Shoya Izakaya

 

One thing that I've always been trying to try is an authentic Japanese Izakaya.  Izakayas are the original gastropubs.  These are restaurants that serve a wide variety of food that goes well with beer or sake.  This place has a large menu with pictures of every item to give you an idea of what to expect.

This type of restaurant is the kind of place that I like.  First, the staff here is all Japanese, a true sign of quality and respectability.  I know this may sound discriminatory, but from my experience, this is true.  

There are items of many sizes for sharing or for yourself.  Being my first time here or at any izakaya, I go with a sampling of their small plates to get a sense of the food.

Takoyaki

This is a common street snack found in Osaka.  Even though there is a restaurant near my home where I can get this, I’ve actually never had this before.  These are octopus balls with batter served with rice seasoning, oftaku sauce and kewpie mayonnaise.  It’s best to eat them right away when there piping hot.  It may sound ridiculous since the batter is still liquefied and feels like lava in your mouth.  The one thing that bummed me out there is that they didn’t add any bonito flakes or katsuobushi.

Kushiyaki

This is another izakaya staple: grilled meat and sometimes veggies on a stick.  This plate has mushrooms, chicken wings, cherry tomatoes wrapped in bacon, chicken with scallions, and yakitori.  The grilling over the charcoal gives everything a nice crust, even the bacon.  The tomato and bacon is a very interesting combination.  Even though I don't like cherry tomatoes, I found the combination of bacon fat and tomato juice to be perfect.  The fat mellows the tartness of the tomato.

Hamachi Kama

This is part of the collar of the yellowtail that is grilled and served with grated radish and peppers.  The collar is surrounded by cartilage, which retains the moisture in the flesh.  One bite through the crust and inside is some of the moistest fish meat ever.  This was so good I even ate the fins, which crunch like chips.

Tako no Sunomono

Strangely enough, I ended my meal with the appetizers.  This is a traditional salad of two types of seaweed, cucumbers, and octopus over rice wine vinegar.  This would have a great way to wet the appetite due to the sour kick from the vinegar.  But I guess it works as a palate cleanser as well.

Steamed Uni Sushi

This was one of their daily specials.  Instead of being served cold, it is quickly steamed until warm.  The steaming brings out the flavor of the uni and is, in my opinion, a better pairing with the sushi rice.  Sea urchin has a flavor that is hard to describe since it is so unique.  The rice is just as important or more important than the fish or seafood on top of it, depending on the sushi chef who you ask.  

There was still so much more I wanted to try, but I wasn't going to destroy my wallet or my stomach. And I felt that it wasn't the greatest spread to a good idea.  But hey, I got to try takoyaki for the first time.  To be honest, this is not the greatest izakaya in the world.  I'm sure there are places that use better ingredients and better techniques.  But this was good enough for a first try.  Authentic Japanese food, like in much of the country, is not easily accessible.  There is so much more to Japanese than sushi.  Just see for yourself.  I only just scratched the surface.

6035 Peachtree Rd, Ste A101

Doraville, GA 30360