Japan 2012 - First Dinner in Tokyo

After exploring the Asakusa area for a whole day, it was time for dinner. I came across this Izakaya next to the famous Asakusa Dori - the blue rainbow bridge. The place is buzzing with locals enjoying a pint and yakitori. Having a meal at an Izakaya for a non-Japanese can be a bit daunting. There is usually no English menu, and the servers hardly speak any English. I ended up just half-guessing the items on the menu and let my fingers do the talking - then wait and see what happens.

As they were really busy, the order took quite a while to arrive. Surprisingly they even served me an amuse bouche - a skewer of 2 meatballs drizzled in yakitori sauce. Very nice.

The order came as expected - 2 chicken skewers and 1 pork. All very simply seasoned with just salt and a very light marinade. And they were all really flavourful and tender - expertly done. There is nothing better than properly grilled meat - takes us back to our primeval days I guess!

The salad came with 3 dressings. I ended up trying all 3 and they were all very good !

Having a meal at an Izakaya is a very good way of getting to know the local dining scene. On top of that it is usually very tasty and more affordable then having a meal at a restaurant. Something I don't mind doing everyday !