Raku is not the absolute tiniest restaurant in Tokyo. But it certainly feels that way once you¡¯ve squeezed past a couple of cramped tables and several people¡¯s posteriors to shoehorn yourself in at the seven-seat counter.

So why bother? One word: ²µ²â¨­za.

They¡¯re not the usual version of these dumplings, plump and bursting with garlicky minced meat. Rather, Raku serves a longer, skinnier Kobe variant, each just a single bite with more golden-fried wrapper than filling. Each serving (from a mere ?380) brings you eight of these tasty little packages all bunched up in a row.

One portion is never enough. And that¡¯s a good thing because Raku offers almost half a dozen different kinds, with herbs such as shiso (perilla), ±è²¹°ì³Ü³¦³ó¨© (coriander) and even Italian herbs mixed in with the pork-meat filling. Each variation comes with its own recommended dips and seasonings, such as salt and lemon juice with the shiso ²µ²â¨­za.

You¡¯ll find a small list of salads and side dishes to give your taste buds a rest, and a good choice of beverages. That¡¯ll be enough to keep you happy for an hour or two, until you¡¯re ready to squeeze back out again into the gritty Shinbashi night.

Gy¨­za from ?380; side dishes from ?250;? Japanese menu; little English spoken