Shuko Hanamoto

A regular diner recommends starting with a half-size five-piece sashimi assortment. The menu also lists a seasonal five-piece selection and sashimi of wild bluefin tuna from Miyagi. For two people sharing several dishes, an assortment makes an inviting first order and offers a chance to see what fish is on the menu that day.

The menu moves between Japanese, Western and Chinese cooking. Black-haired Wagyu beef wrapped in nozawana greens is served with ponzu, while thigh meat from Tamba chicken is available either oven-baked with salt ponzu and salt, or grilled with a wholegrain mustard cream sauce. Choose a run of lightly seasoned small plates or build the meal around a sauced meat dish; either way, there is room to shape the dinner to suit.

For a final savoury course, one first-time diner found the omelette rice every bit as good as a specialist restaurant’s. The menu includes a nostalgic ketchup omelette rice as well as a Japanese-style version with scallops and mushrooms, leaving a choice between a familiar favourite and a dish that lets its fillings take the lead. Pasta and fried rice are also available, whether you want to graze over drinks or finish with a more substantial meal.

One diner describes the atmosphere as quiet and conducive to conversation, and the restaurant is also presented as suitable for solo dining. With beer and wine on offer, Shuko Hanamoto in Komagawa makes a good setting for starting with an assortment and adding dishes one at a time.