VARIETY IS THE SPICE AND ZEN OF LIFE:
IZAKAYA SASAYA DISHES UP
OLD JAPANESE TRADITIONS WITH A SAKE AND SHŌCHŪ BAR
By Stacey Kumagai
You are a busy person.
You work long days and sometimes you want to treat yourself to a night out – but it’s late, your friends are either still working or at home asleep and it’s just you. But you are craving a dining out experience that accommodates your craving for a lot of different dishes, an array of creative food and drinks where you can enjoy it without sacrificing all you want at a late hour when it’s just you. Why order in - when you can dine out and have it all? You don’t have to sacrifice ZEN at the end your day when you can enjoy the full dining experience, with a little traditional Japanese escape.
Enter Izakaya Sasaya. Translation: Izakaya is both a restaurant and a bar….with over 40 different sake and Shōchū (stronger than sake), and over 100 different delicious traditional home-style Japanese cuisine dishes to try. It’s open Monday through Saturday until midnight… and until 11 p.m. on Sunday when you want to drag out your weekend just a little longer before the week ahead. They serve affordable Japanese Tapas in a comfortable setting. So even if you’re dining alone – you get the luxurious experience of having a little adventure, trying new and exciting dishes and drinks. You get to revive yours spirit and senses with peace, comfort and Zen, while simultaneously experiencing some old traditional Japanese cooking.
“I think that we have a very comfortable place for one person or all the way to a big party of 15 to come to. This kind of eatery has been around Japan for over 70 years. We just brought this type of eatery here because there are more Japanese now who want this type of home-style cooking. For people who don't know the izakaya style, there’s a new sense of Japanese food. And for people who know this type of izakaya eatery, it’s a very comfy place to come to. L.A. is too saturated with sushi and most Americans think that all restaurants in Japan are a sushi restaurant - so we've gotta change that,” states Hiroshi Ishikawa, manager of Izakaya Sasaya.
Izakaya Sasaya has something to please every palate. No matter what you are craving, from tapas, salads, tofu and cold dishes; to the comfort food of simmered, grilled sautéed and deep fried dishes or even satisfying rice and Udon noodle dishes…. This place has it all. They even have sampler platters and desserts. Ishikawa knows that there are customer favorites which people seem to keep coming back for, even though you can sample something new every time you go. “Customers like Buta no Kakuni... Simmered for 2 days the pork belly just melts in your mouth, Tori Nanban... Japanese style sweet and sour chicken (less oily and less batter than Chinese), Tori Karaage... Japanese style chicken tenders and Gindara Saikyouzuke... saikyou miso marinated black cod,” explains Ishikawa.
Now adding to Izakaya Sasaya’s intrigue is their Sake and Shōchū . Let’s start with a spirited education 101… (hiccup – our favorite kind of school). Sake and Shōchū are not the same thing. Sake is brewed rice wine. Shōchū is not only distilled from rice, but rather sweet potato or barley. Izakaya Sasaya not only has all three, but also Shōchū made from buckwheat, a signature Shōchū Beniotome using roasted sesame. There is even one distilled from Thai Rice with a special process called Awamori. Some people may freak when they see Kouji Mold. But don’t assures Ishakawa…”it's the best translation for the type of fermenting enzyme for "koji" is Aspergillus oryzae.”
Part of what makes Shōchū so different is that it depends strongly on the nature of the starched used in the distilling process of creating it. And this in itself is garnering much deserved attention – not just for the earthy and unique flavors, but listen up beer fans, Shōchū is low-calorie. So think about this – you can actually burn calories as you drink it. Yep, you heard right – these calories consumed are burned off from your own body heat. The health benefits from drinking Shōchū can also help prevent heart attacks and Diabetes. Talk about a healthy Zen find, eh? Oh – and here’s more buzz, it is stronger than wine and sake, but yet it’s 25% alcohol by volume… so it doesn’t over-power what you are dining on either… it’s a nice enhancement to any meal.
Izakaya Sasaya adds to the excitement by not only offering both regional (jitzake) and famous premium sakes and Shōchūs from various importers, but as if things couldn’t get any better – they want you to ‘learn’ and experience the diversity of the array of drinks they offer! Much like their philosophy with tapas, so you can try different dishes, it applies to their beverages, too they serve 1/2 glass portions for 1/2 price.
A lot of different dishes, a lot of different sakes and Shōchūs – whether or not you come alone or with a lot of friends. Izakaya Sasaya offers Zen in a lot of different ways. And we certainly celebrate these differences to make a difference in everyday life.
Izakaya Sasaya is located at 11613 Santa Monica Blvd,
W. Los Angeles, CA 90025
310.477.4404
For more information go to http://www.izakaya-sasaya.com
Click here to find out more about Japanese tapas