This is my attempt to clear a huge backlog of places that need to be on my blog! So…. how do you fancy some fantastically fresh fish?
Yes, Andy’s is all about the fish and is well-known on the Tokyo cuisine scene. The website proudly proclaims that this is a family business and that all the fish is bought fresh at Tsukiji Market (the largest and most famous fish market in Tokyo).
Not long after I first arrived in Tokyo, I was taken to Andy’s by a friend for a quick dinner. Andy’s is nestled under the railway arches at Yurakucho, a colourful, characterful district that retains an old neighbourhood feel, despite being squashed next to the glitzy Ginza with some of the most expensive real estate in Tokyo. Yurakucho may have had a makeover giving it a shiny shopping plaza to its east, but the rest of it retains a charming shabbiness ithat makes you want to dive into the nearest yakitori joint, rip meat off sticks with your teeth, and wash it down with a few glugs of your (inevitably alcoholic) beverage of choice. It’s an area where salarymen flock to at night but it draws fans from elsewhere in the city (*cough* me).
Although the smoke from grilled meat will be constantly beckoning to your nostrils, it is definitely possible to overdo this kind of food. If you’re still craving an izakaya-style of dining and atmosphere but want a step up in quality and a step down in greasiness, head a few doors along to Andy’s.
Marked by a red lantern proudly displaying ‘Andy’, the name is a clue that the owner might not be…well… Japanese. Andy, himself, is apparently a Brit but has been running this place for 25+ years. As a fellow Brit, I’ll have to seek him out next time I go and dig up a good story or two!
What I found past the lantern was a very crowded interior (as all good izakaya should be) and a fish-oriented menu which naturally varied with availability. My friend was so very disappointed because he was absolutely insistent that I try cod sperm, yet no cod had ejaculated recently enough…
So what did we have?
Some very fresh sashimi
This melt-in-the-mouth fish
Chicken-wing gyoza (ie. pork-onion dumpling stuffing) – great idea, but more a novelty than tasty
These beautifully soft scallops with sweet chilli sauce (two lots ordered – they were so good)
Ginger with miso – way too strong for me!
As for the prices, if memory, serves it worked out at around 2000 yen a head, with dishes being priced upwards of 600yen each. Good value for the quality!
Watch this space for an update. And do let me know if you see any randy cod around…
Andy’s Shin Hinomoto URL: http://www.andysfish.com/Shin-Hinomoto/ When: Mon – Sat, 5pm – 12am Where: 〒100-0006 Tokyo, Chiyoda, 有楽町2丁目4-4 Tel: 03-3214-8021
Pheebz Eatz 