Kushikatsutanaka Uguisudaniten

Fun, local place. pretty simple: cabbage and dipping sauce on the table, then you order Osaka style fried skewers. great with beer. We had eggplant, king oyster mushroom, red ginger, mochi, narafu, pork with perilla leaf, and asparagus. Also a great mound of cold soft tofu with crunchy soy suace and a cucumber and ombushi salad.

Amazing staff, great vibes, and awesome food. The fried foods were soooo yummy, I loved the light batter. One waiter spoke some English which really helped, they also have an English menu! I dined alone and still had a great time :)

Tanaka is a great place. It’s ranked as one of the best kushi-​katsu restaurants in Tokyo. If you’re not familiar with a kushi-​katsu place, you only dip your selected fried food once and eat the rest after. So basically no double dipping!
You start off with fresh cabbage which is all you can eat. You have a large selection of kushi-​age to choose. From pork and shiitake mushrooms, to pickles and even Oreos there’s something for everyone. They also offer nabe, udon, and other items.
My favorite was the horumon-​yaki which is beef intestine. It was so juicy and is made with a tasty sauce.
As for the seating there are a good number of tables and a counter. I sat at the counter which may look small at first but is actually pretty spacious.
I also have to mention the highball game. Once you order a highball the server rings a bell and brings you a bowl with dice. You get to roll the dice and the numbers decide what you can get. 2 of the same number wins you a free highball. If the total dice adds up to 4,6,8, or 10 you get half off price. If the dice add up to anything else you get a jumbo sized highball for 700yen. I got the jumbo size and was surprised that it was still strong with a good amount of whiskey.
To sum it all up, this is a great place with a fun environment. If you’re ever in the Ueno/​Uguisudani area check this place out!