Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2010

The arrival of autumn brings with it the most highly prized seafood of the year: sanma, a.k.a., Pacific saury. The popular fish plays a starring role on menus throughout the city, including at Asakusa Takaradori (6F, 1-1-16 Asakusa, Taito-ku; http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g727001), which offers a ¥3,500 course meal featuring sashimi, fried sanma with sato-imo, and several other dishes. In Akihabara, classically appointed Japanese restaurant Shariki (2-10 Kanda-Sakumacho, Chiyoda-ku; www.shariki.jp) serves sanma shiyo-yaki-style (¥735) and as an á la carte sashimi dish (¥735); there’s also a seafood-focused kaiseki feast (¥6,300). But nothing beats the menu at the laidback izakaya formerly known as Nakanoan. Its sanma no bozushi (literally, “stick-shaped sanma sushi”) was so popular that the owners changed the name of their place to—what else?—Sanma (1-7-7 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku; 03-3264-4170). Enjoy the dish as part of a teishoku set meal for just ¥800.