Narukiyo Izakaya

When you picture a typical Tokyo izakaya in your mind, you are probably thinking of a loud and sometimes dingy watering hole with cheap tapas and draft beer being endlessly consumed by salarymen and locals til the wee hours of the morning.

Narukiyo is not that.

Narukiyo is what happens when you throw tradition out the window and purely focus on top tier food paired with a hilarious but insane vibe.

It's everything you want in a fun night out, which is why it's so hard to tell people about it.

No one wants to let the secret out.

We have visited Narukiyo multiple times over the last year, so instead of showcasing our experience of just one occasion, I'm merging a few timelines together to give a better illustration of the seasonality that can be experienced at Narukiyo.

Vibe

The vibe is the first thing you notice about this restaurant as you walk in. Unlike many other izakayas, Narukiyo attracts a certain type of patron because it goes so ruthlessly against tradition in every way.

The walls of the inside of the restaurant are lined with posters, some NSFW and many more containing illustrations of penises. I'm not really sure of the chefs fascination with dicks but he takes it very seriously.

Chef Narukiyo Yoshida stands behind the open grill with flames bursting in his face, unapologetically wearing a bandana that says f#ck off.

My wife has been visiting this restaurant for the past 15 years now and says Yoshida San hasn't changed a bit.

The counter area sits roughly 20ish people in a L shaped format that makes it feel communal. This is a loud restaurant with endless screaming by the staff and laughing/joking around by the patrons. A great vibe all round.

Food

Narukiyo generally offers omakases that can last anywhere between an hour or two. Fortunately my wife being a native Nihon-jin and long time customer communicates to serve us just the best of the best as stomach space is finite unfortunately.

Seasonality plays a huge role here so we showcase some of the best eats from these multiple visits:

We start with massive grilled soramame which are basically fresh broadbeans crisped up over fire and sprinkled with salt. It's a beautiful way to start the meal accompanied with a 'bamboo carafe' of house sake.

The soft grilled and skinless nasu eggplant is one of the most beautiful and simplistic starters you can ask for. It's juicy, sweet and buttery all at once.

An uncommon but delicious addition is also the vegetable plate which includes a piece of asparagus, fresh cut tomato, moromi miso and a dollop of kewpie. Ordinarily if a restaurant served you this you might be a bit skeptical, but believe me when I say that the freshness of the ingredients stand out on their own. Combining them with anything more complicated would be an injustice.

As we move into sashimi I present to you three plates that were had on separate occasions. I think I can let the photos do the talking here. You can only imagine how insanely fresh each piece of maguro and uni was. For an izakaya that isn't specifically a sushi restaurant, the quality the fish is second to none.

For steamed dishes we had the Kimedai with seasonal vegetables and clams. I loved this dish and paired it with some plain Japanese rice because the broth had so much body in it I wanted it to last forever.

The center grill where the master chef is sweating away is no doubt one of the highlights of the experience. That being the case, these are the best dishes straight from the fire.

The Japanese charcoal chicken (rare/medium rare) is some of the best chicken I have had. I imagine that chicken lived a happy life because I could taste the joy with every bite.

Grilled saba, mackerel and any other fish is probably the most common thing you will see here but it's great nonetheless.

For those looking for their red meat fix the Kagoshima beef is rare, juicy and beyond tender.

Their gyusuji nikomi is a to-die-for beef tendon stew that must be cooked all day. Having had my fair share of these stews in both restaurants and home-made, I can say that this is the best I've ever had -- hands down.

As dessert is presented, the chef ensures he caps it off with a memorable R-rated dish full of strawberries, ice cream, penises and finally drizzled all over with sweet white liquid.

It's an unmatched level of artistic presentation, if I must say so myself.

Gaijin’s rating

Food quality ★★★★★

Ambience ★★★★★

Value ★★★★☆

Overall rating 94/100

Narukiyo is as one of the most fun, entertaining and delicious restaurants we have ever been to. In izakayas alone it is the top tier destination and despite my best efforts in finding others, nothing really compares on all levels.

Personally I don't really think the restaurant can ever really be replicated. Food aside, the chef and staff have a particular aura about them that just makes you want to have a good time.

When you do finally eat there, take a moment to look around at the faces of all the customers, staff and chef Yoshida San. You will understand how every dish, every single interaction brings a contagious level of sheer joy to everyone under the roof.

Don't miss the chance to go to this restaurant, if it's the last thing you do.

Full marks (almost).

Narukiyo

A: Japan, 〒150-0002 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Shibuya, 2 Chome−7−14 ＶＯＲＴ青山 地下 １階

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