I'm baaaaaaack! And I've been away too long. The menu is mostly the same, but there are a few new specials, and I still can't get enough. Every dish is enchanting, every flavor entrancing. No details is overlooked, no plate too simple, no ingredient too small.
Let's start a little lighter with a Cold Inaniwa Udon. Boasting the best udon noodles in Japan, this mat-full of noodles comes with high expectations. Thinner than the ropy noodles I'm used to, these rock a dense, thready stretch. Dipping sauce streams from the smooth surface, a cool, clinging mix of mirin and soy.
A Grilled Spicy Sesame Chicken is a gamble for a girl who hates sesame oil. The cutlet comes murky-brown on a jet-black plate. A swamp monster rears its scaly sesame-seeded back in a sesame oil pond. Oh no, I hate sesame oil. But wait, what is this flavor? This added layer of complexity and depth? The oil brings out the savor in the chicken, and the seedy crust adds texture and umami. Maybe it's just a piece of chicken, but it is also the first I've ever enjoyed sesame oil.
The Beef Tongue is a grilled classic. A delicate outside char, a juicy-red paradise at its core. It's impossible to stop at one plate, and we showed restraint with two.
The Octopus & Daikon Radish Salad is a sort of reset between meaty mouthfuls. The octopus is blow-your-mind tender, the daikon is crisp and refreshing, and the ginger dressing is a delicate brush.
The Pork Cheek is one we get less often, and it's one we should get more of. The yuzu adds spunky citrus to a marbled meat, and each bite is as melty and rich as the beef tongue.
There needs to be another starch, and an Onigiri gets the job done. This one is packed with spicy cod roe for all sorts of creamy, fishy bliss.
The Jidori Omelet is full of sweetness and dashi broth. A classic end to a fantastic spread, one that never gets old.
Izakaya Hachi is as Japanese as its creators. The menu never ages, fantastic food that never gets old. Even the food I hate are undeniably delicious, and there's nothing I'm not enamored with. Izakaya Hachi has a menu that just can't miss, and I love it a little more every single time.
No comments:
Post a Comment