Izaka-ya: A Pleasant Surprise

Tucked away just beside d.lounge in South Sanlitun, Izaka-ya is not what I was expecting when I walked in the modest entrance that zigzagged and led me into a beautifully designed, very impressive dining room surrounded by a large L-shaped sushi bar with a section to sit either in standard chairs and tables or Japanese style on pillows with little wooden houses all around, serving as private dining rooms in various sizes starting from a minimum of 6 people and up. A perfect venue for a nice dinner for two or a big group dinner.

I was impressed to find an extensive Japanese menu serving everything from sushi, salads, yakitori, hotpot, tempura, ramen, and teppanyaki.  Prices were set for great value, considering the first page had set menus starting at RMB 2,000, RMB 3,000 and RMB 4,000.  Eeek! But rest assured, once you get past the first page, the rest is sound and fair. Chinglish is everywhere in throughout the menu, but the food selection is extensive, service is decent and I will definitely be back.

Review of Izaka-ya: Neighboring d.lounge in South Sanlitun 牛屋日本餐厅 朝阳区三里屯南路(书虫书店后)  Tel: 6585-3570

Best Part:

• Above all else, I was most impressed with the decor of the venue.  I want to come back and bring more people just so I can sit in the little wooden houses for my own private dinner party.  I love the style and decor of the whole place. Very unique and innovative.
• Menu had an extensive selection set at very fair prices.  Definitely quantity over quality, but great value for what you get.
• Their beef teppanyaki with avocado and vegetables was our best pick of the meal
• Yakitori selection starts at RMB 7 each and they have an extensive selection of meats and seafood

Comments:

• For sashimi, nigiri, and sushi rolls, Hatsune is still the best of the best and no one else comes close. (Not biased, just the honest truth) Izaka-ya had a few rolls on their menu, which are all massively large (can barely fit it in your mouth all at once), but not so tasty and a lot of their sushi roll selection incorporates cooked fish and meat, which is not really my cup of tea.
• Oden was not particularly great, I would also still recommend Oden restaurant if you are a fan of quality oden with premium ingredients.
• Ingredients, quality and presentation were not top-notch, but equivalent to what you are paying for.  A big meal for two was RMB 150.

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 7
• Atmosphere: 9
• Service: 7
• Overall Experience: 8

The New Kid on the Block: d. lounge.gallery.food

C-Dice & I @ d.lounge

For over a month now, I’d been hearing about the new kid in town – d. lounge (not to be confused with D-Bar in the Renaissance Hotel). After celebrating my birthday dinner at my favorite restaurant Kagen Teppanyaki, I was eager to check out the space and pay a visit to my dear friend Warren Pang (former manager of Punk in the Opposite House), especially after hearing so much about this new bar and considering Tuesday nights are not exactly the most bumping night of the week.

Unsure if it would even be open on a regular Tuesday evening around 11pm, C-dice & I poke our heads inside and walk down a long corridor to find an intimate, high-ceilinged space covered in red brick with a tall, elegant bar against the back wall and funky leather croc sofas and modern furniture throughout.

After speaking to Warren and seeing their drink menu, I was quite surprised to discover that d. lounge has not even officially opened yet!  According to Warren, for the past month, d. lounge is still in its soft-opening stage, offering private gatherings and inviting limited guests while they are still working out some pre-opening kinks and are in the process of finalizing two other sections that have yet to be open to the public.  Warren may call this an “extended soft-opening period,” I call it a brilliant marketing strategy.

In the meantime, d. lounge is now open daily featuring various artwork on its high brick walls that will be changed on a regular basis and a basic drink list with 9 cocktails and 4 regular well drinks priced RMB 50-60.  In the future, the space will serve a bistro-style menu with mini burgers and tapas and the space will also be a hub to feature designer clothing/street wear.

By the same owners as Jazz-Ya and Izaka-ya, d. lounge is located just behind Nanjie on Sanlitun Nanjie and is set to officially open Mid-October 2009.

Best Part:

• The Bar – its design is original, classy and its very impressive without being imposing
• Their Kiwi & Strawberry Caipiroska is my new favorite drink
• The design of the venue is modern, fashionable, and very New York without being pretentious
• A small space with super high ceilings makes it easy to fill with a cozy, intimate vibe without feeling claustrophobic (I love red brick walls)
• Warren is a fantastic host & bar manager, it’s no surprise he’s got such a loyal following from Punk – he’s personable, welcoming, and his concept of keeping d. lounge in this “pre-opening stage” while being open to public is ingenious PR. Well-done mate!

Comments:

• In my 2 hours stay, my legs were eaten alive by mosquitos
• I am eager to see d.lounge officially open – to see the rest of the unopened space, to taste their bistro menu, see what type of designer clothing they choose to feature, and above all, the type of music they will play (As much as I like the crowd and design at Punk, I never cared for the music).