Hyperlocal Tokyo

I visited Uokinn, an izakaya that only serves donburi and teishoku dishes at night, by myself. I was lucky enough to get a seat at the counter after a short wait. It would have been difficult to get a table. This place is known for its consistently satisfying experience, so I had high expectations. They were not disappointed. The hospitality and quality were excellent. I started with a draft beer and the staff recommended a mixed plate of fried mackerel and sardines, which was a perfect pairing. I also ordered the classic green tea tofu (hot) and a generous sashimi platter, which went well with my second sake. The lively atmosphere and bustling conversations reminded me of a fish market, creating a relaxed and enjoyable experience. I felt a little guilty for coming alone, but I realized that sometimes it's good to treat yourself to a solo outing.

This restaurant offers a limited-time tuna grilling set meal twice a month! They grill the tuna right in front of you, which is quite a sight to see. Of course, the tuna is delicious, but I also appreciate the grated yam that comes as a side dish. I'll definitely be back!

Toyosu Market Outside Food Court, Uogakin Located at 3F, Urban Dock LaLaport Toyosu, 2-2-1 Toyosu, Koto-ku As the name suggests, this restaurant (or is it an izakaya?) specializes in seafood sourced from Toyosu Market. During lunchtime, there are always long lines, so it's best to factor in waiting time. I tried their recommended "Supreme Seafood Donburi" and the specialty "Aonori Tofu." While there was nothing particularly special about them, the flavors were decent, nothing to write home about. The price was also fair, but I didn't feel like I got much value for my money. There were many staff members, but the flow of service wasn't smooth, and they seemed a bit disorganized. To increase customer satisfaction, I suggest focusing on menu development, offering more value-for-money pricing, and improving staff training. I apologize for sounding presumptuous. 😔💦

## June 2, 2023 - Lunchtime I visited for lunch around 11:20 AM. Usually, there's a long queue, but this time there was only one person waiting. Since it was a rare opportunity, I decided to try it for the first time. By the time I left, there was a line again, so maybe I just got lucky with the timing? I ordered the "Three-Color Donburi" with bonito, yellowtail, and whitebait for ¥1,200. They offered a large portion of rice for an extra ¥180, but I sadly had to stick with the regular size. 😅 The donburi was definitely tasty. The whitebait added a nice flavor. The soup with a strong broth was also quite atmospheric. But the best part was the cream croquette on the side! It was absolutely delicious! I wouldn't say it's worth waiting in a long line, but it was good. Maybe their fried dishes have a high hit rate. It was also a bonus that the staff's conversation (for some reason, they spoke in a Chinese-accented Japanese) was strangely entertaining. 😁 ## October 12, 2024 - Friday, Second Visit - Weekday Lunch I visited for lunch again on a weekday around 12:40 PM. I was on my way to a trade show and decided to grab lunch in Toyosu. Sinatra usually has a long queue, but this place was also packed. There was only one person in line, so I thought I got lucky. However, there was a line again shortly after I joined. I poured myself a cup of what I thought was tea or water, but it turned out to be a small cup of sea bream broth, which was a bit of a surprise. It was a silly event that started my meal (it seemed like they missed collecting the cup or something, and they took it away soon after). 😅 I ordered the "Sea Bream Kabuto (Head) Stew Set" for ¥1,000. The stew was quite sweet, but the flavor didn't penetrate the fish too much, so it was still pretty good. Sea bream is amazing. It was quite filling, but the rice portion was small compared to the dish. I finished the rice about a quarter of the way through the stew. The grated yam was nice, but by the time I got to it, there was no rice left, so it was like a second soup. 😅 It was delicious and felt like a good deal.

We arrived around 1pm on Sunday and waited in line for about 20 minutes before being seated. There were three of us, and we ordered the mackerel and shirasu donburi, a regular-sized seafood donburi, and a large-sized seafood donburi. Even the regular-sized donburi had a lot of rice, and I was full! The seafood was fresh and delicious. We also ordered garlic fried rice and karaage (fried chicken) as side dishes. The garlic fried rice was incredibly delicious, it was a surprise! The three of us ate heartily, saying "delicious!" over and over. It's a hidden gem! It was a great experience.