10 must-try izakaya dishes

Yuba sushi is a must at Gazen Izakaya (Credit: Mari Taketa)

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At Japanese pub-style eateries known as izakaya, the daily specials on the walls may be in Japanese, and you may be the only U.S. national in a 20-foot radius — but that’s a good thing. The wow factor of the food tends to rise in direct correlation to the percentage of home-country nationals at the tables. Here’s the rest of what you need to know: tips about izakaya dining, and a look at 10 must-try dishes found at four of our favorite places.

•    What’s your style? You want dishes that take you back to Grandma’s kitchen, or are you willing to have a fusion experimentalist reinvent the wheel? Izakaya fall into one of two categories. If you have a strong preference, call and ask.

•    Don’t be looking for Tempura Combo Set A. Izakaya aren’t about bento-style meals. They’re about slow eating, savoring, dish by dish and glass by glass, over the course of an evening.

•    In Hawaii and other states, izakaya include the obligatory sushi bar because patrons expect it. This isn’t the case in the home country, where sushi bars serve sushi and izakaya stick to specialties like yakitori or tapas-style dishes. I’m not saying it’s wrong to order sushi—I’m just saying!

•    A night of shochu or sake or beer will make you want to settle your stomach with something starchy, which is why you’ll find rice or noodle dishes on an izakaya menu. Save this for a comforting finale.

Okay now for the good part...

Take a look at these 10 must-try dishes.