Enjoy Authentic Japanese Fisherman Cuisine at 10 Hamayaki-style Izakayas in Tokyo

What's Hamayaki?

Hamayaki was originally a type of fisherman’s cuisine: seafood unloaded fresh from the boat is grilled on the beach with simple seasoning, like salt or soy sauce. There are some izakayas that offer this sort of hamayaki-style seafood barbecue in Tokyo, mimicking its rustic atmosphere as well. Most of them serves ingredients fresh from the famous Tsukiji market or directly from fishing ports all over Japan at reasonable prices. You can enjoy cooking all sorts of food on the portable grill at your table and order side dishes, such as sushi or sashimi, too. The shellfish, such as turban shells, clams, scallops, and oysters are popular along with other seafood, such as squid and prawns. And there are other unique items…

Kani Miso, the crab paste grilled in the shell, is considerd to be the most delicious crab dish. The winter is the best season to taste crab.

Kama-yaki, the collar of yellowtail or tuna, or the cheek meat of big fishes is a real delicacy in winter.

Here are 10 recommended hamayaki-style izakaya in Tokyo.

1. Torobako (トロ函)

Torobako restaurants are located in four places in Tokyo including Shinjuku and Ueno. The Shinjuku branch, close to the West Exit of Shinjuku station, offers you a good opportunity to experience its lively fish market atmosphere and the retro Showa-era atmosphere of its location, Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho. You can enjoy wide variety of dishes, not only fresh seafood barbecue but also side dishes such as sushi, fried food, and vegetables alike at a reasonable price. The average price including drinks is from 3000 to 4000 yen.

HP: www.neosupport.jp/o_torobako.html (Japanese Only)

Address: 1-2-5 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

2. Yonpachi Gyojou (四十八漁場)

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The Yonpachi Gyojo chain use seafood brought directly from fishing ports all over Japan; caught and unloaded from the ships each morning. The menu varies from simple dishes seasoned with salt to well-prepared dish which aren't cheap, but at a reasonable price. Their wide selection of Japanese sake is also attractive. They have 11 branches in Tokyo, including Nishishinjuku, Ikebukuro, and Ueno. The average price is from 3000 to 4000 yen.

HP: www.48gyojyou.com/shop/ (Japanese Only)

Address: Shinjuku Misuzu Building 1F, Nishishinjuku 7-8-3, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

3. Isomaru Suisan (磯丸水産)

Isomaru Suisan is part of a chain izakaya that focuses on seafood. They open 24 hours a day and you can enjoy drinking during a daytime, too. The restaurant with fish tanks is decorated in a Japanese beach-hut-style that makes you feel as though you at the beach. It is a nice place to enjoy hamayaki on a budget. There are more than 50 restaurants in and around Tokyo, including 11 in the Shinjuku district. The average price is from 3000 to 4000 yen.

HP: www.isomaru.jp/shoplist/ (Japanese Only)

Address: Nishishinjuku Sato Building, Nishishinjuku 7-9-16, Sinjuku-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

4. Shinjuku Maruko Suisan (新宿　丸港水産)

Maruko Suisan, a restaurant focused on hamayaki, is a part of izakaya chain close to the Shinjuku 3chome subway station. Despite their cheap price, they offer a fairly nice dining experience in a downtown atmosphere by serving fresh seafood brought daily from several fish ports including Hokkaido and Chiba. They open till 3 o’clock in the morning and the regulars love their occasional happy hour offering discounts on both food and drink. The average price is from 3000 to 4000 yen.

HP: r.gnavi.co.jp/p462702/ (Japanese Only)

Address: Yoshida Building 1F/2F Shinjuku 3-12-12, Sinjuku-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

5. Uomaru (魚○)

Uomaru is located on the narrow passage of Ebisu Yokocho, a dining complex of 21 stalls close to the West exit of JR Ebisu station. Utilizing plastic crates as stools, this complex offers you a lively food-stall-village dining experience. You can enjoy both delicious hamayaki from Uomaru and dishes bought from other stalls, or music played by street musicians who will play a song for 500 yen. A bustling place that a group of one can also enjoy! The average price is from 3000 to 4000 yen.

HP: www.ebisu-yokocho.com:8080/FCMS/jsp/fcms/publish/shop/shopIndex.jsp?value=ebisu000014 (Japanese Only)

Address: Ebisu 1-7-2, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

6. Banya Yoichi (番屋余市)

Banya Yoichi in Ueno is a hamayaki izakaya run by a sushi restaurant chain. Located nearby to Ame-Yoko, this lively restaurant offers a good value for money with a real downtown atmosphere. The traditional portable grills with charcoal called Shichirin are set at each table for hamayaki. They offer cheap yet delicious dishes, such as sushi from 75 yen, and lunch set menus, too. The seafood is bought from Tsukiji market every day. The average  price at dinner time is from 3000 to 4000 yen.

HP: www.ooedo.co.jp/store.html (Japanese Only)

Address: Ueno 4-9-10, Taito-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

7. Tsukiji Itadori Market (築地虎杖マーケット)

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Located outside of the famous Tsukiji market, they offer seafood donburi dishes during the day and an izakaya menu including hamayaki and sashimi after five in the evening. Although you might not say the price range is cheap, it is reasonably priced considering the quality of the fresh seafood brought from the market nearby. The average price is from 3000 to 4000 yen.

HP: www.itadori.co.jp/shop/shop_13.html (Japanese Only)

Address: Akiyaka Building 1F 4-13-17 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

8. Era Kokyu (鰓呼吸)

Era Kokyu offers a fantastic selection of  over 60 daily dishes and a regular menu over 70 dishes all made with the fresh ingredients carefully selected by their chefs every day at Tsukiji market! You can enjoy fresh and delicious dishes including sushi at reasonable price. There are four restaurants in Tokyo, including one in Azabu Juban. The average price ranges from 3000 to 4000 yen.

HP: www.eraera.jp/ (Japanese Only)

Address: Azabujuban 2-32, Minato-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

9. Daisho Suisan (大庄水産)

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Their hamayaki menu consists mainly of shellfish preserved in fish boxes. This place is for those who wish to try both a seafood barbecue and the common izakaya atmosphere since they offer a wide variety of food and drinks similar to that you would find in a chain izakaya which is easy to understand with pictures. There are three branches in lesser-known area in Tokyo such as Uchikanda. The average price is from 4000 to 5000 yen.

HP: search.daisyo.co.jp/search.php?p=&b=73&w= (Japanese Only)

Address: Kohara Building 1F Uchikanda 1-11-10, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

10. Edomae Gyokou (江戸前漁港)

Edomae Gyoko is a local Izakaya located on a narrow alley within walking distance from JR Kamata station. This place serves a good selection of fresh seafood dishes including hamayaki and wide variety of izakaya food at affordable prices. You can enjoy nice Japanese sake from several areas, too. A great place to fill up on a budget. The average price is from 2000 to 3000 yen.

Address: Kamata 7-29-8, Ota-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)