With the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in full swing and Japan on our minds, the launch of Uza by Nikushou this August is our little way of bringing a slice of izakaya life to the city. Envisioned and brought to life by chef-restaurateur Anthony Ng, of beloved yakiniku specialist Nikushou, Uza is a fresh take on the Japanese drinking den with unagi (freshwater eel) as its hero ingredient—in fact, the name of the restaurant is a simple amalgamation of unagi and izakaya.

One single tasting menu will be served, highlighting seasonal Japanese ingredients with three iterations of unagi—in a delicate steamed egg custard, crisp and grilled with sansho pepper, and as a classic unagi-don—and a series of unconventional izakaya dishes. Golden chicken karaage, for example, comes with a zingy mala chicken liver mayo, while delicate little gyoza feature Saga white pork and the highly coveted Taiwanese 3-star scallion. Each course is thoughtfully matched with either sake or wine, and kicks off with a glass of Ng’s own homemade umeshu on the rocks—a tart and gently sweet elixir to match with a stellar starter of summer seafood and vegetables moriawase with dashi vinegar and plum wine jelly. Ng sources two types of unagi—locally sourced large eels for the grilled crispy unagi and smaller ones from Japan's famed Lake Hamanako to feature in the chawanmushi and unagi don. Another highlight is the sababouzushi, an iconic item at Nikushou of mackerel on sushi rice that has been cooked and seasoned by the Sukiyabashi Jiro team.