Inakaya

It seems suddenly there's a lot of reviews and pictures on facebook of Inakaya's Volcano Roll popping up recently. And as usual I have to go try. We make reservation on the same day last Saturday and only got reservation for 8:30pm for the 2 of us and it was full by the time we got there with only 2 seats left at the bar which is good cause we didn't have to wait.... It's really a hidden gem at an unassuming location.

That's our view when we stand up from our seats w/ view of the chefs at work.

Also ♥ the bunch of different dishes right in from of us... big & small with different designs instead of matchy matchy white dishes that we see in so many restaurant these days (^_^)

*see the bottle of Vodka there, it's for the Volcano Rolls not the chefs =P

♥ the soy sauce bottle 

and it tasted really good too, it's not as salty as the one we usually gets... it was extra mild

Sho Chiku Bai Nigori ~ Unfiltered Sake

~ this was a rather sweet sake, very smooth and flavorful

They do have a very nice Sake list and actually have a wine rack on display that was fill with sake instead of having bottles around the restaurant like most of the other Izakaya (居酒屋)

Beef Amiyaki

~ Certified Angus Beef cooked at the table on a small hibachi (small Japanese tabletop grill) served with sweet red wine dipping sauce.

Remember how I said I wish they had the tabletop grill back here, my wish finally came true although it wasn't charcoal but the blue chemical stuff.... but still it was super cute and we have been able to cook the meat to our liking (I like it super raw = blue). 

Very juicy and yummy !!! (^_^)

Pork Belly Skewers ( forgot the exact name)

Crispy on the outside and moist center with just a touch of sauce that doesn't overpower the pork's own natural flavor that was seal in by the crispy exterior. Not overly fatty that you would feel oily but just enough so that you have the melt in your mouth feeling.

Sashimi

Melt in your mouth Toro, very pricy but so worth it  (^_^)

Amebi (sweet shrimp), Tsubugai (Clam) &Herb Saba from Saga (the only Mackerel that don't need to be marinated)

All of the sashimi was super fresh and super yummy.... it really does give Japango (used to be my fave sashimi & sushi place) a run for it's money cause here you also get all the other dishes which is super delish. You can rarely find a place that served both fresh and good sashimi and cook dishes at the same time

Salmon Roe Sushi

This of my Top 5 fave sushi and this is one of the best I have ever had.

It just burst in your mouth, full of flavor with the rice/vinegar ratio just right

Grilled Cod neck

~no my choice, i prefer meaty part... but these are mostly bones

Duck Breast stuffed with leek

~ this is a cold dish, love the pink color w/ the green leek in the middle... pretty and yummy moist duck breast

Volcano Roll

~Butter and olive oil sauteed sliced onion, blanched zucchini rolled and torched sliced certified Angus beef on top, served on iron plate with teriyaki sauce and thinly slice scallions in Volcano fire

This is not only a show on it's own but it actually taste very good... the onion flavor seeping into the rice and the beef still rare served with just the right amount of sauce... Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Sesame Ice-Cream

By the time we ordered dessert, they were all sold out and only have sesame and green tea ice cream left.

So once again I'm in the look out for the best tasting sesame ice-cream and the best is still Japango/Yuzu's.... no other place can ever compare. But I have to say this one is a bit different that what I normally have, it's not as creamy and more of a powdery texture... it was still tasty and not overly sweet so that you can savor the sesame flavor but just different

By the time we leave, the bar was getting empty.

Verdict:

Highly recommended although it's a bit pricy.

I personally think it's better than Guu (for it's dishes) and Japango (for it's sushi & sashimi).

Reservation available which is always good and conveniently located in mid-town