
Regional cuisine, local sake and shochu from Yamaguchi Prefecture are served at this friendly after-work izakaya. The menu features premium-quality heirloom-breed chicken, Takamori beef, locally caught seafood and seasonal vegetables, all brought in fresh from Yamaguchi. The charcoal-grilled section of the menu is especially recommended.
Fuku no Hana's chicken is a local breed called choshu kurokashiwa, and we enjoyed excellent chicken sashimi - very tender and flavorful - and amazing wings - perfectly grilled with crisp skin and and an optimal ratio of fat to meat. Another highlight was our charcoal-grilled Iberico pork, which was so good that we ordered several extra portions through the course of the evening.
Generously provisioned skewers of shiitake mushrooms and shishito peppers also benefitted from first-rate ingredients and skillful grilling techniques. The rest of the menu covers all the usual izakaya bases - salads and vegetable dishes, raw and grilled seafood specials, deep-fried chicken, tasty beef croquettes. Half a dozen craft sake are on offer, among them the always reliable Dassai 50 and a nice muroka namagenshu from a brand called Harada.
Seating is at the long front counter, a couple of tables for two alongside it, and three hori-kotatsu rooms in back that can be joined together to accommodate groups of up to thirty. Budget around Y3200 for ample food and drink at dinnertime. If the Yotsuya location isn't convenient, Fuku no Hana has nine other branches throughout central Tokyo.
Follow:
This book will introduce you to more than twenty of Japan's favorite specialty foods that are less well known abroad, along with a guide to the best places in Tokyo to try them and expert tips on what to order. From Bento.com.