01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Step down into the basement of an Asakusabashi building and you enter Futami, a dining space dedicated to the distinctive flavors of Kagoshima. Rows of honkaku imo-shochu (authentic sweet potato distilled spirits) bottles, including brands like Shima Bijin, Kojika, and Kuro Shiranami, line the counter and shelves, quickly catching the eye of shochu enthusiasts.
An ideal way to start an evening drink is with the Daiyame Set, named after the Kagoshima dialect term for an evening drink to unwind. It pairs your choice of beverage—such as draft beer, Hoppy, or authentic shochu—with small regional bites like boiled peanuts, karaimo sweet potato salad, and simmered bonito shigureni, letting you sample the area's rustic fare in modest portions.
When you want a full meal, the evening service set meals are a dependable choice, coming with rice, pickles, and Kagoshima barley miso soup. Centerpiece mains highlight local ingredients, from Kagoshima Kurobuta pork stir-fried with nigagoi (bitter melon) and fragrant charcoal-grilled chicken to sweet-savory braised Kurobuta pork belly with daikon, and grilled bonito belly.
By day, the kitchen turns out affordable lunch sets, while the evening caters equally well to solo diners and small gatherings in an unhurried atmosphere. To finish, consider regional rice and noodle dishes such as the Amami Islands' hearty keihan chicken rice soup or pepero-style pasta tossed with katsuo no shiokara (salted bonito entrails).
