Izakaya!
29 Oct
Our host at Himonoya Asakusa
My favorite thing about Tokyo was all the different Izakakya we dined at. Izakakya is something along the lines of a tapas bar, and literally translates as ”a place where there is Sake”. But other than tons of varieties of sake and beer there is all kinds of fun yummy food, small plates that everyone shares. It’s great to go with a group, so you can taste a large variety of different things, but even if it was just me and my husband, figuring out what to order and sharing the small dishes was so much fun. They all come at different times, and are served on fantastic and funky ceramic plates or in cool pottery. We must have gone to at least 10 different Izakaya while we were in Tokyo, and some we went back to several times. My friend who visited Tokyo several months before asked which one was my favorite, and I really can’t decide- each one offered something unique and special, and each was perfect in it’s own way.
Himonoya- dried fish
The first one we stumbled upon was in Asakusa, called Himono- Ya - “dried fish”. It had a water/fisherman theme with fountains and water pouring over the rocks at the entrance, and dried fish hanging at the open kitchen counter. It had small private booths and a kind of an artificial rustic feel to it. We were hungry and ordered too much food- but it all got consumed, not sure how- it was the three of us and I think we ordered enough for 6. There was everything from a huge crispy salad, to cabbage leaves with mis mayo dipping sauce, to simple roasted potatoe with butter, to ” grilled juicy salmon of enough fat” (quoting the menu). This was our first Izakay experience in Tokyo, and I was hooked- everything from the atmosphere to the service to the food instantly appealed to me. We later found another Himono-ya outpost in Shibuya, which was decent but not as good as the one in Asakusa.
Himonoya
Gonpachiis a Tokyo expat institution. Supposedly Quentin Terrantino got the inspiration for ” Kill BIll” after visiting Gonpachi, and they have a whole display commemorating the film. Gonpachi ia 3 story townhouse type building, with an excellent sushi restaurant on the third floor, and a large, rowdy izakaya on the first and the second. We ate at both places, and they were equally as good, though entirely different both in food and atmosphere. The sushi restaurant is more subdued and sophisticated, with dim lights, simple and clean decor, and warm atmosphere. They served beautifully presented super fresh sushi, very cool day specials and several fun authentic appetizers. Their “international” sushi rolls were obviously created for the “western” taste- too large, and too many ingredients- I was not a fan of these. Though the place was packed with a very eclectic and trendy crowd, we had a quiet lovely evening here.
Love the Lighting fixtures upstairs at GonpachiThe freshest sahimi ever
The Izakaya part is smoky and extremely rowdy- a large open space with 2nd floor balcony booths, very rustic decor, and about 80 percent expat and tourist crowd. Each new group of people that walks into the place is greeted very loudly by the entire staff, which seems a bit overdone, but you get used to it. The food is typical Izakaya fare- was solid, with a few creative touches. As usual the group of us ordered tons of stuff to share all of which was delectable. I particularly loved the agedashi tofu, black cod miso and the omlette. Dessert was uninspiring- some mushi unknown item that was supposed to be red bean and mochi but fell waaaay short of my expectations, especially after the great dinner. My friend ordered the black sesame ice cream, and thought it was delicious. Gonpachi is a really fun place to go with a group, and seemed like the place Tokyo dwellers take their Western visitors to.
Gonpachi- view from upstairsOpen kitchen and grill at Gonpachi
Black sesame ice cream
a tribute to " Kill BIll"
While we were in Japan, we stayed at a small town called Hachioji, just outside of Tokyo. We stumbled upon an Izakaya there, which ended up being one of our favorites. The name of this particular establishment remained unknown to us. The girl that served us each time was just so awesome, it was almost worth it to keep coming back here for her enthusiasm. She studied in Glasgov, and spoke English really well, with an Irish accent, and seemed so genuinely happy to see us every time we were here, that I seldomly elicit such excited reactions to my arrival from even close friends. She loved chatting and practicing her English with us, and we loved it too. The simple food here was fresh, tasty and arrived fast. Though we varied our orders, our staples were the scallops on the skewer, mushroom soup in hot pot and simple sliced avocado with seaweed shreds. The kind of food you don’t tire of.
Messy but good 
at Hochioji Izakayascallopin Hochioji
Ruslan loves his hotpot
Kampai!
Now, back in the US I miss Izakaya dining- there is something about this way of eating that appeals to me so much more than ordering an appetizer and entree, or a bowl of pasta. So the search for US Izakaya begins, and I will keep you updated on what I find, where it’s located and how they compare to my favorite Tokyo spots.
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