A fun dinner at Marugen Marutaka izakaya in downtown Ito. The drinking pub is very popular so there was a line in front of the small shop from more than 30 minutes before it opened.
One of their signature dishes is uzuwa which is sodagatsuo a meaty fish that is chopped up raw and mixed with minced green chili pepper. It is on the spicy side so be sure to have a cold beer on hand.
The boiled peanuts, which are ending their season, potstickers 🥟 , and dashimaki tamago omelet are all good.
If you love seafood I recommend the house made kamaboko steamed fish cake which had a nice texture, ika croquette made from minced squid and aji fry horse mackerel breaded and deep-fried. I was very happy to see Masumi on the saké menu.
Marugen Marutaka is family friendly and there were a few families enjoying an early dinner. Marugen is also open for lunch offering mostly seafood set lunches but also has karaagé fried chicken.
Marugen まるげん
Shizuoka-ken, Ito-shi, Shishido 1-4-1
Ito Onsen is a lovely spot for an overnight trip from Tokyo. It’s a quiet seaside town. Atami is just north of here which is a bigger hot springs resort. I much prefer the quieter Ito Onsen for an overnight stay.
Food Sake Tokyo 