Nakamasa

Hot pot is a centerpiece at Nakamasa, where diners can choose from a range of broths tailored to the evening's mood. The beef motsunabe pairs delicate hoso (small intestine), cabbage, garlic chives, and sliced garlic with a light, Japanese-style soy sauce broth, while the local jidori chicken pot simmers vegetables in a gently spiced ginger stock. For bolder flavors, options include a stamina hot pot dressed in sweet and spicy gochujang, as well as a kimchi-infused pork chigae. Pots can be personalized with extra toppings such as aburakasu (crisp offal cracklings), minced chicken meatballs, dumplings, and thin slices of fried usuage tofu.

Before setting the pot to boil or when looking for small plates to share, the selection of grilled dishes offers plenty of variety. Horumon cuts take pride of place, from salt-sauce hoso and crunchy urute cartilage to mino-sand and salt-grilled cheek meat (tenniku), inviting comparisons across different textures. Skewered cuts of Omi jidori chicken—including thigh and breast—can also be ordered with a savory salt-butter sauce, matching well with draft beer, highballs, or sake.

As the hot pot winds down, the remaining seasoned broth can be finished with udon or champon noodles to soak up every drop. The kitchen also prepares substantial standalone mains, including offal-tossed horumon udon, Okinawan-style soki soba topped with tender braised pork ribs, and hearty soki rice bowls, offering a satisfying conclusion to dinner.