Just some observations on the current izakaya situation in Japan compared to our previous experiences on our previous visits the last in 2017 (8 years ago). In the past getting a table at an izakaya was a relatively low key affair. You would find an izakaya where you wanted to eat. You would then in stick your head in the door ask if there was room (which there usually was) then entered to be seated. No reservation required. Once seated that spot was yours for the duration. There was no specification of allotted time, or the number of dishes or drinks you had to order in that specified time. Things are quite different now. It seems that Japan has been inundated with foreign tourists especially from China. The izakaya have been flooded with foreign customers and seating is limited. We saw many people turned away or told there would be a long wait before they could be served. In addition there are now a number of other restrictions including a maximum allotted time to use the table and required numbers of orders of food and drink. After some lack of success in appropriating a seating at izakaya we had selected we found the secret was to make a reservation even if it was only several hours before you wanted to eat. Once we discovered this secret we had much more success but it required us to plan more in advance. Things were not as spontaneous as before. Another difference we noticed is that many Izakayas in this area (many office workers) are into serving lunch and sometimes lunch is more emphasized than evening Izakaya. As a result, many of reviews on line are about lunch.
Tokyo Yaesu Kyobashi area 東京 八重洲, 京橋付近
1. Uokichi Sakaba Tokyo Branch 魚吉酒場東京店
1. Uokichi Sakaba Tokyo Branch 魚吉酒場東京店
東京都中央区京橋1丁目4−13 初音ビル 1F
Hatsune Bdg 1F
Kyobashi 1-4-13 Chuo-Ku, Tokyo
For reservation 050-5594-1328
Credit card accepted, Smoking allowed
This is a classic chain Izakaya. We went there because it was close to our hotel. We did not make any reservation and went there around 6 pm. We were told that we could have a table until 7:30 pm. The inside appeared to be newly renovated and very bright. The staff is all young and most of the customers are also young. The Sake selection was OK but not extensive. The food menu was also very classic for a chain izkaya. We had a sashimi assortment and several other dishes including fried food. Nothing extraordinary but not bad and the service was average. The reason we had to vacate by 7:30 became apparent as a group of people with cameras started gathering in front of the store. Apparently a YouTuber was making “contents” starting at 7:30.
2. Ichinokura Kyobashi-ten 一ノ倉京橋店
Hatsune Bdg 1F
Kyobashi 1-4-13 Chuo-Ku, Tokyo
For reservation 050-5594-1328
Credit card accepted, Smoking allowed
This is a classic chain Izakaya. We went there because it was close to our hotel. We did not make any reservation and went there around 6 pm. We were told that we could have a table until 7:30 pm. The inside appeared to be newly renovated and very bright. The staff is all young and most of the customers are also young. The Sake selection was OK but not extensive. The food menu was also very classic for a chain izkaya. We had a sashimi assortment and several other dishes including fried food. Nothing extraordinary but not bad and the service was average. The reason we had to vacate by 7:30 became apparent as a group of people with cameras started gathering in front of the store. Apparently a YouTuber was making “contents” starting at 7:30.
2. Ichinokura Kyobashi-ten 一ノ倉京橋店
東京都中央区京橋1丁目4−13
Kyobashi 1-4-13
Chuo-Ku, Tokyo
For reservation 03-3517-1570
Kyobashi 1-4-13
Chuo-Ku, Tokyo
For reservation 03-3517-1570
Credit card accepted
Non-smoking with smoking area
We visited this Izakaya 8 years ago. We came here because it was next door to Uokichi and, for nostalgic reason, we decide to try it again. This was slightly more upscale than “Uokichi”. The entrance is at ground level, but you had to go down one floor. We had not made a reservation. Again, we were told we could have a table until 7 pm since the only available table had a reservation starting at 7:30 pm which left us about 1 hour. So we were ushered to a semi private room/booth. The server tried to be as efficient as possible. I asked for a sake recommendation first. He recommended one sake so we said “yes” but he came back and said “sorry we are out”. As compared to 8 years ago, the sake selection was not as extensive. Our first order was assorted sashimi which came in a shallow bowl covered with a dry ice induced fog, which entirely obliterated the view of sashimi (see below). Although nothing could be seen because of the fog the server pointed into it “identifying” the unseeable fish varieties that were supposedly there and explaining what kind of sashimi we got.
The sashimi was ok except for Tai perch which was so chewy my wife could not eat it. So she chewed for a while and spitted it out and hid it under the garnish of “Otoshi”. That did not escape the keen eyed server’s notice. He asked “Oh, she cannot eat raw fish?” I answered “Yes she can but this was too chewy even for me” which shut him up. (This chewy Tai repeated in other izakaya we visited except for one in Kyoto called ‘Irodori” (more details later).) In any case, we were less impressed with our experience at this izakaya than we were 8 years prior and made an early retreat.
We visited this Izakaya 8 years ago. We came here because it was next door to Uokichi and, for nostalgic reason, we decide to try it again. This was slightly more upscale than “Uokichi”. The entrance is at ground level, but you had to go down one floor. We had not made a reservation. Again, we were told we could have a table until 7 pm since the only available table had a reservation starting at 7:30 pm which left us about 1 hour. So we were ushered to a semi private room/booth. The server tried to be as efficient as possible. I asked for a sake recommendation first. He recommended one sake so we said “yes” but he came back and said “sorry we are out”. As compared to 8 years ago, the sake selection was not as extensive. Our first order was assorted sashimi which came in a shallow bowl covered with a dry ice induced fog, which entirely obliterated the view of sashimi (see below). Although nothing could be seen because of the fog the server pointed into it “identifying” the unseeable fish varieties that were supposedly there and explaining what kind of sashimi we got.
The sashimi was ok except for Tai perch which was so chewy my wife could not eat it. So she chewed for a while and spitted it out and hid it under the garnish of “Otoshi”. That did not escape the keen eyed server’s notice. He asked “Oh, she cannot eat raw fish?” I answered “Yes she can but this was too chewy even for me” which shut him up. (This chewy Tai repeated in other izakaya we visited except for one in Kyoto called ‘Irodori” (more details later).) In any case, we were less impressed with our experience at this izakaya than we were 8 years prior and made an early retreat.
