Food - Drink
Izakaya: Japan's Casual, Communal Drinking And Dining Style
By CLARICE KNELLY
What Is It?
The Japanese characters for izakaya, 居酒屋, directly translate to "stay saké shop," and like the name implies these are great places for meeting friends, listening to music, dancing, drinking, eating, and even smoking which is often allowed inside. Much of the menu consists of beer, shōchū, and saké with food offerings.
What to Order
Although an Izakaya might sound like a bar, that's not quite the case, and customers are usually seated and enjoy plenty of sharable dishes. Depending on the menu, you might find Japanese staples like edamame, gyoza, and Karaage — Japanese fried chicken — or even Western options like pizza and French fries.
Izakaya in the U.S.
Outside of Japan, you can get an izakaya experience in major U.S. cities, like New York City and Los Angeles. New York City's ROKC — an acronym for ramen, oysters, kitchen, and cocktails — is a great spot although not entirely traditional, while Boston has Izakaya Ittoku and L.A. has spots like KOCHI and Izakaya Hachi.