Long time no Izakaya!
Posted by: kirin on 
Oct 28th, 2008 | 
Filed under: Daily Life
How long has it been since I went to Izakaya last time?
Izakaya is a place to drink and eat, just as I explained before in this post.
There are so many kinds of Izakaya in Japan.
Usually Izakaya has wide variety of dishes, alcohol drinks, soft drinks and desserts.
The price is not so high and interior or atmosphere is good enough to relax us and make us feel like staying for a long time.
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Also, look at the menu. How could it be any easier than this? This Izakaya I went the other day is “DomaDoma“, sort of Izakaya chain store that has many branch stores anywhere in Japan.
Some dishes tasted so-so. I wanted to try more cocktails but I could feel alcohol ratio seems too small! Anyway, Izakaya is far from a “bar”. It’s more casual and we can select whatever we want to eat from wide range of menu. It’s not like peanut & small snack. We can complete a dinner with alcohol beverages and even after that we can have dessert like ice cream, pudding, or cake with coffee, if we order them. Oh, the order can be made anytime. |
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“Toriaezu” is a convenient way of saying. We will never know how much we can eat. So we choose only a couple of dishes from the menu and order them, saying “Toriaezu Sorede” at the end. That means we are ordering some at a moment, but later we may order something additionally. Of course we don’t have to return the menu. It’s always besides us, at the table, as well as a button to be pressed to call for a waiter.How convenient and casual service! Here’s some samples. Izakaya cuisine always tastes a little too strong so that it gets along with beer or sake. The bottom left is pork stomach. It’s good to go to Izakaya with 3-4 people and share various kinds of foods and drinks. |
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October 29th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Wow, what a colorful menu ! I like the display of plastic food in the showcase of the restaurants – it helps with the ordering since we dont speak Japanese. R they still around ?
Our local chinese restaurant serves sushi bec the cook is a fan. We hv a small Japanese community in Amstel (neighbourhood to Amsterdam) where little sushi n karaoke bars r found. The food is served on a conveyor belt at the bar. The bizz is brisk at lunch. My hubby cant tolerate seafood, so I cant hv a taste of raw fish either *sigh*. There is a tiny shop selling authentic Japanese supplies. I buy the ingredients to make my own sushi at home, with roast pork n cucumber or curried beef. It sounds strange but they r yummy. I’m trying to learn more abt Japanese food besides the quick noodle soup with a tempura on top. Any tips ?
October 30th, 2008 at 10:38 am
@Dutchie,
Thanks for your comments.
Prastic food samples are still used at many restaurants in Japan and they are very popular even as a souvenir to foreign tourists. Do you know such samples are sold at Kappabashi wholesale of kitchen tool town in Tokyo.
I’m planning to post more in my “Japanese Foods” page of this blog but I’m always running out of time…
November 1st, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Great article about Izakaya, we have some sushi bars (with conveyor belts) I like them too !
November 2nd, 2008 at 4:47 am
This place looks like it would be a lot of fun, and tasty foods. I love that they have pictured menu so you know what you are ordering! Now I am hungry…looking at food blogs before bed is a bad idea
I do look fwd to more food posts!
November 2nd, 2008 at 10:06 am
@Steve,
Thanks! The Sushi restaurant with conveyor belts is called Kaitenzushi in Japan. Very casual & reasonable place to eat Sushi and so, it’s even used by family with small children very casually. We can also order beer or Japanese sake out there.
If we decide to go to authentic Sushi restaurant & bar in Japan, that’ll cost us much (of course the taste is so awesome and raw fish is so fresh) like over US$50 per person. But Kaitenzushi costs half or much less than that, depending on how many plates we eat.
@Jaclyn,
YES! This place is fun! We can just order whatever we want to try for reasonable price, get laid back chatting with friends or relaxing with boyfriend or girlfriend, and don’t even have to think of any tip or dress code or table manner!
November 6th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Those dishes look so oshii
Hello , Kirin , I’m from Belgium and planning to go over to Japan on holiday.
Thank you for your lovely food posts ( keep them coming
). ( Note to self : Must visit Izakaya )
I love eating and cooking Japanese dishes ( check out my blog at http://brandnewbearings.blogspot.com/2008/10/bright-new-morning.html and http://brandnewbearings.blogspot.com/2008/10/colourful-seafruit.html)
The taste of really fresh fish prepared as sashimi is awesome, don’t you think so ?
See you
November 6th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Did I say oshii ,
it’s oishii ofcourse 
November 6th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
@Walter,
Are you planning to travel in Japan?
Then, please try Izakaya and Nabe Ryori as I comment on your post, when it’s autumn or winter. Also, please try Ryokan, or authentic Japanese-styled hotel with Futon bed on Tatami mat for sleep and delicious Sashimi & fresh veges cuisine that is served for you to eat at your room. If you’re OK, it’s good if you try Onsen, or hot spring…
Our culture is so different from Western countries, and so you’ll be so interested in our original way of living, which however nowadays is more westernized, though…
You seem to understand some Japanese words.
I’m planning to add more posts at other pages of my blog, such as “Japanese Foods” or “Learn Japanese” but at a moment I’m always running out of time at the end of the day, but I hope any of those posts do some help for you.
November 6th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Yes , I’m planning to travel there : traveling and meeting foreign cultures broadens the mind
! ( And traveling and meeting foreign cooking also broadens the waistline , on most occasions 
)
) because I found that whatever country you’re in , people appreciate it if you’re at least making an effort an are able to say a few words in the local language. Which is why I can ask for the bill in 6 languages (and say cheers in 9 
).
Which is why I have started studying Japanese (well, started for the third time
Of course it would have to be a ryokan ,at an onsen preferably .
And eat onsen tamago. Oishii
Your posts are very helpful. Don’t worry about not having enough time to write as many post as you would like , kirin-chan , writing your blog should remain FUN and not become a JOB.
And I’ll definitely try making a Nabe Ryori dish.
See you.
By the way, is the banana diet still ‘hot’ in Japan, or have they moved on to something else?
November 6th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
@Walter,
That sounds pretty cool!
And I agree with your effort that you try to speak some words of the country where you’re travelling.
I love travelling around. But lately I have no money to make it.
At a moment I just cannot get out of this small island, but I’m happy to get connected with various people who kindly visit & comment to my blog.
Banana diet!? That’s way so long ago, and no one would go for it any longer by now
There are tons diet methods on TV, magazine, web, radio, and anywhere and I cannot even catch up with the hottest one. But as for me, I try to eat steamed rice at night, rather than pasta or bread, and the portion is less than half. I can eat other dishes as I like, just reducing carbohydrates. This is a casual way of so-called “low-carbohydrate diet” I guess 
June 21st, 2010 at 6:15 pm
i like reading food blogs because i am always seeking for new recipes..“
October 11th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
i love food blogs because i love to eat tasty and sweet foods*:-
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