01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
The first dish to look for at Sutando Tonari is chicken chicken gobō: chicken thigh and burdock root tossed in a sweet-and-savoury sauce. The menu describes the ingredients as lightly fried until crisp before being coated in the sauce, and presents the dish as a local speciality of Yamaguchi. It is available on weekends for 480 yen. Some customers recommend it as a taste of the owner’s hometown soul food.
For something more substantial, consider the handmade hamburg steak. The menu lists it at about 100 grams, served sizzling on a hot plate, with jam mayo and grated daikon ponzu as its seasonings. At 480 yen, it can fit into an evening of sharing a few small plates. Another Yamaguchi speciality, tonchan stir-fry, combines beef offal with bean sprouts, garlic chives and cabbage in a sweet-and-savoury sauce. It offers a different way to enjoy the local cuisine, with vegetables alongside the meat, for 680 yen.
Some customers come for the charcoal-grilled dishes; one has singled out their distinctive smoky aroma and savoury flavour. The menu includes charcoal-grilled chicken thigh and seared liver. There is also a choice of sake to accompany the food, including the crisp, dry Hōōbiden Tsurugi and Dassai Junmai Daiginjo 45, described as slightly sweet.
The restaurant is described as a standing bar, though customers note that chairs are also available, making it suitable for a meal at the counter or a solo drink. Some have visited for an early drink, while others have stopped by after a meal elsewhere. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 17:00 until 0:00 the following day, and closed on Sundays.
