01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Down in the basement corridor of a commercial building beneath the expressway, right along the seam between Ginza and Shimbashi, hand-lettered slips and paper menu strips cover the walls of Ichiki (一木). The compact room is arranged mostly with tables, drawing local office workers for unpretentious meals accompanied by the warm, cheerful banter of a nostalgic neighbourhood canteen.
The dish many come for is the pork ginger, dished up in generous heaps across the plate. Coated in a glossy sweet-and-savoury sauce, the pork carries just enough fat to stay tender, harmonising with soft, sweet onions that keep you reaching for spoonfuls of rice. On especially hungry visits, the Special Shogayaki Set, piled with extra meat, makes for a particularly satisfying order.
Beyond pork, the kitchen turns out an expansive range of rice bowls and fish sets. The unagi-tama bowl, topping rice with a substantial cut of eel and fluffy egg, is an eye-catching house fixture. Thick cuts of coho salmon collar grilled over heat until fragrant, along with grilled mackerel, suit anyone looking for a classic Japanese meal paired with mugitoro (grated yam over barley rice) and miso soup.
Self-serve side dishes, pickles, and warm soups round out the sets, adding to the feeling of plenty. Whether you need a quick refuel during a busy lunch break or prefer to linger mid-afternoon over a beer or lemon sour alongside your meal, the dining room keeps things refreshingly easygoing.
