Takewaka (Akasaka)
Takewaka offers good traditional Japanese food in small dishes at reasonable prices. Smaller sake serving sizes are available - 120ml instead of 180ml, with correspondingly lower prices, allowing you to try more varieties while putting less strain on your wallet and your sobriety. The well-chosen selection numbers about thirty, most of them standouts. About 4,000 yen per person. [data]
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Akaoni (Sangenjaya)
Considered to be one of the best places in Tokyo for hard-core sake enthusiasts, Akaoni has possibly the best selection of small-producer sake in the universe. The highly knowledgeable staff can answer even the most arcane questions, but generally takes a relaxed, helpful attitude. The menu is full of unusual regional items, and prices are reasonable. An exceptional assortment of sashimi can be reserved in advance. About 5,000 yen per person. [data]
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Kushibe (Koenji)
It is rare to find a place with top-notch sake and charcoal-grilled skewer foods like yakitori, and Kushibe is such a place. The selection is small, about 20 or so varieties, but they are well chosen, and judging by the hand-written signs, they change often. One interesting feature is that they often have three different versions of the same brand of sake; the only difference is the type of sake rice used, and this allows you to easily compare the flavor profiles of various rices. A special dish is the tori sembei which is not the usual chicken skin but actually a breast of chicken pounded flat, heavily peppered and cooked until almost crunchy. [data]
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Tsukushi-no-ko (Ikejiri-Ohashi)
Occupying a high-ceilinged space in a working-class neighborhood, Tsukushi-no-ko is a family operation, where mom cooks and her reserved, long-haired son is the sake specialist with a dedicated following. The food is simple, hearty and inexpensive, providing good contrast with some of the most astonishing and ethereal selections from a menu that lists the sakes in the order they've been delivered, with recent arrivals first. About 3,500 yen per person. [data]
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Sasagin (Yoyogi Uehara)
Serving the tony residential neighborhood of Uehara, Sasagin opened in 1995, and created a sensation with its modern Japanese decor and a whiff of fusion spin on traditional Japanese dishes, such as raw scallops and fresh persimmon hunks in a gorgonzola sauce. The food is generally good, but at times uneven, especially when it's crowded. Getting a seat at the counter is best to ensure attentive service. The weekly sake menu lists about 33 well-selected brands, many of them unique examples from individualistic brewers. About 5,000 yen per person. [data]
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Hasegawa (Omotesando)
Located in the fashionable Omotesando Hills complex, Hasegawa is essentially a small liquor store specializing in high-end sake, shochu and umeshu. They also have a small tasting counter, with an ambience more like a jewelry store than a sake bar, where patrons can stand and sample 50ml servings of very good selections, ranging from 200 yen to 1,000 yen a pour, but most between 300 and 400 yen. There are also correspondingly miniaturized snack dishes; try the three-item set for just 300 yen. [data]
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Suzuden (Toranomon) CLOSED
Suzuden is an old-school drinking spot, with a food menu of old-fashioned Japanese favorites that seem teleported from the 1960s. The sake selection is solid, and reasonably priced, but is light on today's unpasteurized styles. Smack between Tokyo's major government buildings and a slightly downmarket business district, Suzuden attracts hordes of middle-level office workers of all ages, though men far outnumber women. About 2,500 yen per person.
For sake purchases, Suzuden also operates a liquor store in Yotsuya. One one side of the store is a quaint standing bar open on weekday evenings (shown in the photo), usually offering about six great sake selections and very inexpensive small plates of food. Highly recommended if there is a Japanese speaker in your party. [data]
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by Bryan Harrell
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