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Shibuya Izakaya

Thanks to late-night venues like Shibuya Izakaya, the 24-hour drive-thru at the nearest corporate burger chain is much less attractive. Izakayas are Japanese restaurants that specialize in smaller meal options, a concept similar to the tapas craze that’s become popular over the last few years.

I enjoyed my first trip to Shibuya so much that I found myself back there a handful of days later to eat again. The menu at Shibuya Izakaya is broken down into several categories, starting with soup and salad options, and then expanding into kobachi (small dishes), agemono (deep-fried foods) and robata (grilled items), with approximately 15 options each. There is also a ton of sushi, sashimi and special rolls available. If you’re a fan of sake, both warm and cold choices are available, as well as shochu, a distilled Japanese liquor.

Both of my meals started off with tea ($1 per person). Since it was 99-cent oyster night on the evening of my inaugural visit, we decided to give them a shot. The oysters were topped with a light sauce and some thin slices of green onion that complemented them well.

We continued with two appetizers, the takoyaki — six pieces of deep-fried octopus croquette balls ($6.95) — and grilled Alaskan black cod marinated in a miso saikyo sauce ($10.95). Both were well received and thoroughly enjoyed. The takoyaki were so good I ordered them on my second visit despite wanting to try new items. The bonito flakes scattered on top of the takoyaki rounded out the dish nicely, taking it to a higher level.

The first evening my guest sampled a plate of yaki soba — thin noodles with vegetables and chicken ($10.95). I enjoyed ramen in a spicy broth ($10.95) with sliced tonkatsu pork cutlet ($3 extra) served on top. I realized that both choices were winners as I found myself scraping the bottom of my bowl while my guest took the balance of his generous portion to go.

We finished things off with scoops of green tea and coconut ice cream ($5.95 for six small scoops), which was more than enough for sharing. The green tea was the more enjoyable of the two, with soft, smooth flavour tones.

Just five days later, I found myself back, this time with my family in tow. In addition to the tea and takoyaki, the second meal began with korokke — four pieces of deep-fried curried mashed potatoes ($5.50). This was a great choice. The curry flavours were interesting enough to excite the senses but not so spicy as to ruin the dish. The potatoes were rich without being dry and were popular with everyone at the table.

We also ordered bacon-wrapped grilled asparagus ($6.95), which was superb. The bacon was well-cooked but not too crunchy, as was the asparagus. The food disappeared into our bellies within seconds of arrival. The final two choices were a tempura sampler consisting of two pieces of lightly battered prawns and four mixed vegetables ($7.50), and yakitori — three pieces of teriyaki chicken on skewers ($5.95).

I ordered a bowl of the curry-flavoured ramen, again with the tonkatsu pork cutlet. Just like the spicy version, the broth was excellent and had a nice gingery undertone. The noodles were perfect and the addition of half a hard-boiled egg and seaweed was both delicious and visually appealing.

Lastly, the service was attentive and courteous — an enjoyable dining experience. I expect I’ll be headed back soon to sample more of Shibuya’s great small-plate options.

Shibuya Izakaya, 449, 16th Ave. N.E., 403-277-8823.