Suifu
Eye-catching design and deep-fried goodies are on offer at this Ikebukuro dining bar

Photos Courtesy of Zokei Syudan

In the warren of narrow streets jammed with
izakaya to the west of Ikebukuro station, Midori no Kaze de Suifu is not the easiest drinking spot to locate. But it is worth the search.

The house specialty is kushiage, and the skewers come with an interesting array of other food. The chefs at Suifu have even managed to apply the breading and deep-frying technique to ice cream.

Back at the more palatable end of the dinner menu, individual sticks are spiked with prawns, chorizo sausages, squid, scallops and beef. House recommendations are crab, which comes as a whole claw, Camembert cheese, and an asparagus spear spiced with karashi mustard. Individual bite-sized orders can be dipped in a selection of taste-enhancers, including salt, lemon, miso and tartar sauce.

Another popular dish is the goto udon. Suifu claims it is the only place in Ikebukuro that serves the item, which features fish flakes and raw egg.

Sadly, for a menu that is simply crying out for beer to accompany it, Suifu offers only one brew on tap: Malts. Gin and tonic works passably well, but this really is food for ale. Still, management has amassed an impressive array of shochu behind the long bar, including variants made from potato and wheat and from all corners of the country, as well as a selection of Okinawan awamori.

They also appear to be appealing to the drinking habits of young women, with a selection of “healthy cocktails” that are heavy on fruit juices and vitamins. Which is all a bit ironic, considering that the vast majority of the food on offer is deep-fried. Other drinks include plum umeshu and a surprisingly tasty rose and cassis sour. (Still pining after the beer though.)

The arched ceiling of the elongated room is wood-paneled, with spotlights above the bar counter. A series of nooks are private and shaded and have pebble floors. The interior designer was also partial to the use of wrought-iron details, but overall the decor adheres to classical Japanese aesthetics.

Despite having seating for 54, the bar offers sufficient corners for those more intimate moments. On a rather quiet Sunday night (the touts outside the nearby bars and izakaya were enthusiastically hunting punters), Suifu had a steady turnover of customers, mostly young couples on dates; during the working week, this is a popular stopping-off spot for salarymen. That is the magic of Suifu: it works equally well as a place to hold hands over the dim light or to get soused with colleagues. The staff just need a wider array of beer pumps to play with. (Did we mention that already?)

1-20-3 Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku. Tel: 03-3982-1194. Open Mon-Sat 5pm-midnight, Sun & hols 4:30-11:30pm. Nearest stn: Ikebukuro

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