Yukimaru

Tucked just off Oyama's bustling shopping streets, Yukimaru lives up to its promise by pairing fresh ocean catches with charcoal-fragrant skewers under one roof. The dining room features counter seating alongside low-table zashiki seating on raised tatami, fitting comfortably whether you are dropping in alone after work for a quiet drink or gathering friends for a relaxed feast.

Once seated, starting with the day's fresh seafood haul is the natural move. Highlights that let the seafood speak for itself include seasonal raw oysters available from just 1 piece, as well as sashimi platters tailored to your group size. Between thinly sliced sea bream, tender simmered fish, firefly squid, and simply grilled fish, pairing the catch of the season with sake or Hoppy is one of the house's great pleasures.

The other pillar of the menu is yakitori. Cuts like chicken thigh, skin, gizzard, tsukune meatballs, and negima chicken-and-scallion are skewered with care each day and priced accessibly by the single skewer. In between grilled items, ordering the slowly simmered motsuni offal stew or its spicy cousin gives you a bowl of hot, savory depth that keeps drinks going.

The assortment of small dishes and fried snacks is equally substantial. Refreshing sliced chilled tomatoes, aromatic deep-fried raw cashews, house-made potato salad, and nagaimo yam fried in seaweed are unpretentious starters that disappear quickly from the table. When it is time to wrap up the night, substantial options include a soothing oyakodon chicken-and-egg rice bowl, yakitori don, or staff-style fried rice.

Yukimaru opens at 17:00 in the evening and runs until 1:00 late at night. Because seats often fill up early, keeping a reservation in mind before heading over is recommended.