Shusenbo

Tucked into a side street in Kita-Senju, Shusenbo is a Chinese tavern serving authentically spiced skewers and slow-simmered braised dishes in casual drinking-food portions. The lamb skewers, fragrant with cumin and accented by a lively prickle of spice, highlight the savory richness of the meat and naturally invite another sip. Between crunchy beef aorta skewers and chicken wings, the wallet-friendly pricing and manageable portions make it easy to sample widely across the menu.

One of the signatures is the special luwei platter, a spiced Chinese soy-sauce braise loaded with thoroughly simmered honeycomb tripe, pork offal, and dried bean curd. A broad spread of cold plates provides refreshing interludes between richer bites: crispy-coated yurinchi fried chicken, chilled eggplant dressed with fragrant scallion oil, and chilled tofu laced with green chili peppers. It is an ideal setting to sit back over a flight of Chinese baijiu or cold beers while passing small plates across the table.

Beyond drinking snacks, the kitchen offers substantial fare when a full meal is in order. The mala beef offal noodles pack a punch of tongue-numbing sansho and chili, loaded with chewy, thick noodles, generous portions of tripe, and paired comfortably with a mini fried rice. Dishes like tender beef sinew stir-fried with sweet onions in a savory glaze, or firm-textured cold noodles, deliver plenty of hearty satisfaction.

With both counter and table seating, the dining room has an easygoing, welcoming feel. It works equally well for solo diners stopping by for a drink and small bites as it does for small groups gathering to share spice-laden dishes over an evening out.