izakaya Archives - Gazing and Grazing

Jypsy Rolls (and Rocks!)

August 12th, 2018

I wouldn't go to Jypsy for classical Japanese dishes but most definitely for its own take on sashimi and sushi rolls and fantastic chicken karaage. This is a nicely adorned modern izakaya in Singapore, and a comfortable place I can bring friends to without breaking the bank. After opening in early July, I made three visits within two weeks. This is just solid comfort food that Jypsy's parent, the P.S. Cafe group, has managed to perfect at manageable pricing (for Singapore). And the dessert...

Sasagin, Tokyo – Late Summer Goodness at a Favourite Izakaya

September 18th, 2016

Every time I visit Tokyo, I look forward to squeezing in dinner at Sasagin especially when there are seasonal goodies to try. This time round the Sanma fish (or Pacific Saury in english and, according to Wikipedia, also known as the mackerel pike) was in season and it was simply grilled with salt. The Sanma is an oily fish but much less fishy than mackerel or sardine. And when its grilled just right with salt, all you need is a squeeze of lime or lemon. While also known for a great...

Kanazawa – Three Good Meals

February 15th, 2016

Fancy some great seafood? There are a few good reasons to go to Kanazawa - one being the fresh seafood from the Sea of Japan, the other two in my opinion are the Kutani porcelain and Kenrokuen Garden (see my photos). The new bullet train link to Tokyo makes a short trip to Kanazawa, known as "little Kyoto", all the more accessible. I spent two days, one night in Kanazawa a year ago (see my earlier blog and suggested itinerary) and had three good meals. Pricing ranged from a relatively...

Boruto – For a Sake Fix with Decent Food

September 14th, 2015

My friends and I wanted to have a decent meal but nothing too long and too precious so we dropped in on Boruto for good sake based drinks and decent bites. This izakaya is about its sake drinks, homemade umeshu and largely uncomplicated tapas. Enjoyable dishes include its nicely grilled spare rib, stuffed chicken wing and deep fried pork belly. My main gripe is probably its downstairs seating which felt bit too spartan.

Boruto is the sister restaurant of Tamashii Robataya (see...

BAM! – This Tapas-Sake Bar is Still a Hit

September 8th, 2015

At first, a Spanish tapas sake bar seems a bit odd but more than a year on, BAM! remains a hit with chef Pepe Moncayo still serving really good food to go with Sake pairings. Pepe continues to add new dishes, probably best experienced through the omakase menu but favourites are still available. I continue to enjoy visiting once in a while to see what's new and knowing that Pepe's friendly and humble demeanour and good food will not disappoint.

My first visits to BAM! consisted of...