Izakaya: are essentially Japanese taverns – drinking houses with a menu of small dishes for snacking while drinking. It literally means “stay sake shop” so traditionally this was a place where you could sit and drink on the premises. In today’s izakayas you can order food and drink and hang out with friends for an evening.
[http://kampai.us/izakayas]
Yebisu Izakaya has recently opened in Regents Place (next to Town Hall), and ever since its opening it has been attracting a lot of people. So get ready to wait or get there early if you want a spot :) My friends and I arrived there at around 6:30pm and we had a group of 7, we were told there was a large enough table for us however there is an 1.5 hr eating time limit (since it was busy) but a few of my friends had not arrived yet. So we decided to walk around and come back later once everyone arrived. The second time coming back we wait for about 15 minutes until we got a large enough table.
At the end of each table is an iPad where you order your food, ask for service, check your orders and the bill. This place is very similar to Wagaya and Mizuya (with the touch screen menus). A physical copy of the menu is also provided.
As we had a fairly large group we ordered quite a lot of food, but the portions are very small since it is meant to be a "snacking" place. My friends also ordered a lot of alcohol, that's why our bill was high, since I was driving I didn't drink so the overall cost for me was not as much as what my friends paid :P
We ended up ordering the usual Japanese dishes like Takoyaki octopus balls, sashimi, pork gyoza, edamame, bbq squid and Wagyu beef hot pot. The hot pot was extremely small, it was basically only enough for two people, but since we ordered a lot of small dishes it filled us up. By the end of the meal I don't think I was completely full but still very content with the food we ate.
The atmosphere of Yebisu Izakaya is very lively and the restaurant is lit with bright neon- lights that resemble Japanese street signage. The size of the restaurant is actually quite small, that's why there are limited seating, resulting in long waiting times.
At the end of each table is an iPad where you order your food, ask for service, check your orders and the bill. This place is very similar to Wagaya and Mizuya (with the touch screen menus). A physical copy of the menu is also provided.
As we had a fairly large group we ordered quite a lot of food, but the portions are very small since it is meant to be a "snacking" place. My friends also ordered a lot of alcohol, that's why our bill was high, since I was driving I didn't drink so the overall cost for me was not as much as what my friends paid :P
We ended up ordering the usual Japanese dishes like Takoyaki octopus balls, sashimi, pork gyoza, edamame, bbq squid and Wagyu beef hot pot. The hot pot was extremely small, it was basically only enough for two people, but since we ordered a lot of small dishes it filled us up. By the end of the meal I don't think I was completely full but still very content with the food we ate.
The atmosphere of Yebisu Izakaya is very lively and the restaurant is lit with bright neon- lights that resemble Japanese street signage. The size of the restaurant is actually quite small, that's why there are limited seating, resulting in long waiting times.
Edamame | $5.80
Pan Fried Pork Gyoza with Terriyaki / Ponzu Sauce | $7.80
Takoyaki Octopus Balls | $7.80
BBQ whole squid with butter | $15.80
Mix sashimi entree | $15.80
Wagyu Beef Sukiyaki Hot Pot (Sukiyaki Soup) | $32.80
Touch screen menus
Hard copy of the menu
The bill
Overall, a very good place to experience Japanese Izakaya, but if you want a good filling meal I wouldn't recommend this place. However, this is a fantastic place to hang out with friends :) So I highly recommend it for social gatherings!