Izakaya Mai (居酒屋 舞) is always crowded (http://www.izakayamai.com/). Whenever we go there, there is a long line waiting. I was always curious about why people were so patient.
Now I know.
It was an early Wednesday afternoon when I arrived at Izakaya Mai and found no one was waiting. (They open at 6pm, at I arrived at 5:50pm, and they let me in!). So it was my first taste, and the taste that totally explained why people spent hours waiting-----totally worth it!
Unique features:
Run by a friendly Japanese couple. The lady gets order and bills, and the man prepares sushi. The whole restaurant seats only 20-30 people, but it has a cheerful and home-like atmosphere. Unique home-style and bold Japanese menu.
Pleasant surprises:
1. Illustrated menu One problem I always have with Japanese restaurant is that I never knew what I ordered until they come. I cannot remember all the Japanese names except for "wasabi", and the English description is somewhat inaccurate. So it is absolutely awesome to have a well-illustrated menu that you can just point you index finger to your favorite picture and say :"I want this one!"
2. Fresh, tight sushi roll and nigiri
A fresh, shiny piece of fish on top of pearly white rice is the most mouth-watering yet artistic scene you can find on a plate. Yet sometime it is annoy to pick up a piece of nigiri only to find out the rice is all over the place and you end up with a lonely piece of fish between your chopsticks. Not cool.
But it won't happen in here! The nigiri and rolls will keep their shapes until they arrive in your mouth.
3. Bold, hard-to-find Japanese dishes
Try the Salmon-Ikura Don if you are a dare-devil. Just don't put all the wasabi in it.
Cons:
Waiting time
Usually pretty long as the restaurant is pretty small. But if you arrive at 6 pm when they open you will be fine.
On my wish list:
I always wanted to try the extended list of Japanese beer and alcohol. Let me know how you like it!
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