Oiwa

Oiwa Review

Kura storehouses were built of thick plaster and separated from other buildings to protect them from fire and theft: the kimono merchants who used to own this one have long since retired, and the treasure stored inside these days is fine kushikatsu cooking featuring bite-size bits of meat and vegetables skewered, battered, deep-fried, and served with a variety of sauces. Usually considered a laborer's snack, kushikatsu seems an incongruous choice for Oiwa's French-trained chefs, but their interpretation offers a richness and elegance found nowhere else. Order by the skewer or ask for the set meal. There's even a menu for small children. The restaurant is along the Takase-gawa River.