Description
A tug of war has been waged lately over what constitutes an izakaya, or Japanese pub. These institutions arose back home when the island nation was first opened to the West in the 19th century, and izakayas were inspired by real English pubs that appeared in Tokyo. Because of their Western influences, these institutions have license to embroider on traditional Nipponese cuisine, in addition to presenting English and American dishes with Japanese twists. Thus the fried chicken at Rockmeisha comes topped with tartar sauce, and a version of Buffalo chicken wings is offered (skip it). The raw fish dishes, however, are superb, and what drew us to this place originally was a report in a Japanese food blog that the ramen noodles (made with a pig-foot broth) were some of the best in town. They are.
