Marugin Sushi

The meal might begin with a cold beer and that day's recommended sashimi or small plates, before moving on to nigiri when the time feels right. Ikebukuro's 丸銀鮨 (Marugin Sushi) is a sushi restaurant where you can enjoy sushi and small plates without ceremony. At dinner, from 5 pm, people come for sushi alongside a drink after work, while a relaxed atmosphere settles around the counter.

Accounts of past meals single out the shellfish sashimi, and give a sense of how a meal can unfold from sashimi to nigiri. The sushi also shows the care that goes into the preparation: some toppings are aged to bring out their savoury depth, while others are carefully marinated. One past meal also featured a delicate chawanmushi, a savoury steamed egg custard with mandarin peel, ginkgo nuts and seafood.

Drinks include sake, such as yamahai junmai, as well as other alcoholic options, with pairings that complement the food particularly well. The friendly manner of the head chef and sushi chefs contributes to a calm, easygoing atmosphere, whether you're having a drink alone at the counter or sharing a meal with people close to you. One account of an evening there mentions choosing a thick sushi roll to take away, a reminder of the meal after it has ended.