A cozy neighborhood drinking spot, Kokoro serves excellent yakitori along with a good selection of regional sake, all in a lively setting. The yakitori is grilled over premium charcoal, and standard cuts like sasami (breast meat with wasabi or ume), seseri (neck meat) and tsukune (meatballs) are all first-rate. There are a few grilled-pork items for variety, and side dishes like the combo potato-macaroni salad provide a starchy base for your meal.

The sake list features a number of seasonal specials, and staff are happy to advise you on their merits. Three-part tasting flights are a convenient way to broaden your experience. The only caveat is that the food menu here is on the compact side, as is seating space, so this is probably better treated as one stop on a bar-hopping tour of Sasazuka rather than a full-evening destination.