Uoshin

When I mentioned to a long-time Tokyo resident that I was having dinner at Uoshin, he scoffed that "Uoshin is for tourists and foreigners." It didn't dissuade me since I am a foreigner, and for the record, he was wrong because Uoshin was packed to the brim with Japanese and non-Japanese alike, progressively getting drunker, fuller, louder.

That being said, Uoshin is a good rendition of what a visitor or foreigner would imagine a rambunctious izakaya to be - full of salarymen letting their ties loose (literally and figuratively), fresh fish on display, chefs yelling out the mandatory "iratshai!" as you walk by. It certainly goes on my list of restaurants to take visitors from out of town for a lively izakaya experience. The food prices are some of the most reasonable I've come across, service is efficient, menu is diverse and food is quite good (I always find izakaya food to fall somewhere between "ok" and "quite" good" - never horrible, but never mind-blowingly amazing).


View of Uoshin from Gaienhigashi-dori


Uoshin's special roll - cucumber maki covered with minced toro, uni, ikura and kani


Braised yellowtail and daikon in dashi broth


Deep-fried fish skin


Spicy nabe

Food rating: ***
Bang for buck rating: 4

The essentials:
http://www.uoshin.ne.jp/
Location: several, but this one was on Gaienhigashi dori, near Tokyo Midtown
Average price of meal for two (with drinks) - but best with groups: 6000 yen (~$65)