In Tokyo, students, coworkers, and pals will gather at an izakaya to drink beer and highballs, snack on yakitori, and hang out until the last train home. Hugo Leung, who owns Bridgeport’s Shinya Ramen House, tapped this spirit two years ago to open Izakaya Shinya, where he serves Japanese bites and drinks to after-work and late-night crowds.

In true izakaya spirit, Shinya is open only from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. and everything on the Walmart-size menu is under $20 and shareable. There’s a hit list of yakitori, skewers of grilled meat and vegetables. I love the wagyu, which arrives on its own little robata charcoal grill; the crunchy brûléed sweet potato; and the offbeat chicken bits, like torikawa (skin), hatsu (heart), and sunagimo (gizzard).

While the cooking can be inconsistent and the cocktails skew sweet (opt instead for Chika cup sake or a Sapporo draft), the grilled hamachi kama (yellowtail collar) is as delectable as any I’ve found in town, and the takoyaki, an octopus fritter with katsuobushi flakes waving on top, is textbook.

As you snack, soak up the Nippon-style vibe, with flowered paper umbrellas and lanterns strung across the ceiling and pillow-strewn booths separated by tapestries. Service is always steady and warm, even as karaoke blasts through the space after dinnertime on Fridays and Saturdays.