Taruichi

At Taruichi, the feel of an izakaya meal can shift depending on whether you make sashimi or tempura the centrepiece. Diners have praised the freshness of the sashimi and the light texture of the tempura; sharing a platter and sampling a few pieces at a time sounds appealing. Menu listings include an assorted tempura platter as well as vegetable, lotus root, sardine and octopus tempura. There is plenty to choose from whether you want to focus on seafood or alternate it with vegetables. The sashimi selection includes assorted platters, as well as horse mackerel and Spanish mackerel.

Among the small plates, the dashi omelette with spicy cod roe is worth noting. One visitor wrote about enjoying it alongside assorted sashimi, grilled rice balls, simmered fish and agedashi tofu. With choices ranging from light bites to a final dish, the menu lends itself to a relaxed dinner of ordering a few plates at a time. If you have your eye on the simmered fish, one visitor’s comment that it was prepared with white miso offers a useful clue. They found the flavour memorable, describing it as unusual in Kansai. Other fish dishes mentioned include yellowtail and daikon simmered together, and horse mackerel simmered with miso—appealing options when you want something different from fried food.

This izakaya in Nishitanabe-cho is listed as a dinner spot, with beer, wine and other alcoholic drinks available. Reservations are accepted, making it an option to consider for an evening meal with a group.