Hamakatsu (浜かつ 思案橋店)

Hamakatsu's Shianbashi location specializes in shippoku ryori, the shared-table banquet style that grew out of Nagasaki's centuries as Japan's only port open to Chinese and Dutch-Portuguese trade during the Edo period. The kitchen has no single celebrity chef but draws on generations of shippoku technique passed down through Nagasaki's ryotei tradition. The full course centers on kakuni, slow-braised pork belly simmered until the fat turns silken, alongside dobinmushi, a delicate seafood-and-mushroom broth served in a teapot-shaped vessel, plus a rotating sequence of sashimi, tempura, and simmered dishes served family-style around a round lacquered table. Courses run ¥8,000-15,000 depending on the number of dishes selected. The dining room is arranged in private and semi-private tatami rooms, giving the experience a formal but warm character suited to celebrations rather than casual solo dining; low tables and floor seating are standard, though some rooms offer sunken leg wells for comfort. Beverage service leans toward sake and shochu pairings rather than wine, reflecting the meal's Japanese roots even as the dishes themselves show Chinese and Dutch influence. Because the full shippoku course requires advance coordination with the kitchen, reservations are required rather than merely recommended, and calling a day or more ahead is advisable for parties wanting the complete banquet. Walk-in seating for smaller a la carte plates is more flexible than the full course. The restaurant is considered one of the standard-bearers for shippoku in the Shianbashi entertainment district.