01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Spotting the live swimming torafugu in the tank beside the building entrance near Akabane Station lets you know you have reached Torafugutei. As a dedicated fugu restaurant, the breadth of the menu is remarkable: finely sliced tessa sashimi, fresh tecchiri hot pot with cuts so lively they twitch, chunky butsusashi, and charcoal-grilled fugu all showcase the fish across diverse cooking techniques.
Once seated, an ideal opener is the oyogi tessa, served with house-made ponzu seasoned with Tokushima sudachi citrus. Thin slices wrap delicately around aromatics, and following that subtle texture with piping-hot torafugu karaage—crisp outside with tender, flaky meat coated in a secret sauce—creates an appealing contrast. The centrepiece hot pot, oyogi tecchiri, lets bone-in cuts release their rich stock into the broth to flavour vegetables and nabe-kawa skin dipped shabu-shabu style, leading comfortably to a final bowl of umami-packed zosui rice porridge.
On the drinks side, the signature hirezake is well worth considering. Pufferfish fins are toasted over high heat until amber, steeping a deeply savoury, toasty fragrance into the hot sake. It pairs naturally with fugu dishes, and refills can be ordered with tsugizake using junmai sake. Those who prefer chilled sake can turn to Dassai or Sugiisami, alongside authentic shochu such as Tomi no Hozan and varied sour cocktails.
Beyond evening courses and à la carte dishes, the restaurant opens for lunch on weekends. Accessible sets like the Torafugutei Gozen combine tessa and karaage with the house specialty fugu-meshi—steamed rice topped with soft-boiled onsen egg and grated yam—making it easy to enjoy pufferfish during the day. With tranquil private rooms available, the setting works equally well for a leisurely solo indulgence or a relaxed meal with family and friends.
