared from good ingredients. Everything seems to have been chosen to go well with any kind of sake, so you don't need to worry about pairing strategies here.

Our prix-fixe omakase menu during a recent visit started off with sayori (halfbeak) tempura served with its spine deep-fried until crunchy, followed by a practically greaseless Kyushu-style satsuma-age (deep-fried fishcakes). The sashimi platter wasn't quite so exciting, but the well-prepared dashimaki (grilled omelette) made up for it.

Then we moved on to the hardcore snacks - tofu marinated in miso, cream cheese marinated in sake lees, plus a trio of smoked items - baby squid, oysters and chicken - all well-suited to a relaxed evening of sake exploration.

Budget around Y5000-8000 for dinner and drinks.

[Photos by Ake Nordgren. Some photos are from the restaurant's previous location.]