Awawa-ya

When you take your seat at Awawa-ya, your evening begins with an otoshi starter system where each diner chooses 2 small side dish from the day's board. Whether picking creamy potato salad, seasoned soy pulp okara, or soy-marinated quail eggs, assembling your own opening bites while waiting for that first drink sets an easygoing, hospitable tone.

Charcoal Skewers and the Signature Scallion Liver

Cooked over charcoal, the skewers feature fragrant staples like negima chicken-and-leek, gizzard, and plump chicken tail (bonjiri). Above all, the scallion liver dressed in a house scallion sauce is a consistent crowd-pleaser, gently cooked to retain a tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture. Heartier cravings can be satisfied with the house jumbo tsukune meatball, while the crispy Awawa skewer provides a lighter, crackling accompaniment to a pint.

Gentle Meat Sashimi and Tender Seared Chicken

While your skewers cook, the menu highlights meat sashimi and seared tataki prepared using low-temperature cooking techniques. Options include chicken heart sashimi, liver sashimi, and gizzard sashimi, alongside tataki platters comparing firm chicken thigh with tender chicken breast. Crisp, simple palate cleansers like raw green bell pepper with salted kombu offer a welcome interlude between the richer cuts.

From Casual Drinks to Spicy Noodle Finales

The beverage lineup ranges from draft beer and Kaku highballs to tea highballs brewed with lemongrass or toasted corn silk, joined by sake and authentic shochu curated by the landlady. To wrap up the night, patrons can order Miyazaki spicy noodles enriched with beaten egg, light chicken-broth pho, or comforting rice porridge. Perched close to the station, it works equally well for group drinks around a shared table or a solitary pour over a couple of side dishes.