The mistake I make most often when interpreting the idea and custom of izakaya is focusing on the food — which is like Japanese tapas — when the real focus should be on the sake.
"Zakaya" (or, correctly, "sakaya") is a sake shop, and these small, informal places to drink, eat and commune offer small bites and sake, sometimes in an all-you-can-eat/drink format with large, plastic-covered picture menus to describe the food and combinations.
Chains of these sake pubs have become popular all over Japan — sort of like Waffle Houses with booze. Or a British pub. It's the corner watering hole, Japanese-style. And like a bona fide tapas bar, the idea is to order lots of small nibbles, keep them coming steadily, and worry about the tab at the end.
We have tapas; we have mezze. We even have dim sum to a degree. With the surge of the gastropub's popularity on this side of the Atlantic — and in Atlanta, specifically — it was only a matter of time before someone opened an izakaya. Miso Izakaya opened a couple of months ago on Edgewood Avenue on the edge of Inman Park, the effort of chef-owner Gioi Hoang, whose heritage is Chinese.
Hoang grew up in the restaurant industry; his parents were the owners of the original Chinese Buddha on 14th Street and Sam's Gourmet and Vegetarian Paradise, both on Roswell Road. He and his brother, Hoan Hoang, opened Chinese Buddha on 10th Street almost two years ago.
A graduate of Georgia State's business school, Wong has been a hairdresser, a delivery boy (for his parents) and studied culinary arts in Japan, where he apparently was bitten by the izakaya bug. I've watched all winter as the small, modern space has come together. The plan was to open in January; when the doors finally opened in February its minimal decor and strong accents of wood gave a light, yet sophisticated touch to the surroundings.
Is it true izakaya? I suppose that's up to the izakaya beholder, but I'll give these facts for reference: There's a sushi bar (this is Atlanta, after all). Izakaya places might offer sashimi and the like, but not usually a sushi bar. Of the offerings of small plates, there are very few dishes that are traditional izakaya favorites, such as karaage (think chicken nuggets) and agedashi tofu (deep fried tofu). Some izakaya specialize in yakitori (grilled meat skewers), which isn't offered at Miso either — at least not when I visited.
The other thing that isn't on the menu is sake. Or beer. Or shochu. Wong has been waiting for his liquor license since November (and told me that he's expecting it in May, with plans to create a shochu bar). This kind of takes the sakaya out of the izakaya.
Dishes offered vary from very good (short ribs spiced in a sweet rub that hints of five-spice; pan-fried pork dumplings served with toasted sesame sauce; buttered clams, small but sweet, laced with ginger and delectable in melted butter) to not so good (tonkatsu, fried pork scallopini in panko crust with a from-the-bottle taste to its accompanying Japanese Worcestershire sauce; most of the sashimi and maki offerings, such as the yellowtail and dragon rolls; and the overly fatty kakuni, or braised pork belly).
The place has been scarcely populated on my visits, leaving servers with nothing to do but wait hand and foot on the few tables they have, bringing edamame to the table as part of izakaya tradition, and offering a gratis glass of chardonnay or merlot and warm or cold sake — a hospitable gesture since most folks expect to be able to drink when they arrive.
Desserts are offered — the most notable a delicate portion of chiffon cheesecake laced with lemon. And servers will bring a pretty bouquet at the end of the meal, studded with skewers of frozen grapes as a palate cleanser.
All proof that Miso Izakaya, while lovely, is a little odd. With or without the sake.
Overall rating:
Food:
Japanese izakaya
Service:
Very cordial, polite and prompt.
Price range:
$-$$
Credit cards:
Visa, MasterCard, American Express.
Hours of operation:
Open nightly for dinner from 5 p.m.
Best dishes:
Short ribs spiced in a sweet rub that hints of five-spice; pan-fried pork dumplings served with toasted sesame sauce; buttered clams.
Vegetarian selections:
Tofu, vegetable tempura — ask and veggie dishes can be made for you.
Children:
Why not?
Parking:
Adjacent lot and on-street.
Reservations:
Yes.
Wheelchair access:
Yes.
Smoking:
No.
Noise level:
Very low.
Patio:
To come.
Takeout:
Yes.
Address, telephone:
619 Edgewood Ave. S.E., Atlanta, 678-701-0128.
Web site:
KEY TO RATINGS
Outstanding:
Sets the standard for fine dining in the region.
Excellent:
One of the best in the Atlanta area.
Very good:
Merits a drive if you're looking for this kind of dining.
Good:
A worthy addition to its neighborhood, but food may be hit or miss.
Fair:
The food is more miss than hit.
Restaurants that do not meet these criteria may be rated
Poor
.
PRICING CODE:
$$$$$
means more than $75;
$$$$
means $75 and less;
$$$
means $50 and less;
$$
means $25 and less;
$
means $15 and less. (The price code represents a meal for one that includes appetizer, entree and dessert without including tax, tip and cocktails.)
About the Author
The Latest
Featured
