Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2009

Marie Wanibe

There are oyster lovers—and oyster haters. My friend and I being the former, only the finest would do. After a bit of research, we ventured out to a favorite spot among local foodies—the cozy Pescaderia in Akasaka. Although it lies well off the main street down a dark alley, this seafood restaurant buzzes with its own vibrant energy.

With Pescaderia’s tables nestled so closely together, we knew right away that we were surrounded by like-minded oyster heads, who matter-of-factly ordered whole platters as they took their seats. Like them, we asked for one each of the four-piece sampler (¥1,950), which varies daily depending on what’s fresh. During our visit, the assortment of local and foreign oysters included the beautifully marbled Akkeshi from Hokkaido, Oguro Kamijima from Hiroshima, Premium from Ireland, and Coffin Bay from Australia (á la carte, ¥500-¥550). Served on a bed of ice, all had a watery luster as they lay in their bulky shells.
The oysters come with two condiments—garlic chili and a spicy cocktail sauce—but you only need a drop of lemon to focus your senses on the texture and sweetness; all the necessary umami is already condensed in these tiny morsels. As we devoured the plump, succulent “pearls of the sea,” we knew we had come to the right place.

Not wanting to overdose on shellfish, we explored the menu further. No worries—to go along with its Mediterranean vibe, Pescaderia serves up delicious regional fare. We accompanied our homemade sangria (¥500) and sparkling wine-grapefruit cocktail (¥850) with an appetizer of mixed olives (¥350) and organic vegetable bagna cauda (¥1,200). Unlike standard renditions of this dish, the colorful mélange of carrots, broccoli, cabbage, sweet potato, corn and turnip was already covered in creamy anchovy sauce—and so tasty that we ordered a baguette (¥100) to soak up the leftovers.

The Tuesday night on which we went was busy with couples, single salarymen, and groups of coworkers merrily sharing bottles of wine—which meant the staff was being put through their paces, and we had to be patient with the fairly slow service. The lively air kept us happy, though, and so did the food when it eventually arrived.

We nibbled on a mountain of aromatic fried potatoes, served Toscana-style with rosemary, herbs and fried garlic slices (¥850), and then finally tucked into the main dish: squid ink paella (¥1,800/¥3,000). The firmly cooked rice and thick, tomato-based sauce was laden with fresh mussels, clams, shrimp and squid—the “small” order was enough to feed three to four. Although we were satisfied in every way—even the check was surprisingly reasonable—our eyes constantly shifted towards the dishes being delivered around us: soft-shell crabs, lamb chops, lasagna. We decided to add them to our list for next time. After we’ve had the oysters first, of course.