Musha

No doubt enjoying the tapas craze that has transformed Spanish cuisine in the United States, Musha Tokyo Cuisine eschews popular Japanese dishes such as sushi, tempura and noodle soup in favor of Izakaya-style “finger foods.” That doesn’t seem to bother the devoted local patrons of this funky little Asian eatery and beer-wine-and-sake bar, who enthusiastically recommend dishes such as “nasukani” (crab meat stuffed in Japanese eggplant), or the “kabocha” dip (a creamed Japanese pumpkin served with rice crackers), either of which costs a mere $5.80. Of course, some of the young-but-sophisticated crowd seem to edge into the Japanese-calligraphy-decorated bar more for the Sapporo beer, which runs $3.50 a glass and $12 a pitcher, and for the Hakkaisan sake, which costs $7 to $25, respectively, for a glass or a pitcher.