To paraphrase a quote, going to new restaurants in Japan is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you're going to get. Sure, you can make rough guesses based on the building and the promotional signs outside, but from that you can't tell the quality of the food or the hospitality of the staff.
My latest food adventure took me to Ajidokoro Touya, a half-restaurant, half-izakaya (Japanese bar). It's only 10 minutes away from Rikuzen-Ochiai Station on foot. Apart from the signs outside, which are numerous, it's fairly unassuming, but inside is a haven.
The entrance has noren (a sort of fabric curtain) with the restaurant's name on it and a manual sliding door. There's no jarring jangle. Go down the brief corridor, and there's tatami rooms on the left and counter seats on the right. Opposite is a TV, set to the local station. The staff will immediately greet you.
At this point, the greatest difficulty of the restaurant will present itself. The menu is not only in Japanese, but stylized, handwritten-style Japanese, which is hard to read. The staff don't speak English, but will try their best to communicate. Lonely customers sitting at the counter will probably be engaged in conversation. The general feel here is of an izakaya, but the food is just as great. As with most izakaya, there is an extra charge added to the bill, but you are served something to nibble on, in my case a small salad.
The food menu has a wide selection, from snacks to full meals. The drink menu offers (local) sake, cocktails, beer, umeshuu (plum wine) and other fruity liqueurs. You can ask the staff for recommendations and local or seasonal options – they are very knowledgeable. There are so many local or regional foods, and options in general, that I was spoiled for choice.
As a snack, you could try the melt-in-your-mouth tamagoyaki (sweet omelette) and perfectly seasoned potato wedges with a small bowl of butter-topped sweetcorn. For something a little more substantial, how about handmade soba? It's simple but delicious, and the texture isn't even comparable to the uninspiring commerical noodles. Dip it in the soup, which is slightly fishy, and slurp away to show your appreciation.
As a growing connoisieur of umeshuu, I was keen to try what they had to offer. After asking for sweet rather than sour, I got a glass on the rocks that had a wonderful deep flavor which wasn't overwhelmed by sweetness.
Touya is the first izakaya I've been to that really takes its food as seriously as its alcohol. It comes at a price (generally over ¥1000 for a visit), but the quality justifies it completely. With the less crowded atmosphere and great service, I will definitely be coming here again.
