A new izakaya is making its debut tonight in the former Three Seasons space (3317 Steiner) in the Marina. It’s called Chotto, which is “a small unit of measure” in Japanese, and the place got a pretty fast and thorough makeover in the six weeks since we first heard about the project, and owners Zerlayna and Tad Horie are hoping to sell folks on this end of town on the Japanese skewers, fried delicacies, and other izakaya items that have been winning fans at places like Nombe, Sebo, and Izakaya Sozai. Below, check out the menu from chef Armando Justo (Yoshi’s, Ozumo), which is reasonably priced and composed primarily of small dishes meant to be ordered in large quantities. Having dropped in for a test meal, we can already recommend the crab croquettes, all the sunomono (vinegar-cured salads), and the yummy tsukune which are rich chicken meatballs served with an egg yolk for dipping. Update: Looks like the opening may be later this week, actually. Update 2: They’re opening Wednesday, December 8.
On weekends, there’ll be a special menu of nigiri sushi flown in directly from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market. Also note, there’s a selection of beer (on tap and in the bottle), wine, and sake, as well as special sake and shochu-based cocktails from beverage director Todd Smith (Beretta, Dalva, Ozumo). AND, they’ll be open until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays for late-night (read: drunken) noshing.
刺身市場
Raw Bar - 5 slices
ankimo - steamed monk fish liver 7
hotate - live scallop 8
bincho - albacore tuna 7
mebachi - maguro nig eye tuna 9
hirame - fluke 9
hamachi - yellowtail 9
sake - atlantic salmon 7
shime saba - vinegar cured mackerel 7
medai - sea bream 10
shima aji - horse mackeral 6
uni - sea urchin m.p.
酢の物/サラダ
Sunomono - Vinegar cured salads
kanisu - snow crab meat, yam potato, ginger, cucumber 8
wakamesu - nori seaweed, cucumber, yuzu peel 6
ohitashi - mizuna, spinach, shungiku watercress 6
aoba - mizuna, spinach, crispy bacon, parmesan, soy lemon 7
aona - cabbage, spicy miso, sea salt, sesame oil 5
akasaka - butter lettuce, cucumber, scallions, garlic tamari oil 6
avocheezu - avocado, fresh mozzarella cheese, soy wasabi 7
揚げ物
Agemono - Fried Dishes
koika - baby monterey calamari, chili aioli 7
kakiage - mix vegetable, shichimi, unagi sauce 6
agedashi - tofu deep fried tofu, tentsuyu broth 5
kinoko - tempura fried mix mushrooms, lemon 6
kani korokke - 3pc creamy snow crab croquette 7
kara-age - ginger soy marinated crispy chicken thighs 9
魚
Sakana - Grilled Fish
saba 3oz spanish mackerel, sweet sesame miso 6
suzuki 3oz striped bass, shiso lemon butter 9
sanma 1 pc pike, daikon, sea salt, lemon 6
shake 3oz atlantic salmon, homemade teriyaki 5
ika sugata whole squid, jalapeno ginger soy 6
ebi 4 pc black tiger shrimp, ginger lime aioli 8
創作つまみ
Housemade Original Otsumami
tori pâté - miso marinated chicken liver pate, bread 7
yaki onigiri - 2pc grilled rice ball, soy and miso 5
tsukemono - japanese sea salt cured vegetable pickles 5
maguro yukke - tuna tartare, quail egg, chile oil 8
kamo tataki - seared duck breast, red wine soy 7
mentai imo - mush potato, spicy pollock roe 5
nori tõfu - silken tofu, nori seaweed, tokyo negi, tsuyu broth 5
chiizu - chef’s selection of 3 cheeses, fuji apple puree 9
nyokki - miso cream parmesan gnocchi 7
gyoza - 6pc dumplings, pork, chicken, cabbages, chive 8
kakuni - 4oz grilled braised pork bally, sweet miso 8
串焼き
Kushiyaki - Grilled Skewer, 2 skewers
unagi - freshwater eel, unagi sauce, sanshyo chili 7
butatoro - pork cheek, sea salt, yuzu kosho, aged balsamic 7
butabara - pork bally, sea salt, garlic soy 5
negima - chicken thigh, tokyo negi, homemade teriyaki 6
teba - chicken wings, sea salt, white pepper 6
tsukune - 1 skewer chicken pate, yolk egg, homemade teriyaki 8
gyu - beef ribeye, red onion, garlic miso 9
kamo - duck breast, fig tamari, ichimi chili 8
炭焼き
Sumiyaki - Charcol Grilled
ramu - 2 chops herb tamari marinated baby lamb chops, yuzu kosho 9
buta bara - 4 ribs miso marinated baby pork rib, apple soy 9
gyutan - beef tongue, sea salt, shichimi chili 7
gyu-chan - snake river kobe beef flap loin, honey tamari soy 12
Chotto - 3317 Steiner Street, between Lombard and Chestnut - 415.441.2223 - Open seven days: Sunday to Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., and until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
