Sazaya, Chitose-Funabashi さざ家、千歳船橋
Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 10:00PM | Dave 
Should you happen to be in Chitose-Funabashi (Odakyu line), or nearby for that matter, and especially if the excellent Hisaya is closed (usually on Sundays – indeed some Hisaya patrons will only visit Sazaya when the former is closed, so as not to offend!), you’d do well to dine at Sazaya, a small relatively new izakaya a few doors up from the aforementioned Hisaya. Relatively new actually means just over a year old, from what I could gather, and yet the attention to detail – in terms of service and cuisine – suggests an ardent desire to provide a quality dining experience on the part of the proprietors.
In recent years, the previously non-descript street in which Sazaya is located has witnessed a boom in new izakaya, nomiya and cafes, indeed now offering a far greater choice of interesting destinations than should be expected in such a neighbourhood. Sazaya offers a simpler, cheaper menu and atmosphere than that of Hisaya, but succeeds for just this reason. Relaxed, unpretentious, easy to enter. Its simple, unassuming facade belies the care and attention being afforded the endeavour.
The interior is tastefully rendered, not in the least overdone, being mostly polished wood, simple tables and chairs and a long, broad counter overlooking the open kitchen. Low-level lighting creates a suitably intimate ambience. Busy, friendly staff and chefs go about their work while casting attentive eyes upon their hungry wards. In the background, jazz classics fill the air while the younger, earnest waiting staff do their best to please while attempting not to trip over the wicker baskets, provided to contain diners’ bags and coats, strewn upon the floor.
So, let’s try to avoid the usually sprawling, meandering post and get to the point…
To some up, the interior is simple, tasteful, clean and yet appealing. The service never fails to please. The menu is well-packed with the usual izakaya fare, each rendered just a cut above the norm that the price and location would suggest. A reasonable, and frequently changing supply of interesting sake is available, their names hanging on the wall.
And the food? Rather good. Very good actually.
The o-toshi are better than the usually miserable specimens, being fresh, wholesome and fairly sizable. One in particular – consisting of fried bacon, cabbage, erengi mushroom and greens was delicious, as was another of soft, fatty anago with pickled cucumber and nagaimo topped with sesame seeds. At this early stage in the meal it is worth mentioning that all the plates, bowls and dishes are suitably wa-fu without labouring the point.
Salads are large, dynamic in form and glistening. The tofu, lettuce, tomato (big, fat juicy segments) and cucumber one is good. Hardly earth shattering in its originality, but just what most (hungry) doctors would order. You can’t visit an izakaya without sampling their sashimi. Indeed, after o-toshi and pickles to compliment the initial beers, sashimi is more or less the usual setting off point in the menu and a good way to judge the quality of the izakaya’s kitchen. Sazaya’s sashimi moriawase is excellent, possibly even noteworthy. Big, fresh, well presented and value for money. The two we sampled included hamachi, kampachi, uni, hotate, maguro, saba, ebi, hamo, kani and negi toro (that was great, not at all just a way of using up the leftovers of the fish) and other shellfish whose names I’ve never known and probably never will, presented upon a comfortable looking bed of shiso, shoga, cucumber, daikon, ikura, and shiraga-negi.
When in season the takenoko-yaki is a must. Lightly baked, so as not to be overly dry, topped with yuzu miso and thoroughly delicious with a texture both waxy and crunchy at the same time. So simple, yet something you will order again and gain.
We didn’t talk about the sake yet did we? It’s pretty good, although unlikely to excite the hardcore fancier. No matter what you order you’ll be offered a choice of o-choko, not a Sazaya first but a nice touch all the same. My memory of the sake is hazy, at best, although I can recall a light, somewhat sweet nama-zake, the Ippongi, and the Ice Breaker, a sake brewed in Kyoto by an Englishman, heaven forefend! This was interesting, tasting, although served in a glass, like sake served in a wooden masu, almost as if the barbarian brewer had decided that the taste, and scent, of sake in such a masu is just what sake is all about. Interesting, and yet vaguely annoying. Probably deserves further investigation, despite the crap label.
A stir-fried dish of garlic stalks, bean sprouts and teriyaki chicken was crisp and strong tasting, Chinese cuisine I’m guessing. The tempura, on this occasion aubergine, sweet potato and fuki no to (a bitter tasting vegetable only available in Spring), was light, not too oily and crisp.
Three deep-fried fish, possible kasago, crispy as hell – you eat it all head, bones and all – served with lemon and salt. Gorgeous! Two delightful rice dishes followed. One consisting of shiso (thinly sliced) irigoma (sesame) and chirimen jako, the other consisted of takana-zuke, and sesame again. Both a welcome change from boiled rice or onigiri.
Flat, juicy, chewy zaru-udon noodles (i.e. not served in a soup), served cold and topped with nori went down very well, especially in this muggy weather.
The chicken karaage is also a cut above the norm, the batter being less oily, and somehow more textured than most. The chicken itself was succulent and not a single gristly, chewy part had to be endured. Better than that, however, was the maguro karaage. A delightfully wholesome dish. Warm, filling, succulent – something to sink your teeth in to.
Hamachi kama, the jaw of a Hamachi don’t you know, was also gorgeous, served with daikon oroshi and lemon. Wish it had been a little bigger though. The niratame (a kind of green, stinky leak in egg flavoured with dashi) was also enjoyable, although a little slimy.
Sazaya is refreshing reminder of just why so many of us become obsessed with izakaya. The staff try hard to create a pleasurable experience for their patrons, who in turn can enjoy that experience effortlessly. Not a single dish 
disappoints, and all are reassuringly familiar while still providing interesting variety. This is an izakaya that deserves your business, and deserves to thrive.
Tel: 03-3427-1107
Reader Comments (4)
Make me hungry...Grilled Hamachi or Buri kama is our favorite (fortunately we can have it even here in the U.S.). Wish we can visit this place tonight but we will go to our Izakaya substitute "Tako Grill" instead.
Uncle N, how was Tako Grill?
I know what you mean about lack of fish... Back in the UK we have next to nothing. Considering it's an island nation it's a joke. Hence I usually have no idea what the fish here is, even if I check the dictionary!
We are just back from Tako Grill, stuffed, It was not bad. We started with Toro sashimi (big eye tuna but it was good), Home made fresh tofu (sukuidofu), grilled ginkgo nuts, grilled baby octopus (Iidako), grilled Hamachi kama (bigger than you had), and finished with few sushi and rolls. (We are not big eaters.) So it was not too bad. We are intrigued by this "Ice Breaker" sake brewed by your country man. It appears that he suggests to have it on the rocks. How was it? It sounds like rather yeasty sake, is it?
Grilled ginko nuts... Love them!
I've generally found that Seigetsu in Kagurazaka is my best bet for really large kama, and usually at incredibly cheap prices.
The Ice Breaker was okay, the woody "in the masu" taste was interesting, but became a little overpowering to my mind. I'd certainly be interested to spend some more time with it, and to try it on the rocks.
Enjoy the weekend!