Izakaya: House of the Rising Sun

FOOD & DRINK

Izakaya — Japanese pub fare elevated to its most evolved form.

By Frank Gabriel 

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Jun. 30, 2011

Izakaya chef and TV personality Michael Schulson

Photo by Nick Valinote

Since our first visit to  Izakaya nearly three years past, the Borgata’s high-concept Japanese eatery has matured into an extraordinarily well-focused restaurant and luxe lounge.  

Which is not to imply that there was anything wrong with chef Michael Schulson’s operation initially. But during those intervening years, Izakaya (‘pub’ in Japanese) has honed its chops to the point of now providing as seamlessly smooth a dining experience as you’ll likely find locally.  

Part of that inherent charm is the space itself. Divided by three service areas — an oval, central bar plus elevated sushi and grill (robatayaki) stations, Izakaya’s indigo-shaded interiors create an atmosphere of intimacy and relaxation. Cross the Zen-like transparent bridge leading into the facility and prepare to surrender to sensory pleasures. 

Our meal — more accurately an epic food adventure — commenced with a trio of specialty rolls. Spider, an oversized masterpiece, included long, narrow slices of asparagus paired with crunchy, light-as-air soft shell crabmeat. We’re guessing the seasonal crustacean was prepared in a sizzling wok, rather than deep-fried, based on the delicacy of that finished product’s texture. 

Our second option, baby dragon, was a unique creation. Rice-less, it was instead bound by a pale green sheet of soy. We marveled at the precise execution and knife skills evident, made much more difficult without the elasticity and cling of sushi rice. Within was a pleasant, hearty blend of spicy tuna, salmon, cucumber  and avocado. 

A King Crab California roll, with crabmeat, avocado and cucumber, arrived topped by sexy fluorescent-orange hued tobiko. We’ve grown accustomed to seeing this flying-fish roe in green hues — infused by wasabi — but enjoyed sampling the purer form, mild and light with just a whisper of smoky flavor. 

Next up was one of the evening’s lead players, tuna tataki. Slices of dark purple ahi, barely seared and drizzled with a sophisticated chili oil. Beneath, a creamy avocado foundation — think of guac’s less refined country cousin — offered cooling after capsicum. Complex and artful, the fish had been fanned across a rectangular plate like a winning poker hand. Almost too pretty to eat. Almost. 

Vegans will happily find more than a smattering of fine cuisine catered to their needs at Izakaya. We sampled a duo: red miso glazed eggplant and charred broccoli. That eggplant was so special, served as cubed, tender chunks doused with a dark, sticky auburn blend, resembling barbeque sauce. The miso’s character, astonishingly sweet, fruity and intense, made this notoriously cantankerous vegetable literally taste like candy. 

Maybe the very best eggplant — perpetually a tricky product to work with — we’ve ever sampled. As for the broccoli, florets were tossed with garlic, chilis and one of the costliest ingredients in a commercial kitchen, pine (pignola in Italian) nuts. Together, they added depth and crunch to the cruciferous greens, themselves perfectly al dente. 

King crab tacos brought a pair of delicate little tortillas, obviously made in-house and perhaps even to to-order, filled to overflowing with a crab-wasabi-tomato-avocado mosh up. Texturally as delightful as it was to the palate, the crunchy exterior yielded to soft, white, green and red stuffings. Clever and thoughtful, this is pub fare elevated to it’s most evolved form. 

From a list of approximately a dozen main courses, we chose the Japanese fried chicken. Now, wipe that bewildered expression from your face. Delivered in a cool, black cast-iron pot, four delectable pieces of poultry were accompanied by precious silver-dollar sized biscuits. A classic white gravy, derived from the French mother sauce veloute, arrived on the side. 

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