Chikuhoya

One diner recalls a plate of tuna mince on a white dish: deep red flesh with a satisfying bite from its sinew. At Chikuhoya, a standing bar in Tenga-chaya-kita, you can pick out a few dishes at a time and enjoy a drink during the day, with sashimi, grilled items and small plates on the menu.

Seafood options include sashimi of tuna, sardine, yellowtail and water octopus, along with seared bonito and grilled fish. Visitors have singled out the tuna mince for its rich, dark-red flavour and chewy texture, as well as the generous portion of sashimi they ordered. Another enjoyed the sardine sashimi for its rich fat. The selection offers a chance to try the seafood available that day, though some visitors have found certain dishes sold out; if you have a particular item in mind, going earlier may be worthwhile.

For meat, there’s beef tataki, raw chicken liver sashimi and grilled skewers, as well as thick-cut premium skirt steak and a pork offal mix. One visitor described the beef tataki as tender and moist, while the chicken liver and hearts had a springy texture—good options when you want something with a different character from sashimi. Small plates such as buttered mukago (Japanese potato) and broad beans make easy accompaniments. One diner enjoyed roasted mukago coated in butter with a drink.

Drinks include draft beer, highballs, Hoppy sets and shochu cocktails made with freshly squeezed lime. One visitor paired tuna, firefly squid, pork stomach with ponzu and grilled premium skirt steak with barley shochu mixed with Hoppy. It’s easy to build a meal around either seafood or meat. This standing bar also suits solo diners. It opens on Monday and Saturday from 12 to 19, and on Sunday from 12 to 17. It is closed Tuesday through Friday.