01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
You enter Ebisu Shokudo Vista (美星) by heading up into the building and pushing through a doorway styled like a red vending machine. Beyond this whimsical entrance lies an izakaya setting under subdued lighting, creating an unpretentious spot to enjoy drinks and food.
The kitchen's offerings center on an eclectic array of small plates and meat dishes that freely draw on Japanese, Western, and Chinese culinary styles. An obvious first choice is the signature uni shumai, an eye-catching dumpling crafted with an unmistakable sea urchin profile. It is flanked by alcohol-friendly starters such as spiced "yodare" bonito, avocado marinated in Shaoxing wine, and spring rolls filled with pork trotter and bamboo shoots.
For a heartier sit-down meal, substantial mains step in with options like richly coated, fragrant chunky black vinegar pork, thick-cut ginger pork, and spiced grilled lamb spareribs. The finishing courses sustain that interest to the end, ranging from fried rice smothered in crab sauce and crowned with sea urchin to a horse mackerel yukhoe herb pasta.
The drinks menu keeps pace with the cooking, offering draft beer, bottled lagers, sours, highballs, and wine. Operating from 5:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and taking dinner table reservations, it serves equally well for casual group dinners or a relaxed second stop in Ebisu.
