01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
At Hibanaya, fugu takes different forms: tessa sashimi, grilled fugu and tecchiri hot pot. Diners have described the sashimi, grilled fish and hot-pot fugu as pleasantly firm, and said they enjoyed the meal right through to the rice porridge. Set menus include Hana, with tessa, tecchiri and porridge, and Tsuki, which adds small portions of grilled fugu and tecchiri. The menu lists Hana at ¥11,500 and Tsuki at ¥15,000; a seating charge of 10% is added to both.
For an à la carte meal, tessa served with blanched fugu skin and tecchiri are available in a regular portion or the Hibanaya portion. One diner reported enjoying grilled fugu with sansho pepper soy sauce, and also singled out shirako ner i as a distinctive offering. Another account describes tasting tessa with both salt and ponzu, then pairing different cuts of grilled fugu with different seasonings. It is easy to imagine taking time over each dish before moving on to the hot pot.
Fugu rice porridge is also available on its own, but the menu notes that it takes at least 30 minutes to prepare from the broth. Allow time to enjoy it at the end of the meal. A version with matsutake mushrooms and shirako is listed at market price, and shirako can be ordered raw, grilled or in a hot pot.
Drinks include Japanese sake, bottled beer and hire-zake, sake served with grilled fugu fin. One diner mentioned choosing an all-you-can-drink option that included hire-zake, making it a possible pairing for a fugu dinner. The restaurant accommodates groups and accepts reservations.
