The direct translation of "Uoshin" is "real or actual fish." As you can deduce from the name, this restaurant is very serious about the quality of the fish they serve. Although a bit far from where the bars and restaurants are—it is about a 10-15 minutes walk from Roppongi—it is always crowded, and extremely difficult to get a seat especially on a weekend. Calling a day before to make a reservation will be a good idea.
Owned by a major fish and seafood wholesaler based out of Tsukiji, the focus of this izakaya is, perhaps not surprisingly, very much on fish and seafood. Their motto is: "An izakaya & sushi restaurant that only has good fish." No surprise. The selection of fish on offer is always excellent. If you are looking to enjoy fresh fish, raw or cooked in all fashions, it is definitely worth checking out.
The atmosphere, which is of certainly driven by the the staff and their customers, is vibrant but not too loud that it is annoying. As soon as you walk through the sliding door you are immediately transported from the plush neighborhood around Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi to the hustle and bustle of a local fish shack from a bygone era. Tables here are either overturned wooden crates or those reminiscent of a 1950's American Diner, the juxtaposition existing because the restaurant is a converted Coca-Cola specialty café (itself a converted gasoline stand) and kept many of the latter’s furnishings.
Their speciality, "Zenbunose," which means "put everything on," is their original sushi roll with tuna, sea urchin, salmon roe... yes, pretty much the best stuff you can get! They also have fish displayed on crushed ice. Customers are free to choose their own fish, and they will grill it and bring it to the table. What is delicious is "Nodoguro," which is a type of rockfish. It is an extremely juicy and tender fish that is very expensive in a regular sushi restaurant, but here, you can get it for about ¥3,000.
As for the total price, it is usually about ¥5,000 per person with more than enough to eat and three or four drinks each. It is definitely worth the money thinking about the quality of the fish you get as well as their original way of preparing them.
