LUXOMME

KINKA IZAKAYA

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What's the best place to be on a cold chilly night?

A warm welcoming restaurant where you are greeted by the highly energetic staff who drop everything to shout hello the moment you step in. 

Kinka Izakaya is your Japanese bar done right and were it not for the humming sounds of English lightly dispersed throughout, you could easily convince yourself that you were transported to a cozy bar in Japan. It's particularly fun for group dinner where the idea is to share a number of small plates, some which are constant on the menu, and a few daily specials that rotate depending on the availability of fresh ingredients. 

Tonight, I brought along two friends who weren't very excited over the idea of leaving their comfy bed to venture out into the snowstorm, but barely remembered to lock the door in a hurried excitement the moment they found out we were going to Kinka!

The seats are tightly squeezed together, so don't be scared to make a new friend! 

Our first dish of the night was a gyu carpaccio [7.5] which barely lasted 30 seconds before it was completely devoured. 

 make little spring rolls using the beef as a wrapper and fill it with radish drenched in the sweet ponzu sauce

Thankfully, our second item arrived sizzling in a hot stone pot. 

One of my personal favorites - the kinoko bibimbap [9.5]

A umami mixture of wild mushrooms, seaweed, cheese and rice.

The kaarage chicken [8.3] then came just in time to distract the boys so I could scrape off the last bits of rice from the hot stone bowl. 

Followed by sweet tender takoyaki balls [5.5], which transported you back to the streets of Tokyo. 

Our last dish was the tonpei yaki [9.8], which was so generous that when it arrived, the three of us stared at it with wide eyes - feeling already quite stuffed, not knowing what to do.

So first, we delayed by taking pictures.

But then devoured it as quickly as it had come.

Thankful for chilly nights filled with cozy conversations, delicious food, and warm friendships.

naomi.