IZAKAYA: FOR THOSE JAPANESE CRAVINGS WHILE IN ZAGREB, CROATIA
The Cost - $19 per person
The Atmosphere – Inspired by the cozy izakayas (pub-style dining) popular in Japan, Izakaya has a modern, minimalist interior with attractive wood finishes, ambient lighting and walls decorated with stylized murals. The restaurant has an outdoor terrace to enjoy in the warmer weather and is a great place for a casual dinner on a weeknight or something a trendier on a weekend evening. Reservations and credit cards are both accepted.
Restoran Izakaya is a Japanese restaurant that serves sushi and other Japanese fare as well as Asian fusion dishes. The restaurant has received a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide, a designation which highlights restaurants with great food at a price generally below $40 per person, for the past few years. To get a taste of what is supposedly some of the best, if not the best, Japanese food around, we went to Izakaya for dinner.
The Order – Spicy Tuna Uramaki, Pulled Duck Bun, Salmon Signature Roll, Karaage Donburi.
The Great – The Pulled Duck Bun made for a tasty appetizer and came out in a traditional bamboo steamer basket. Plump and fluffy, they were generously filled with shredded confit duck and drizzled with a sticky hoisin sauce. The meat was juicy and flavorful and, though the sauce was a little sweeter than normal, it combined well with the cabbage, coleslaw and roasted onion to create a good balance overall. The buns, which came two to an order, were easily shareable between two people and were a nice way to kick off the meal.
The Karaage Donburi was one of several ‘rice-bowl’ dishes on the menu and came presented in an attractive blue ceramic bowl. A serving of sushi rice was topped with crispy fried chicken, glazed in a sweet, tangy and spicy sauce. It was accompanied with kimchi and marinated cucumber, Korean BBQ sauce and topped with sesame seeds and greens. The chicken to rice ratio was good and all of the flavors combined really well together. Although it wasn’t a traditional version of the karaage, a Japanese fried chicken, and was actually more like a General Tso’s chicken, it definitely worked and I would happily order it again.
The Good – The Salmon Signature Roll consisted of four pieces of sushi and came out very prettily presented, with a sprinkling of black and white sesame seeds and amber beads of fish roe decorating the outside. The rolls were topped with salmon and filled entirely with cucumber. A generous touch of togarashi seasoning gave them a medium spice level. Overall, there was too much cucumber and not enough salmon in the rolls. While not a bad choice, this roll didn’t exactly wow me.
The other sushi dish that was ordered was the Spicy Tuna Uramaki. While the four pieces of the roll were a bit larger than normal, it wasn’t more filling than the average American speciality sushi roll. Both the sushi rice and the spicy tuna were prepared well and the roll was presented nicely with a sprinkling of black and white sesame seeds on top. The spice level was quite mild. At $6 the dish wasn’t the best value though it was solid.
The Verdict – All of the food at Izakaya was enjoyable and tasty though the hot dishes were better than the sushi. Despite that, I thought the sushi was surprisingly good for a city which is far from known for its Asian food. If you are looking for a lighter alternative to the rich and hearty dishes typical of Croatia, Izakaya is a solid choice for dinner while in Zagreb.