Description
The best way to structure a meal at this izakaya (Japanese pub) is to go with a group and order a bunch of grilled items, and supplement them with an assortment of appetizers and specials. And you'll want some booze, either sake or soju. Best of the grilled skewers is the chicken skin, cut into dainty rectangles, accordioned onto a skewer, and dabbed with sticky barbecue sauce. The grilled whole Atka mackerel is good for sharing -- butterflied open so you can crunch the burnished, salty skin and fish between the bones for the steamy flesh. Look for the octopus dumplings -- called takoyaki -- bulbous, gooey balls filled with diced octopus and topped with a flurry of bonito flakes. And don't miss the tofu, which is made in-house: The jiggly, fresh-tasting result is used in dishes like atsu age ponz -- deep-fried tofu with ponzu sauce.
