Bistro Sumiyoshi

Bistro Sumiyoshi brings Japanese ingredients and seasonings into Western-style dishes. Its beef tendon is slowly braised in white wine, then finished with salsa verde and cheese. One diner recalled a tender, unctuous braise with generous pieces of meat; another said the white-wine-braised beef called for bread and ordered some to mop up the sauce. Bread from a nearby bakery is on the menu, making it an easy pairing.

For a substantial meat dish, try the beef skirt steak, grilled until fragrant and served with potatoes and mustard. Diners have also singled out the steak and fried potatoes as memorable.

Pasta options include rigatoni with duck ragù, made with duck simmered in a sauce based on Japanese red wine. The ridged, hollow short pasta catches the sauce well. There is also a daily pasta, prepared with the ingredients available that day; you can ask for meat or fish, according to your preference.

To start with smaller plates, consider carrot râpée scented with lemons from Hachijojima and smoked potato salad: a single dish combining something bright and fresh with a smoky counterpart. For a more substantial starter, there is also rapeseed blossom marinated with anchovy and spices.

The drinks list offers plenty of choice. Japanese sake selections come with notes describing their character, from clean and crisp to fuller, savoury styles. One diner who enjoyed the wine selection felt there were good options to match with the food. If you want to keep the focus on the dishes, a glass of wine or sake is an easy way to explore those pairings.