Hyoutan

At Hyoutan, you can pair traditional Japanese bar snacks with Italian-style sweet-and-sour pork. One diner who had visited repeatedly for business meals mentioned lobster, steamed egg custard with shark fin and firefly squid, singling out the sweet-and-sour pork as an unexpected favourite. The menu also lists firefly squid marinated in soy sauce, lobster with cheese and Italian-style sweet-and-sour pork, offering more than the usual izakaya fare.

Start with a recommended dish such as firefly squid marinated in soy sauce, tempura nanohana greens or grilled Manganji peppers. Small hot pots include duck with Kujo spring onions and chicken meatballs. For a more substantial finish, the menu also offers soba noodles. There is plenty to consider, from a few small plates through to the final dish. Sake is another option: the listed selection includes junmai sake from Kyoto’s Fushimi district, a dry junmai ginjo from Nara and freshly pressed, undiluted sake from Wakayama. A diner has also described enjoying sake with the food, making this a place where you can take your time over a dinner of snacks and drinks.

Japanese cooking is the focus at Hyoutan, alongside fried dishes, small hot pots and a few Western-style surprises. One visitor reported that the English menu had fewer items than the Japanese version. Dinner reservations are recommended, so it may be worth booking ahead for a business meal or a dinner with a small group.