01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Step past the noren curtain, and the first sight that greets you is the indoor holding tank where horse mackerel (aji) and filefish swim. At Kanda’s Hamasada, the master chef scoops the fish directly from the water upon order, slicing them deftly behind the counter before sending them straight to your seat. The signature live aji sashimi arrives so fresh it still twitches faintly on the plate, prized for its taut, firm texture. In the true spirit of seafood specialists, the kitchen will deep-fry the leftover carcass into crisp, fragrant bone crackers once you finish the raw fish.
The sashimi selection extends far beyond horse mackerel. Diners can enjoy live kawahagi (thread-sail filefish) paired with its rich liver melted into soy sauce, as well as plump live akagai (ark shell) and live scallop sashimi. Alongside lean maguro, rich fatty tuna, and cured mackerel (shime-saba), the menu presents slow-simmered loach (dojo maruni) and sake-steamed clams, offering an abundance of choices for seafood lovers.
To accompany the fresh catch, crisp, dry junmai and honjozo sakes like Hakkaisan, Masumi, and Ichinokura are served in small bottles. A cup of piping-hot fugu hire-zake—steeped with roasted blowfish fin—adds a deep, savory aroma that warms the palate between bites of raw fish.
Lined with counter seats, dining tables, and raised tatami seating toward the back, the interior carries the unpretentious warmth of the Showa era. From the 15:30 evening opening until late at night, concluding with a hearty bowl of asari clam soup or a grilled rice ball, this is an authentic tavern where real seafood takes center stage without pretense.
