This post was written in 2006. Shop details and prices may have changed since then.
I went to Uchida, an izakaya in Shinsaibashi (the sign reads Shukoudokoro Uchida). At a Japanese izakaya you can try all sorts of dishes with all sorts of drinks, so it can actually be a better place to enjoy food than a shop that specialises in a single dish. Of course, when a kitchen turns out that many dishes the quality can slip, but there are always exceptions..
The front
It’s a small place, but it has a nice atmosphere.
Imo shochu mizuwari (sweet potato shochu with water)
It comes with one huge chunk of ice. The taste was average.. We got into a discussion about what really good ice is. Apparently some ice looks hand-carved but is actually just frozen in a mould. Don’t get fooled~
The starter (otoshi).
On the left is aburaage (fried tofu) stir-fried with pork, and on the right is chicken. The aburaage and pork was a decent enough nibble with drinks, and the chicken tasted great, maybe because they use really fresh ingredients…
Assorted sashimi..
Not 100% fresh, but excellent for the price.
This is fried octopus
Dipped in salt it’s crispy and just killer with beer. They used fresh octopus, which made it even tastier.
This is a beef hotpot..
It didn’t taste bad, but the portion was a bit small and it was sweet. Then again, that’s just how the Japanese style is.. nothing new there.
This is saury (sanma)!
It’s the dish you usually get as a set meal at a Japanese restaurant.. I learned the truth that even the most ordinary fish tastes different when the freshness is different.
This is.. burdock and.. hmm.. I can’t remember..
The flesh had soaked up the seasoning nicely. It would have been great with a bowl of rice, but ^_^ I held back.
This is wagyu.
The freshness was fantastic.
You grate rock salt over it and dip.
The rock salt was really good..
Croquettes
Soft and smooth. A little rich, but perfect with beer.
Grilled rice balls (yaki onigiri).
Crispy outside, piping hot inside, and delicious.