01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Pierce the crisp, lightly fried crust with chopsticks, and the salmon inside reveals a tender, vivid pink center. Located on the basement floor of a building in Nishi-Shinjuku, Sakaba Arata centers its menu on this signature rare salmon cutlet, plated with a salted cream sauce. The kitchen weaves Italian techniques and ingredients through the approachable rhythm of a Japanese izakaya, yielding a playful assortment of dishes that go well beyond standard pub fare.
When settling in around a table, sharing a spread of seafood and cheese dishes is the natural way to dine. A fresh caprese pairing creamy burrata with seasonal fruit, or bruschetta mounded high with raw whitebait and cheese, makes an easy match for a first glass of wine or sour. Diners also gravitate toward fresh flat tagliatelle coated in rich sauce and crowned with plump prawns and glistening salmon roe, as well as an aromatic prawn and mussel ajillo. The bread served as the table starter lets you mop up every drop of rich sauce and seasoned oil. Overflowing sparkling wine poured right to the rim brings an extra celebratory note to toasts.
At lunchtime, the restaurant turns to satisfying set meals, including crisp fried chicken karaage, tori nanban topped with eye-catching pink tartar sauce, and a dedicated midday salmon cutlet set. Many diners take advantage of rice served in traditional wooden tubs alongside fresh eggs at the table to mix up bowls of tamago kake gohan. The warm wood-toned dining room offers counter and table seating, and smooth smartphone ordering via QR code keeps the experience casual and straightforward.
