Sushimaru

Tucked into a basement space in Kamata, Sushimaru functions as an easygoing sushi izakaya where guests can nurse a drink over a few bites of fresh seafood. Nigiri is available piece by piece, from lean tuna and medium fatty tuna to red sea bream, amberjack, and cured mackerel, alongside 5-piece and 8-piece assortments. Diners can mix and match at their own pace, moving between sea urchin and salmon roe gunkan, seared meat nigiri, and rolls such as torotaku (fatty tuna with pickled radish) or anakyu (sea eel with cucumber).

Beyond the sushi counter, the kitchen turns out a generous lineup of small dishes suited to an evening drink. Fresh fish namerou—finely minced and seasoned with miso and aromatic herbs—sits alongside palate-cleansing ume suisho (shark cartilage with plum paste) and tuna natto. Hot options are just as varied, including crab cream croquettes, mixed tempura platters, and grilled yellowtail collar. An order of draft beer, wine, or a cocktail fits comfortably beside several plates shared across the table.

Seating includes standard tables as well as sunken kotatsu (horigotatsu) tables, accommodating group dinners as smoothly as a solo drop-in. Open from 17:00 until 1:00 or 2:00 the following morning, the restaurant serves equally well for an early evening meal or a late-night second stop whenever the mood strikes.