Props to the redditor who suggested this Izakaya Asobu, we finally got to try them out last night and wow! This place is amazing. My wife and I have passed by for like the last half year but never noticed it since it’s so discreet.
They run a happy hour from 6-8pm so we managed to catch the tail end of it. The 1st pic is the karaage; it’s juicy, double fried and easily some of the best karaage I’ve ever had. The portion is big too; feels more like ordering fried chicken than a little appetizer on happy hour. The aioli they include too is super tasty.
We also got their truffle fries which they use a Japanese mountain potato and it’s got a great balance of truffle flavor, salt and earthy/rooty goodness from the potato itself.
The yellowtail carpaccio we got was incredible. Six, large and fatty cuts of yellowtail in a lovely yuzu, olive oil base. Must’ve been yellowtail belly or we got really lucky with our cuts cuz it was wonderfully fatty. Perfectly seasoned as well.
But the real star here was that gyu-suji curry and rice. My god. The meat was so tender and fatty. The curry was so damn rich. The manager was telling us they cook the curry overnight so it’s super flavorful. I mean, we smelled it from the moment we walked in and knew we had to order it. But wow, this was eyes rolling back good.
All in all this place was great. Food was excellent and the service was very friendly. The ambiance is super cozy as well. Small place but worth the visit. Pricing is solid; their happy hour items ranged between $10-15 for the 1st 3 items. The carpaccio and curry was a little pricier in the $20-25 range but very very worth it. Also got a Japanese Coedo black lager and an Asahi. In total it was about $94 for 5 items and 2 drinks. But we were stuffed and very happy.
by AsianRainbow
Dining and Cooking