Tsuzuku

Fancy ordering some jokes with your meal? You can do just that at Tsuzuku, an intimate izakaya which has been operating in Ushigome-Yanagicho for over three decades now. 'Intimate' is an understatement, in fact: there's seating for just sixteen people here, split between a counter and two small tables. The food selections come scrawled on pieces of paper that are pasted on the wall, interspersed with selections from the chef's catalogue of gags. Even if the jokes go over your head, the food is top notch: try the excellent sashimori (sashimi moriawase) or tamago-yaki, where a salty filling of salmon roe and negi onions complements the subtle sweetness of the egg perfectly. The charcoal grill at the entrance is used to cook fish and in-season vegetables, which might include grilled ginger (flavoured with miso, to glorious effect) or bitter melon (topped with soy sauce and bonito flakes). Whatever you do, leave some room for the wasabi-meshi: rice cooked in an iron pot, topped with freshly grated wasabi, soy sauce and nori seaweed. It's bracing and utterly addictive, which might be why nearly every customer seems to order the dish.