What is izakaya?
Izakaya is a traditional Japanese pub that is kind of a mix between an Irish pub and a Spanish tapas bar. In Japan, Izakaya is a type of restaurant where locals head to for a few drinks with co-workers or friends and some small dishes to share amongst the group in a casual setting.
As a yakitori lover, this is one of the spots that I cannot stop going for a few drinks on a Friday evening whether it is with friends, colleagues or by myself. I never see Izakaya as a place for just its food, that is not to say that the food is not good, but in fact it is quite the opposite, the food is lovely and will order a lot more if I have the money. Not paying close attention to what you ordered, a meal can cost more than $100. But if you have no limit to how much you can spend and just want to enjoy some good food with good beer and hang out with friends, Kintaro Izakaya is the place for you.
Kintaro Izakaya’s Yakitori + Beer = Best Friday Night Combo
Sunazuri (砂ずり) – Gizzard ($6)
Kintaro Izakaya is a great spot to social with others because of how the restaurant operates. The overall atmosphere of Kintaro Izakaya is quite different from places like Kinka Izakaya where every customer that walks through the door, whether it is entering or leaving the restaurant, are expected to be greeted by some lively yells of Japanese welcome or thank you. So far, I have been to the Izakaya three times, and the restaurant is packed each time I visited; therefore, the wait time in the restaurant is expected to be generally longer. Regardless of how busy the restaurant is, the servers still treat each and every customer well.
If you are wondering what I order usually for my Friday evening, here it is. It will always be one of the four above yakitoris (chicken skewers) + a pitcher of Sapporo + a main dish if I am feeling some extra food. The meal is always very pleasant and will definitely remain as my go-to place for a chill and casual Friday evening.
To learn more about Kintaro Izakaya, check out their page here.