Tsumugi

With its vivid lean meat and sweetly rich fat, horse sashimi shipped directly from Kumamoto Prefecture is a signature dish to try at Tsumugi. The 3-variety platter features lean meat, mane and futaego, and there is also a half-size selection, so you can savour the fresh, full flavour of the meat in a portion that suits you. Other dishes showcase horse meat in different ways, from gently simmered horse tendon to horse tartare with egg and sauce.

Kumamoto specialities and savoury pork rolls

Horse meat is not the only thing to fill the table. The menu includes regional accompaniments such as karashi renkon, lotus root stuffed with mustard, whose sharp kick is pleasantly bracing; hitomoji guruguru, boiled wakegi scallions rolled and dressed with mustard vinegar miso; and salad chikuwa, a tube-shaped fish cake generously filled with potato salad. The pork-roll selection, wrapped around crisp lettuce, spring onion, enoki mushrooms or garlic chives and grilled until fragrant, is also popular. The fresh vegetables and savoury richness of the pork make an inviting match for a drink.

Dashi-warmed oden and Kyushu drinks

The steaming pot offers around 15 kinds of oden. Daikon radish that has soaked up the dashi and light, fluffy hanpen fish cake are among the comforting choices. To drink, try sake from across northern Kyushu or shochu, with options ranging from well-known labels to more unusual local bottles.

With counter and table seating, the atmosphere is relaxed and unpretentious, whether you are dropping in alone or sharing small plates with close friends. On weekdays, the restaurant stays open until 1:00, making it a useful option for a late-night drink or a final meal around Yushima and Okachimachi.