01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Set back on an alley slightly removed from Ikebukuro Station, Suzunoki is an unpretentious izakaya dedicated to flavorful Japanese fare. The menu highlights provenance-labeled seafood reflecting the day's market catch, featuring options like seared alfonsino from Hachijojima, bonito tataki from Katsuura, and wild flounder from Aomori. Beyond sashimi, the kitchen prepares dishes such as limited-quantity grilled alfonsino head and simmered wild sea bream head from Katsuyama.
Alongside the fresh seafood, a thoughtful selection of small dishes complements beer and highballs nicely, including freshly fried sweet corn satsuma-age fish cakes and a crisp kakiage tempura of Suruga Bay sakura shrimp and mitsuba herb. Smaller plates like house-cured miso-marinated cheese, homemade chicken chashu, and crunchy cucumber tossed with salted kelp and sesame oil offer tasty companions for sake or wine.
Meat dishes include Sangen pork simmered with tofu and domestic chicken thigh pan-seared with black pepper. To conclude the meal, diners can turn to chilled bukkake Inaniwa udon or unadon eel rice bowl, while seasoned sea bream rice (tai-meshi) is also available with advance reservation.
The laid-back interior works just as well for solo diners stopping by for a drink as it does for small groups sharing several dishes. Closed on Mondays, Suzunoki is open from 18:00 to 0:00 past midnight Tuesday through Sunday, with dinner reservations accepted.
