Half-Lost In Translation

The other morning as I was perusing The New Yorker, I
came across a review of the new hot-spot Kenka. The review
described exotic dishes like whole-fried frog and rabbit-miso soup;
it even included stories of diners accidentally ordering bull
penis. It was not, however, these enticing dishes that piqued my
interest, but a slight detail: the writer mentioned that Kenka is
an izakaya.

An izakaya is a type of bar frequented by Japanese youth and
sarari-man (white-collar workers). The allure of an izakaya lies in
the combination of home-style cooking and alcohol: customers can
enjoy homey food without fear of disturbing the neighbors with
rowdy drinking games. Warped wooden tables, hard wooden chairs, and
wooden beams criss-crossing the ceiling give izakayas the feel of a
rural country tavern. Portions are slightly larger than tapas but
smaller than regular meals. Sharing several dishes and even more
bottles of alcohol, people come to complain about the bad things in
life, to celebrate the good, or to spread the latest gossip.

For those seeking an authentic Japanese izakaya experience,
Kenka will come as a disappointment. The whole atmosphere caters to
the kitschy notion of the exotic Orient: the entrance is guarded by
a six-foot tanuki, a mischievous mythical creature with flashing
red lights for eyes, music from Japanese children’s anime
series blares from megaphone-shaped speakers, and the dining room
is decorated with geisha posters and pachinko slot machines.

Although Kenka doesn’t approximate the simple atmosphere
of a real izakaya, I cannot deny that the food seems right out of
downtown Tokyo. Forget the frog, rabbit, and bull private
parts—those are clearly intended for the curious but
clueless. Instead, choose from the hundreds of Kenka’s more
traditional dishes, ranging from $1-$18.

A good start to a night of indulgence is an order of edamame
(steamed soy beans, $1). One serving is plenty for two or three
people and will hold off those hunger pangs until the other dishes
arrive.

For a real Japanese taste, try the saba shioyaki (salt grilled
mackerel, $5). Use your chopsticks to gently tear off bite-size
pieces and savor the thick mixture of salt, lemon, and those
healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Veggie-lovers should try the hiyashi
tomato (sliced tomato, $2) served with a generous dollop of Kewpee
mayonnaise. The yaki-toumorokoshi (grilled corn on the cob doused
in a sweet B.B.Q. sauce, $2.00) is a personal favorite.

Other izakaya favorites include korokke (breaded and deep fried
mashed potato with ground beef), yakisoba (fried noodles with
vegetables and a sweet sauce, with or without meat), and gyouza
(dumplings filled with ground meat or chopped vegetables). You can
enjoy all of these dishes for a mere $3.50.

And of course, the night is not complete without a few
beverages. Kenka carries beer from Japan’s three largest
labels: Asahi, Kirin, and Sapporo ($4.50 a bottle). Sake (distilled
rice alcohol) ranges from $2.50 to $4.50 a bottle and includes both
hot and cold varieties. The lesser-known shouchu (distilled potato
alcohol) is also available, ranging from $2.50 to $3.50 a bottle.
In addition to these choices, Kenka’s menu includes Chuhai,
an increasingly popular alcoholic drink. Kenka offers four flavors
of Chuhai at $4 a can: oolong tea (a Chinese tea), Calpico (a sweet
Japanese non-alcoholic drink popular among children), lemon, and
sour plum.

The meal finishes with a sweet treat: with the check, every
diner is given a complimentary cup of pink sugar to use at the
cotton-candy machine on the way out the door. Although Kenka may
not have fulfilled my aesthetic desires, the food was true to the
izakaya spirit.

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