Izakaya Tenkichi Izakaya Tenkichi opened in February of this year, and the entrance is up the stairs next to the popular local izakaya Toriton on the first floor. In addition to a wide variety of tempura, the restaurant offers a seafood menu including sashimi, hand-rolled sushi, and “Ate-maki,” a seaweed roll with ingredients that can be served as a “topping” for sake. The restaurant is characterized by its cheerful and energetic staff. The dishes are also very dynamic, and I was surprised by the thick salmon with ponzu sauce on it. The famous Wasshoi Ikura Donburi ($45/$59) is served with salmon roe spilling out of the bowl as the staff shouts, “Wasshoi! and the staff spoon the salmon roe over the rice to the point where it spills out. Tempura includes seafood such as shrimp and kisses, must-order abalone from Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii, vegetables, and mushrooms, as well as crispy fried snacks such as pork shiso plum, shiso mentaiko, Brie cheese, egg rolls, and saki ika. Ten-tsuyu (soy sauce) goes well with these, but salt is recommended. Try the Kauai salt, yuzu (yuzu citrus), or kombu (kelp) salt, all from the island of Kauai, which is considered a famous salt-producing region. Prices range from about $5 to $6 for two tempura, $4 to $15 for snacks, and $1 for one atomaki, all at local prices. Because of its location on King Street, most of the customers are locals and most of the staff are Japanese. You can experience “izakaya culture in Hawaii” here.
Waikiki Shokudo A new izakaya has opened in the middle of Waikiki. Waikiki Shokudo is a new izakaya that opened in Waikiki by a company that operates a soba izakaya in Kaimuki. Located across from the Duty Free Shop (DFS) building, the spacious restaurant is spread out on the second floor, up a flight of stairs from an unassuming entrance that is difficult to find at first glance. In a chic and relaxed atmosphere, creative dishes were on the menu at surprisingly reasonable prices. Cold snacks such as tako-wasaya (octopus balls), boiled yam, and homemade tofu cost $5 to $6. The signature Okinawa Sweet Potato Salad ($13) is a potato salad made with sweet purple potatoes and topped with seasoned egg and salmon roe. The pork shabu salad ($13) with plenty of vegetables and chips was also quite tasty. There were many dishes on the menu, such as tomato meat roll, lettuce meat roll, char-grilled beef tongue, and seared shime saba (mackerel), and three or four of us could enjoy a variety of dishes while sharing them. The honey toast for dessert may be familiar in Japan, but the look from the man sitting next to me, a tourist from the U.S. mainland, pierced me painfully. He was staring at me so intently that I asked him, “Would you like to try some?” He laughed and said, “I’ll order it after dinner! His eyes lit up. It was fun to meet people from areas where izakaya are not so familiar to them.
© Source travel watch
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