No, I am not adding Tokyo Saturdays to Tokyo Thursdays.
I did mention Izakaya this week but did not go into much details about.
It just happens that I just read Liquor store where you linger by Mark Robinson in today's FT that covers the same topic.
He suggests that comparing an Izakaya to a pub would not do it justice. Maybe more like a neighborhood place where local residents and those working nearby stop by for drinks and food.
To give us a feel for it he tells us "that the word izakaya combines the characters “to remain”; “alcohol”; and “shop” – in other words, a liquor store where you linger. And it is true that many a neighbourhood izakaya, like the local UK boozer, are community hubs with casts of characters and ongoing narratives".
It is not a pretentious place, Mark Robinson suggests that "the menu is like a road map and the diners are at the wheel, calling out orders as the mood takes them. All dishes are inexpensive."
The article is excerpted from his book, Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook (published in March in the UK by Kodansha Europe and in May in the US).
The book cover illustrates this piece.
Other Japanese Food Guides: Keiko, a smart and sassy woman with a must have Japanese cookbook for the American kitchen
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