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Izakaya Cuisine

Styles of Izakaya Cuisine

Izakaya food can be hard to define. It’s essentially thought of as Japanese “comfort food” and that can take up many distinct styles. Everyone will end up having different preferences and should try to find an izakaya that serves the style food you’re in the mood for. Many izakayas will try to be all things to all people – they’ll serve a variety of these styles of food, though sometimes that backfires as they’ll not make anything particularly well. This can still work, because drinking is often the reason people go.

That said, here are a few of the most common styles of Japanese food served at izakayas.

Yakitori – grilled (yaki) chicken (tori) skewers. Almost a ubiquitous izakaya food.

Robata – slow grilled in an open fire pit.

Ramen – bowls of delicious noodle soup. So many styles, so many shops. Not always true izakayas, but worth a visit anyway.

Sushi – yes, sushi is served at izakayas, usually has an opening dish before the sweetness of the raw fish can be overwhelmed by other more robust flavors.

More styles coming soon!

 

Kampai!

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ShochuTengokuKANPAI.US@ShochuTengoku·
8 Jan

This coming week's #shochusday promises to be a memorable one. @ChrisPellegrini & @shochu_danji tackle Korean #soju rather than Japanese #shochu. Please leave weapons at home. https://kanpai.us/event/shochu-pros-shochusday-34-soju/

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Shochu Reviews

iichiko Kurobin

My personal favorite iichiko brand available in the US is iichiko Kurobin. Kurobin is literally translated as "black bottle," which is a pretty on the nose description of this evocative packaging. It is simply too pretty to throw away after finishing.

Shochu Reviews

Tasting Notes: The SG Shochu MUGI

The SG Shochu MUGI Label
The SG Shochu MUGI wraps several barley shochu identities into one. It's lightly barrel-aged and carries the associated sweet notes. But there's also a graininess that is revealed when the temperature of the drink drops. It's a versatile barley shochu that can be enjoyed a variety of ways.

iichiko silhouette

This iichiko silhouette is probably the most common Japanese shochu currently available in the United States. In NYC I’ve seen it in random mom & pop liquor stores as the only shochu among a shelf of sake options. It’s most commonly available in 750ml bottles, though I’ve seen other sizes in other countries. This is a great starter shochu, which is why I’ve chosen it for my first tasting note. It was my introduction to shochu back in 2008. I’d had Korean soju before, but Japanese shochu is a strikingly different (and better) experience.

The SG Shochu Cocktail Recipes

Bartender Shingo Gokan mixes a cocktail.
The SG Shochu brand manager, Joshin Atone, talks with Kanpai.us about shochu's versatility and potential in the cocktail. He also shares three recipes for bartenders to try.

Shochu Reviews

Tasting Notes: Nankai

Nankai Shochu
At first whiff, Nankai smells faintly grassy, which is common in kokuto shochu owing to how kokuto sugar is made from fresh cut cane and that fresh grassiness is a sign of well made kokuto sugar. Sugar cane is, after all, a tall perennial grass. It is still pretty wild that they can capture that after fermentation and distillation.

Tasting Notes: Lento Shochu

Lento is the top selling kokuto shochu in Japan, and it is available internationally as well. Try it on the rocks or with sparkling water for a refreshing taste of the Amami Islands. Kanpai!

Tasting Notes: The SG Shochu IMO

The SG Shochu IMO is a clear invitation to create the classic imo cocktail. If you get it right, it will resonate and cascade around the world until you can't not have sweet potato shochu on your menu if you consider yourself a proper drinking establishment.

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