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“If you could eat one last thing before you die, what would it be?” one friend asked another. His answer came quickly: “Grilled salmon skin!”

It was a conversation that happened over a couple of drinks. Many would say that these kinds of discussions, alcohol-inspired brain waves, are best left as just that: ideas to be laughed off the next day.

In this case, that was not to be. The light-hearted exchange between Yuichi Kobayashi and two acquaintances inspired them to open their own izakaya (Japanese pub), serving salmon good enough to eat before you die… but on a daily basis.

Given the strong image of salmon as a breakfast item in Japan, the decision to serve it at a bar certainly sparked some surprise. Undeterred in their quest, the three business partners traveled to the northern island of Hokkaido where they went from town to town, speaking with market vendors or directly to fishermen.

Eventually, they found the equivalent of pink gold: tokishirazu or tokijake. Whereas most salmon is caught in autumn when it returns to Hokkaido to spawn, tokishirazu (literally, “not knowing the time”) is salmon caught in late spring or summer, having returned out of season for reasons unknown. For the entrepreneurial trio, it stood out for its good taste, fluffy texture and lack of fishiness. Thus, in 2008, Shake Kojima was born.

The izakaya is found just a seven minutes’ ride west of Shinjuku, Tokyo’s busiest station, in a small arcade of eateries known as Okinawa Town. A regeneration project aimed at rejuvenating the ailing shopping street, the theme was inspired by local Okinawan scholars resident in the area. Given that “Shake Kojima” literally translates as “Salmon Small Island,” it would be easy to mistake it as a restaurant following the southern archipelago theme (the Okinawa prefecture is comprised of more than 150 islands in the East China Sea between Taiwan and Japan’s mainland). However, the choice of location was simply guided by the consideration of cost: the affordable rents allow them to serve the best quality salmon at the cheapest possible price.

The concept is to offer traditional salmon dishes within a nostalgic setting. That’s clear from the entrance onward – slide the glass-panel door across to reveal the dark wood interior dotted with eclectic decorations and rows of sake bottles behind the counter. Visitors describe it as evocative of the Showa period (1926-1989), particularly the rapid period of growth from the 1950s to the 1970s. It’s a style likely to produce a smile and a nod to the good ol’ days.

Soft and juicy with a mild sweetness, this [salmon] is no simple fish for breakfast.

The dishes themselves are simple home-cooking classics that extend beyond the original focus on salmon. The nikujaga, a sweet meat-potato stew, is light on the soy sauce and comforting, topped with green beans – a unique touch. The mushroom tempura, light and crisp, is served with a small mound of salt so each diner can adjust to his or her palate. Nasu dengaku, a traditional dish of grilled tender eggplant topped with a melty sweet miso sauce, is arranged on a plate with a simple swirl that frames it well.

Yoshiaki Ohta, who joined the management team later down the line, says he’s always concerned about presenting delicious-looking dishes on crockery that’s equally becoming. Yet everything is presented beautifully in a way that is inviting, rather than as a piece of untouchable art. This is all part of careful atmosphere crafting that remains another priority. After all, home-cooking is no good without an at-home feel. The interior might be dark in both décor and lighting, but this is a watering hole where anybody can visit alone and solo diners are not unusual.

Shake Kojima also stands out for its high ratio of female customers. Whereas izakaya can sometimes be the domain of tobacco-puffing old men, Ohta estimates that around 70 percent of their customers are female. One reason for this is that the bar was featured on the very first episode of Wakakozake, an adaptation of a manga series in which a young female office worker, Wakako, eschews company after work in favor of seeking out the most delicious offerings across Tokyo – always with sake. Even five years after the original broadcast, viewers are still inspired to make the journey.

Wakako, of course, tucks into the famed dish, the one that many customers come for: jōshake, premium tokishirazu salmon. Unusually, the restaurant offers a full teishoku (set meal) at dinnertime, served on a wooden tray with the classic combination of rice, pickles and miso soup, alongside other small dishes such as hijiki seaweed salad. The fillet of salmon itself arrives with grated daikon and a slice of lemon. The rich amount of fat that guarantees succulent morsels is apparent from a glance, as is the crispy perfection of the skin, lightly charred. One mouthful confirms the appearance: soft and juicy with a mild sweetness, this is no simple fish for breakfast, but worthy of the starring role at dinner, calling for chilled sake as an accompaniment.

Among other salmon dishes, the homemade kasu (sake lees, the solids leftover from sake production) salmon has a warm and complex flavor of fermented rice. The izakaya also prides itself on more unusual offerings such as hizu, pickled salmon head cartilage as an otsumami or small dish to accompany alcohol. To finish, the salmon butter rice deserves its popularity. It comes as either shiro (white) with just butter, salt and pepper, or as aka (red), where it’s fried with ketchup. Either is good as shime, a carbohydrate course to close the meal.

Before leaving Shake Kojima, there is one important question to be considered. Would crispy grilled salmon skin be the dish to eat before passing on? The answer could quite possibly be yes.

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Published on March 27, 2019

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