This post was written in 2008. Shop details and prices may have changed since then.
Japanese-style izakaya seem to be popular in Korea too, but I doubt they can match the flavors you get at an izakaya in Japan. (Not that I have any intention of dropping by a Korean izakaya to check…) I had a 5,000-yen discount voucher I won at the bingo game at a Christmas party, so to use it I went to one of the better-regarded Japanese izakaya in my neighborhood.
Oolong tea
It’s what people who don’t drink usually order at an izakaya. I can’t drink oolong tea, so I ordered a ginger ale instead. I had to drive, you see.
The standard side dishes
Even the basic appetizer was tasty.
Tofu ankake
Ankake is a Chinese-style dish. This one was a bit ordinary.
Assorted sashimi
Sashimi in Japan really is delicious. Since this place specializes in fish, it seemed even fresher.
Wagyu steak.
The cooking here is skillful. Not just the steak, even the onions were good.
Time to order some rice dishes.
Tendon
The tempura is delicious. Must be the quality of the ingredients.
Unagi-don
Hmm… It’s decent, but not as good as what you get at an eel specialist. It’s twice the price, and less satisfying than the tendon.
Rice has arrived, so side dishes come too.
Miso soup
It always comes with a set meal in Japan.
Honmoroko, a small fish, nanban-style marinated
Tasty, though nothing special.
Gobo tai aradaki, simmered burdock and sea bream
Maybe the main dish of the night… It’s a flavor I love.
Nodoguro shioyaki (salt-grilled)
This guy costs a whopping 2,000 yen per fish. It’s called nodoguro (“black throat”) because the inside of its throat is black. It’s insanely good. ^_^ A winter delicacy.
And so I ate really well. Bringing out seasonal ingredients is the foundation of Japanese izakaya cooking. Izakaya are better when you go in a group, but they’re definitely pricey. Even leaving out the expensive drinks, it’s at least 3,000 to 4,000 yen or more per person. But in Korea it’s even more expensive, and the drinks aren’t good either -_- so I can’t see myself going out of my way to visit a Korean izakaya. (I think I’d say no even if someone offered to treat me.)