Izakaya
An Izakaya is essentially what we in North America call a bar or a pub. Except the food is 100x better and the alcohol is surprisingly cheap. Charcoal seared meat skewers called ‘yakitori’ is practically the staple of a good Izakaya. Other foods include Japanese fried chicken called ‘karaage’ [kara-a-geh], yakisoba which is stir-fried noodles, and many other small dishes that all taste amazing.
This one Izakaya in particular stood out to me. Most Izakaya’s are in next to other Izakaya’s. Like a tiny neighbourhood of bars and restaurants with flashy lights everywhere. But this place stood out. It’s on a small road, nearby a small train station, and surrounded by houses and businesses that are all closed in the evening. It’s a really quiet street with not a lot of foot traffic. But amidst the evening darkness, there’s a warm glow coming from halfway down the road. And it’s this Izakaya. As you get closer you hear the cheers and jeers from the happy patrons inside.
It’s these places out in the middle of nowhere that tend to have the best and this Izakaya was no exception. The owner, despite speaking next to no English, was incredibly friendly and welcome, as were the other patrons. It was one of my favourite dining and drinking experiences in Japan.
An Izakaya is essentially what we in North America call a bar or a pub. Except the food is 100x better and the alcohol is surprisingly cheap. Charcoal seared meat skewers called ‘yakitori’ is practically the staple of a good Izakaya. Other foods include Japanese fried chicken called ‘karaage’ [kara-a-geh], yakisoba which is stir-fried noodles, and many other small dishes that all taste amazing.
This one Izakaya in particular stood out to me. Most Izakaya’s are in next to other Izakaya’s. Like a tiny neighbourhood of bars and restaurants with flashy lights everywhere. But this place stood out. It’s on a small road, nearby a small train station, and surrounded by houses and businesses that are all closed in the evening. It’s a really quiet street with not a lot of foot traffic. But amidst the evening darkness, there’s a warm glow coming from halfway down the road. And it’s this Izakaya. As you get closer you hear the cheers and jeers from the happy patrons inside.
It’s these places out in the middle of nowhere that tend to have the best and this Izakaya was no exception. The owner, despite speaking next to no English, was incredibly friendly and welcome, as were the other patrons. It was one of my favourite dining and drinking experiences in Japan.
An Izakaya is essentially what we in North America call a bar or a pub. Except the food is 100x better and the alcohol is surprisingly cheap. Charcoal seared meat skewers called ‘yakitori’ is practically the staple of a good Izakaya. Other foods include Japanese fried chicken called ‘karaage’ [kara-a-geh], yakisoba which is stir-fried noodles, and many other small dishes that all taste amazing.
This one Izakaya in particular stood out to me. Most Izakaya’s are in next to other Izakaya’s. Like a tiny neighbourhood of bars and restaurants with flashy lights everywhere. But this place stood out. It’s on a small road, nearby a small train station, and surrounded by houses and businesses that are all closed in the evening. It’s a really quiet street with not a lot of foot traffic. But amidst the evening darkness, there’s a warm glow coming from halfway down the road. And it’s this Izakaya. As you get closer you hear the cheers and jeers from the happy patrons inside.
It’s these places out in the middle of nowhere that tend to have the best and this Izakaya was no exception. The owner, despite speaking next to no English, was incredibly friendly and welcome, as were the other patrons. It was one of my favourite dining and drinking experiences in Japan.
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