Kyushu Sakaba Sasa

Under the Tokyu Ikegami Line overpass in Gotanda, in the charming Sakura Koji alley, you'll find a striking kettle logo.
This is "Sasa," a popular, homey izakaya where dog owners can easily stop by during their walks.

Terrace seating is dog-friendly! The terrace seating recreates a nostalgic food stall atmosphere with the gentle glow of lanterns.
Combined with the open-air feel, you can experience the sensation of being in a familiar Kyushu night market, even while in Gotanda.

At the restaurant, you can enjoy our proud, slowly simmered oden and Kyushu cuisine that fully utilizes the rich blessings of Kyushu's land and sea.

Our specialty "Oden" is a proud dish offered all year round, regardless of the season.
Especially during chilly seasons, our Kyushu-style oden, which warms both body and soul, is highly recommended! Its characteristic feature is a rich, special dashi (broth) made from chicken bones, bonito flakes, and kelp.
With this dashi, carefully prepared daily, ingredients are slowly simmered for 1-2 days, creating an exquisite "dashi-soaked" oden with umami infused to its core.
This deep flavor pairs perfectly with Kyushu shochu.
What's more, you can enjoy this exquisite dish at an affordable price starting from 100 yen, which is another great point!

"Basashi" (horse sashimi), a specialty Kumamoto is proud of, is ordered by almost all customers who visit our restaurant.
We partner with Senko Farm, renowned even in Kumamoto, the home of basashi.
It is characterized by its lack of odor and rich umami.
You can savor its melting texture and elegant umami, which can only be enjoyed when fresh.

Our proud "Assorted 3 Kinds of Horse Meat" is an exquisite dish that allows you to fully enjoy the charm of Kumamoto basashi.
* "Akami" (lean meat) with a soft and rich umami. * "Shimofuri" (marbled meat) characterized by its melting texture and the sweet, high-quality fat. * "Tategami" (mane), a rare cut with a unique crunchy texture and sweetness that becomes more prominent with each bite. Please try these three types with our original blend of sweet Kyushu soy sauce, which further enhances the umami of the horse meat.
You can enjoy comparing the unique flavors of each cut.

Our limited-quantity "Horse Yukke Sashimi," offered with confidence, is an exquisite dish luxuriously prepared in a yukke style using three cuts: "Akami" (lean meat), "Shimofuri" (marbled meat), and "Tategami" (mane).
The different textures and umami of each cut, intertwined with our special sweet and spicy sauce and rich egg yolk, create a blissful harmony that melts in your mouth.
Mix well and savor this unparalleled deliciousness.

"Horse Meat Tataki" is made by carefully searing the surface of fresh horse meat, which gives it a fragrant aroma while condensing the rich, inherent umami of the horse meat.
The inside has a moist, rare texture and a melting mouthfeel.
The aroma of freshly seared meat and the deep flavor of horse meat spread throughout your mouth, pairing exceptionally well with sake and shochu.

A variety of chicken dishes using "Hyugadori," Miyazaki's proud chicken, are popular with our customers.
You can enjoy juicy Hyugadori, packed with umami, prepared in various ways.

"Jidori Tataki" is an exquisite dish made by carefully searing fresh Miyazaki local chicken with skilled techniques, creating an appetizing aroma of fragrant charcoal.
The firm umami inherent to local chicken, which spreads with each bite, and the moderate saltiness are in exquisite balance.
It's so addictively delicious that some customers visit specifically for this taste.

"Jidori Chicken Skin Ponzu," slowly grilled over fragrant charcoal.
The plump and pleasantly elastic chicken skin spreads with umami as you chew, and the rich aroma of charcoal whets the appetite.
By lightly dressing it with special ponzu, the umami of the chicken skin, the charcoal flavor, and the refreshing acidity of the ponzu intertwine exquisitely, making it an irresistible dish from the first bite.

Our restaurant's proud "Hakata Specialties"! "Beef Horumon Teppanyaki," where the umami of Hakata specialties bursts forth, is a dish you absolutely must try.
The irresistibly plump beef small intestine and fresh vegetables like sweetened cabbage and onions are stir-fried fragrantly with a special Japanese-style miso sauce.
This sauce, a exquisite blend of miso, mirin, and sake, further enhances the umami of the horumon.
Please enjoy the rich flavor that spreads with a sizzle while it's hot.

"Goma Kanpachi," allowing you to fully savor the blessings of Hakata's sea.
Fresh, firm amberjack is dressed with a special sweet soy sauce-based dressing and fragrant sesame.
When you take a bite, the melting umami of the amberjack and the rich aroma of sesame intertwine exquisitely, creating an addictive deliciousness.

An essential Kumamoto specialty is "Freshly Fried Karashi Renkon" (Mustard Lotus Root).
The holes of generously cut lotus root are filled with a special karashi miso, mellowed with honey, to reduce its spiciness.
It is then carefully coated with a batter kneaded with mustard and turmeric, and served freshly fried and hot.
With one bite, the pleasant crunchy texture of the lotus root and the mild spiciness of the mustard spread throughout your mouth, making it an undeniably addictive dish.

Another Kumamoto specialty worth noting, a Kumamoto soul food rarely found elsewhere, is "Spicy Takana Fried Rice."
The fried rice uses plenty of special spicy takana (mustard greens) nurtured by Kumamoto's fertile land.
What makes it unique is the deep sesame flavor added to the rice.
The pungent spiciness and umami of the spicy takana intertwine exquisitely with the depth of the sesame, creating a rich harmony not found elsewhere.

There is also a menu for dogs, where you can order high-quality, unsalted boiled chicken tenderloin.

In Kyushu, delicious food and shochu are inextricably linked.
At our restaurant, we offer a comprehensive lineup of shochu that further enhances our proud Kyushu cuisine.
We have a balanced selection of imo (sweet potato), mugi (barley), and kome (rice) shochu, with over 20 brands always in stock.
From classic favorites to rare and unusual varieties, we also offer many premium shochu that are not often seen.
Pair a crisp imo shochu with fragrant "Horse Meat Tataki," and a rich mugi shochu with slowly simmered "Oden."
Please enjoy the best pairings with your meal according to your preferences.
You might even discover a new favorite here.