Description
Despite the upscale decor and potentially sterile hotel location (Japantown's Kabuki), this restaurant manages to create the casual, welcoming vibe of Japan's convivial izakayas, where groups of friends or co-workers gather around a table for a few hours, knocking back large quantities of alcohol while fortifying themselves by sharing small plates of booze-friendly food. Best bets are the inexpensive yakimono (grilled items), particularly the pork belly and innards such as duck hearts and tripe; beer-battered onion rings; warm buckwheat soba; and hot beignets. Drink prices range from modest ($5 draft beers, a couple of $4 local sakes) to expensive (imported sake for $26 a glass or more than $200 a bottle).
