01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Tucked into a side street of Katsushika's Tateishi neighborhood—an area steeped in traditional working-class pub culture—Aoba is a welcoming izakaya offering home-style cooking and hospitable service. Closed on Tuesdays, it keeps its lights on from 17:00 in the evening until 0:00 late at night, making it an easy drop-in spot with a relaxed neighborhood feel.
Fragrant Handmade Gyoza and Classic Pub Fare
One of the first orders to consider is the house-made gyoza, prized for its richly seasoned filling. Stuffed with minced meat and fragrant garlic chives, these potstickers work equally well as a snack alongside drinks or as the centerpiece of a meal. The menu also covers a broad range of satisfying tavern staples, including fragrant mapo tofu, ham and eggs, butter-sautéed squid tentacles, and simmered pork offal stew.
Korean Specialties from Samgyeopsal to Savory Jeon
Alongside classic Japanese pub dishes, Aoba features an extensive selection of Korean fare. A sizzling samgyeopsal set arrives with ssam lettuce and raw garlic slices, while the kitchen also turns out seafood jeon, cheese-topped seafood jeon, sweet-and-spicy yangnyeom chicken, and generously filled gimbap rolls. Warming soups like sundubu-jjigae and samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) pair naturally with draft makgeolli, making sharing across the table particularly enjoyable for groups.
From Solo Pours to Group Gatherings
Seating includes both counter stools and booth tables, accommodating quiet solo drinks or casual dinners with friends. Guests can sip shochu highballs, standard highballs, or sake, rounding off the night with stir-fried yakiudon, ramen, or spicy bibim noodles. The restaurant accepts seat reservations as well as cashless payments via PayPay and Rakuten Pay, fitting easily into everyday dining routines.
