I happened to hear online that an izakaya specialising in Japanese craft beer had recently opened, so I made a reservation and went on purpose. To be honest, just like with Japanese local wine, there aren’t that many places in Japan doing local beer properly (it’s not Germany or Britain, after all..), which made me want to go all the more. If I actually found a really good local beer, that would be a remarkable experience in its own way. It’s near Otsuka Station, but it’s tucked inside a building, so you can’t see it straight from the station. “Bakushu” is the Japanese word for beer, though people usually just say “biiru,” so the kanji word isn’t used much. The place advertises itself as specialising in beer and oysters.
Otoshi
It’s daikon, and it’s cooked well enough. Prices across the menu were cheap. But maybe because it had only just opened, the service was really poor. I hope it gets better.
Food menu
Compared with Kyorakutei, where I went before, it’s not even half as long. I know it had just opened, but it was a bit disappointing.
Beer menu
It’s packed with unusual local beers. Apparently they all come straight from the breweries. I’ve seen plenty of places stocking regional nihonshu or shochu, but this is the first time I’ve seen it done with beer. So this kind of business works too.
Pale ale
I took the photo after we’d already toasted, so it’s gone down a bit. It tastes like it was made with some care, but is it truly delicious.. hmm.. It was as fresh as drinking it at the source, but not especially moving. And the snacks weren’t hearty enough to go with beer, which left me a bit unsatisfied.
Apple Hop
A beer that’s supposed to taste of apple. Unusual beers like this make it worth coming all the way here.
Ebi miso
I’d seen kani miso (crab innards) before, but ebi miso was a first, so I ordered it. It’s basically the innards of shrimp gathered together. The flavour was richer than it looks. A bit more refined than kani miso, but the small portion was a letdown.
Ume shiitake
A mushroom dish. This portion was way too small too..
IKS Black Steam
A beer with a complicated name, and clean-tasting the way Japanese beers are. I can’t say it beats Guinness, though..
Atsuage
Fried tofu simmered in broth. So-so..
Nikujaga
A standard nikujaga. It tasted good, but again the portion was tiny.. Not great as a beer snack.
#B-IPA
A beer with a fun name. I think it was fairly mild.
Basil potato salad
Again not bad, but the portion was on the small side.. Still, ordering lots of little things, I was starting to get reasonably full.
Kaki fry
Fried oysters, which, considering oysters are this place’s speciality, were rather ordinary.
Kibinago
A fish rather like an anchovy, and it tasted so-so. A delicacy, though.
Shizen Bakushu (natural beer)
I remember it tasting very fresh. The pity is that however well beer is made, it never tastes truly luxurious.
I can’t remember what this was..
Apart from the very clumsy service, it was worth a visit. It’s an izakaya with a fun concept, after all. The prices were really cheap too. The service will probably improve in a few months. But for me, with so many other places to go, I’m not sure I’ll ever come back to Otsuka to drink. Probably not any time soon.