01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Standing on a corner intersection in Meguro's Chuocho neighborhood, Tokusue greets diners with seasonal sensibilities and an expansive repertoire of Japanese cooking. A handwritten daily menu lists a tempting array of drinking dishes—from small marinated bowls and sashimi to grilled and fried specialties—allowing you to consult with the kitchen on the best preparation for the day's fresh fish and vegetables.
A natural place to begin is the omakase appetizer assortment or the seasonal hassun, available from single-person portions upward. Each neatly arranged collection of small dishes offers contrasting textures and delicate flavors, such as seasonal fruits dressed in mashed tofu (shiraae), steamed bites, or grilled vegetables steeped in dashi. Substantial plates designed to accompany drinks are equally rewarding, including sake-steamed clams with tomato, tilefish grilled crisp with its scales on (matsukasa-yaki), and house-cured karasumi with daikon, best savored slowly alongside a glass of wine or sake.
To conclude the meal, the donabe rice cooked freshly in an earthenware pot is essential. Options range from fragrant takikomi-gohan folded with seasonal fish and sansho peppercorns to fresh ginger rice or gleaming plain white rice, delivering deep comfort down to the final bowl paired with red miso soup.
The relaxed interior is arranged primarily around a counter alongside several tables, serving dinner from 18:00 to 23:00. While the seasonal omakase course provides a seamless journey, assembling an à la carte meal from the day's offerings is just as compelling, making advance reservations well worth securing.
