Yuugi Izakaya

Karaage

Juicy double-fried chicken thigh with a thin, shatteringly crisp crust — a reliable anchor for the table

Takoyaki

Soft, molten-centered octopus balls finished with bonito flakes that dance in the heat — properly made, not the frozen kind

Yakitori skewers

Charcoal-grilled skewers with good tare glaze — order a few varieties, the grilling is consistent

Japanese Whisky Highball

Properly diluted, well-iced, and made from a selection that goes deeper than Suntory Toki — the house move here

Gyoza

Pan-fried with a crisped bottom and yielding wrapper — solid execution of a standard, though not the reason to visit