What is an izakaya? The Japanese tavern
What is an izakaya
The word joins “i” (to stay) and “sakaya” (sake shop). It began as a shop where sake could be drunk on the spot. Today it is a lively place where Japanese people gather after work.
What you eat at an izakaya
Plates to share: yakitori (skewers), karaage (fried chicken), edamame, tempura, sashimi, pickles, tofu, salads and rice dishes. You order little by little, at the pace of the drinks.
The word joins “i” (to stay) and “sakaya” (sake shop).
What you drink
Beer, sake, shochu, whisky highballs, umeshu (plum liqueur) and tea. Many izakayas offer a “nomihodai” (all-you-can-drink for a limited time).
Izakaya versus tasting-menu restaurant
The izakaya is informal and ordered à la carte. A tasting menu, by contrast, is a closed sequence of courses devised by the chef. Both share care for the produce and the idea of sharing the table.
Experience Teppei Nii’s cuisine
Japanese-Mediterranean tasting menu in the heart of Eixample, Barcelona.