01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Venture deep into the Mensore Market near Daitabashi Station and you will come upon Shake Kojima, an izakaya dedicated almost entirely to salmon. The dining room carries a warm, nostalgic air, feeling just as well suited to an unhurried dinner as it does to a quiet, solo drink at the counter.
The natural starting point is the restaurant's signature grilled salmon, featured across an enticing range of set meals and rice bowls. In the premium salmon set meal (jo-shake teishoku), the fish is sliced thick and grilled until the skin turns crisp and aromatic, yielding moist, tender flesh rich in fat and umami. Its balanced saltiness pairs effortlessly with freshly steamed rice, complemented by miso soup and small side dishes for deeply comforting satisfaction. The salmon and ikura bowl (shake ikura don) is another indulgent highlight, balancing the savoury depth of grilled salmon with the plump, pop-in-the-mouth richness of cured salmon roe.
Beyond the classic set meals, the menu explores the versatility of salmon through an extensive assortment of side dishes and drinking snacks. Distinctive regional delicacies include hizu (vinegared head cartilage) and mefun (salted salmon kidney), alongside crispy salmon skin crackers (shake kawa senbei) and salmon fried between shiso leaves (shake no ooba hasami-age), each showcasing a different cut and cooking method. Grazing on cured salmon roe (sujiko) paired with cream cheese while sipping a drink makes for an especially memorable evening.
When you want something hearty and grounding to round out the night, salmon chazuke, sujiko chazuke, and straightforward rice balls offer comforting choices. The restaurant opens from 17:00, and securing a dinner reservation before you go is strongly recommended.
