How to Enjoy the Izakaya Style

In Japan, Izakaya-style bars can be found everywhere, from business areas to rural towns, and are frequented by office workers, students, and even families.

There is a typical flow of food in Izakaya-style bars

Japanese-style bars and pubs have a wide range of customers.
Most of the customers come as a group to enjoy dinner in a typical flow of food.

The typical flow of food can improve your health

As will be described in detail later, in a pub, a small portion of food is usually served at the beginning, which is known as tsukidashi or otōshi. When they are not available, customers usually start with light vegetable dishes, such as edamame (young soybeans) or pickles.

By having light dishes with low content of carbohydrates at the beginning of meals, it is possible to suppress the surge of blood glucose level and to reduce the effects of food on blood pressure.

Consuming smaller portions of food can also help you to feel moderately full, and by eating and drinking at the same time, you can soften the absorption of alcohol by your body and help to reduce the burden of your liver in detoxifying the alcohol.

Here, we will introduce the flow of food in an Izakaya menu

Start with some edamame

It is not too much to say that most Japanese will always order edamame first in an Izakaya. Its reasonably sweetness and aroma, accented with some salt, is a perfect companion for a cold beer.
It is said that eating some edamame and drinking a cold beer will blow the cobwebs away.
Edamame goes so well with beer, and it is a standard beer companion in Japan.

In addition, “methionine”, which is abundant in soybean proteins, with vitamin B1 and vitamin C can promote the detoxification of alcohol together and improve your liver functions, thus can help in slowing down alcohol intoxication or prevent a hangover. Edamame also contains much potassium that assists the removal of salt, the cause of high blood pressure, and is useful for eliminating swelling by adjusting your body’s water content.

After quenching your thirst with beer, let’s enjoy Ichi-ban Boshi’s homemade dumplings and grilled chicken skewers with “Sour” (a Japanese-style cocktail)

We will deliver warm snacks while you are enjoying your beer and edamame.
Ichi-ban Boshi Sydney City offers handmade dumplings that we are proud of and various kinds of snacks.

Ichi-ban Boshi’s variation of grilled skewers

Please enjoy various types of skewers, including our classic chicken thighs.
Each of our grilled chicken skewers is prepared carefully to give a juicy texture and excellent taste and aroma. Enjoy the mouth-watering aroma and the umami flavor from the juices of the grilled chicken.
Don’t forget to wash it down with a glass of freshly-squeezed Grapefruit Sour and refresh your taste buds.

In addition to the standard grilled chicken skewers, such as chicken thighs and chicken wings, we also recommend skewers with vegetables wrapped with thinly-sliced pork.

Leek or zucchini wrapped in thinly-sliced pork that is grilled to perfection goes very well with refreshing and mild ponzu sauce.

Freshly-squeezed Sour that cannot be found often in Australia

Japanese-style Sour is very popular in Izakaya bars.
Japanese-style sour is an original Japanese drink that mixes Shochu, a Japanese local alcoholic beverage, with carbonated water and various flavors.
Shochu taste is more refreshing than beer, so it is perfect to be combined with juicy Izakaya and is loved by many Japanese people.

A particularly popular sour is a freshly-squeezed Grapefruit Sour, prepared by adding freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice from a half of grapefruit to a plain Sour, which is a mixture of Shochu and carbonated water.

The fresh aroma and taste of freshly-squeezed grapefruit in a Sour matches perfectly well with the Izakaya menu.

Japanese sake is made from rice and pairs well with food that goes well with rice

Ichi-ban Boshi serves Ichi-ban Boshi brand of Japanese sake.
Ichi-ban Boshi Japanese Sake is produced by the traditional Junmai method that uses only rice, rice koji (sake fermentation starter), and water, creating an authentic sweetness and refreshing aroma.

Since sake is made from rice, food that matches well with rice matches naturally goes well with sake. Our recommendations are takowasa (diced raw octopus with wasabi) and sashimi.
The mildly-pungent taste and aroma of wasabi and savory flavor of fresh octopus will be strengthened when enjoyed with sake.
Of course, they also go well with wine.

In Japan, seafood products, such as sashimi and oysters, are usually enjoyed with sake instead of white wine because they are generally considered to go well with rice.
*Ichi-ban Boshi Sydney City serves takowasa and sashimi at our restaurant.

After enjoying the various small-portion menu, end your meal with a bowl of ramen

Eating ramen after a couple of drinks is an excellent way to end a party.
Eating the noodles with a warm soup will give you energy that travels through your entire body.
It is not exaggerated to say that some people join parties to enjoy ramen at the end. A bowl of ramen after some drinks is exceptional.

There is a reason why ramen tastes great after some drinks.

When you drink alcohol, your body consumes a lot of glucose to decompose the alcohol.
Carbohydrates in ramen noodles contain a lot of “glucose”, and when you drink alcohol, your body naturally needs carbohydrates.
Also, as you drink alcohol, there is a tendency that your body starts to be slightly acidic, so you will want to eat some alkaline food.
Kansui is an alkaline solution that is used to make ramen noodles, and it is probably the reason why people want to eat noodles after some drinks.

In addition, the liver needs “inosinic acid”, which is a kind of umami-tasting ingredient, to decompose alcohol.
“Inosinic acid” is a natural umami ingredient that is abundant in bonito flakes and meat, and ramen soup made with bonito flakes and pork bones is rich in inosinic acid.
From this effect, we hope that you will remember how the ramen soup gives its sensation.

Izakaya Style for you to enjoy from start to finish

As you can see, the Japanese Izakaya Style will give you the pleasure to freely choose your favorite dishes that resemble a dinner course.
Of course, you can enjoy it after some light drinks and food in a pub.
It is also suitable as a light drink and meal at the start of a party.

The Izakaya Style that started in Japan is a way to enjoy an evening with a full course-like dinner or some food in the beginning or at the end while having drinks; a dining style that is close to entertainment.

Please come and enjoy the Izakaya Style in Sydney.