Lunch @ Izy

The deal: This swish Club Street izakaya offers a weekday set lunch ($30) with a choice of five mains. You’ll obviously want to go for the chicken karage rice bowl as that’s the speciality here, although options like the soboro—perfectly-minced meat, veg and sweet tamago—and wagyu beef (add $10) are pretty solid, too. All selections are accompanied by standard sides: pickles, a goma-sauced salad, chawanmushi with a tangy lime kick, miso soup (our favorite, with unusual depth and spice) and a dessert, like yuzu pudding.

Why it’s worth it: Portions are a little small, but considering how much an a la carte meal here can cost, this is quite a deal. And how often do you get to sit at a bar for lunch?