Little Tokyo is a diminutive district of Japanese restaurants and shops spanning just a few square blocks of Manhattan. 9th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues is the center of the enclave and while you won't necessarily find New York's best Japanese food on this strip of real estate, there are several reliably good spots for a solid and relatively inexpensive dinner. If you're not jet setting to Japan any time soon, make a night of it in NYC and try this tasting tour of Little Tokyo.

STOP 1: SAKE BAR DECIBEL

Decibel is a place where, if it were Los Angeles in the year 2019, you might expect to find Rick Deckard tippling from a tokkuri after a night spent retiring replicants. This subterranean sake bar has all the trappings of a dystopian dive from the near future, which coincidentally looks a lot like your typical bombed out bar from the East Village, circa 1993, the year Decibel opened: low ceilings, low light, lots of exposed pipes and a labyrinthine layout with walls of sharpie-scrawled graffiti.

Decibel is serious about its sake, serving bottles of every value and variation. The bar also boasts a sizable shochu list, in addition to cocktails and a limited amount of spirits. Enjoy your preferred beverage over a few small plates of Japanese snacks. The Dayfarer recommends the pickled garlic and chicken meatballs with scallions & ponzu.

STOP 2: HASAKI

Just down the block, you'll find Hasaki, a high value neighborhood sushi standby since 1984. Offering quality cuts of affordable raw fish, Hasaki is a perfect weeknight destination for a sushi supper. Descend the stairs, sit at the counter and sample a few pieces of sushi or sashimi before heading to your next stop on the tour.

STOP 3: OTAFUKU

Double back 20 paces down 9th Street to Otafuku, a hole-in-the-wall takeout spot specializing in okonomiyaki, savory pancakes stuffed with pork or shrimp, and takoyaki, grilled octopus fritters topped with a special sauce, mayo and bonito flakes. Go for the fritters. The octopus balls are crispy on the outside, doughy on the inside and delicious. They're pretty rich and intensely flavored, so a standard six-piece order is all you'll need. There's a small counter to stand at while you eat.

STOP 4: VILLAGE YOKOCHO

Back toward 3rd Avenue, where 9th Street intersects with Stuyvesant Street, you'll find Village Yokocho, a second floor eatery that claims to be the East Village's first izakaya. It opened in 1995, so that may be true, but history lessons aside, the large layout and expansive menu of sharable plates mean that Village Yokocho can usually accommodate anyone who ascends the stairs for a meal.

The best strategy when sitting down to eat is to take it slow and order as you go. Definitely get some skewers of charcoal-grilled yakitori and a serving or two of kushiage, breaded and deep fried meat, veggies or seafood. Wash it all down with a cheap pint (or pitcher) of Japanese draft beer.

STOP 5: ANGEL'S SHARE

Finish your evening at Angel's Share, one of the city's best, not-so-secret cocktail bars, located through an unmarked door within Village Yokocho. The bar is a seated-only establishment, with bartenders sporting crisp white shirts and black vests stirring and mixing excellent drinks for groups no larger than four people. Waits can be long enough to not be worth it later in the week, but the atmosphere on a Monday evening is relatively relaxed and securing a prime spot in front of the huge grid windows overlooking Stuyvesant Street, the perfect perch for a nightcap, is a prospect you can be optimistic about.

RECAP:

Sake Bar Decibel: A subterranean sake bar straight out of Blade Runner.
Hasaki: The neighborhood's oldest sushi spot, serving affordable, yet tasty, raw fish.
Otafuku: A take out counter with some standing room to devour savory pancakes and grilled octopus fritters.
Village Yokocho: A large second floor space specializing in charcoal grilled yakitori.
Angel's Share: A small, "secret" cocktail bar within Village Yokocho serving stellar drinks.

ESSENTIAL INFO:

-Total Cost: About $75 per person for food and drink at each stop. Tax and tip included.

-While this itinerary can, in theory, be completed any night of the week, Monday is your best bet for actually getting a table at each spot without a wait.

-When you arrive at Village Yokocho, pop into Angel's Share first to check out the scene. If there is a short wait, put your name down and then eat at Village Yokocho.

-Otafuku is cash only

NEARBY: You can also find some great soba on East 9th Street at Soba-ya, which offers a killer "early bird special" Monday-Thursday. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, check out Batsu!, a sadistic improv comedy show modeled on a Japanese game show.