Japanese jackpot

Exploring the other side of the menu at Isakaya

by SARAH MUSGRAVE

Yes, Isakaya has all the sushi, teryiaki and noodles you'd expect at an Asian restaurant. But if you suspected that the English and Japanese sections of the menu don't quite match up, you're right. For those in the know, there are many truly authentic dishes to sample at this unassuming little resto, listed on a separate page only in Japanese.

I recruited a friend to help us decipher the other side of the menu. What we ended up with was a table full of Japanese-style tapas, small portions designed to be eaten with drinks. Isakaya means pub, and in Japan beer is usually consumed with food. The first thing brought to the table is a bowl of fresh, lightly salted peas in their pods, to whet the palate for more beer--serving the same purpose as salty popcorn in local drinking holes.

Fortunately, the Japanese section of the menu is numbered for easier reference. Number 22, takonomiyaki, is a definitely worth a try ($6). It's basically an octopus omelette, if you can get your head around such a concept. Cooked egg holds the ever-so-slightly chewy mixture together, with vegetables and tentacles sticking out of this delicious concoction. Another unusual dish is maguro-yamatake (#14), pieces of raw tuna atop a purée of a starchy potato-like yam ($6.25). The texture is very strange--gloppy, gooey, glutinous, and not that easy to manage with chopsticks. Throw some soya sauce and a little wasabi into the mix, then scoop it up with rice, for an intriguing sensation.

The various items under #25 are all about skewered meats, from leg of lamb to beef tongue. We went for the safe and familiar 25A: pleasantly sweet chicken brochettes called yakitori, served on wooden sticks similar to satay ($1.75 each). The equally yummy ton katsu (#29) is deep-fried pork, served as a cutlet, like a schnitzel in style except that the coating is thicker and crunchier ($7).

We also chose several selections from the daily specials listed on the chalkboard. The tender pieces of deep-fried eggplant ($8.50) were not overly battered or greasy, and served in a soupy sauce of soya and a sake-like liquid, sprinkled with shallots, grated daikon, strips of seaweed and minced ginger. A generous serving of puffy deep-fried oysters ($9) was great too, dipped in the Japanese equivalent of Worcester sauce that threatened to be just a little overpowering for such a delicacy. We also tried a serving of hamachi kama--specifically the neck part of a yellowtail--which was fatty, rich and melt-in-your-mouth delicious ($6.75).

Less unusual but just as good were the plump and tasty dumplings ($5.25) and a simple daikon salad ($4.75) of finely julienned radish atop dressed greens. It was enhanced by the distinctive and refreshing flavour of chopped shiso, a fantastic Japanese herb that tastes strongly of cumin, with a hint of pepper and lemon. It's the same stuff that appears as that fake grass dividing your sushi when you order a platter--only here it's real.

Finally, the four of us shared a couple of sushi rolls and sashimi, as well as a tempura main course, which contained a host of freshly battered vegetables, from the recognizable (asparagus, red pepper, carrot) to the somewhat more exotic (musky shitake mushrooms and crispy, honeycombed renkon). Several huge shrimp formed the centrepiece of the platter, which also comes with miso soup and a tangy salad for $14.

Isakaya is often packed at suppertime, with a clientele that is less Japanese than it used to be. Fortunately, the kitchen still serves up these authentic dishes for those who want to seek them out.

Isakaya

Address: 3469 Parc

Telephone: 845-8226

Hours: Lunch 11am-3pm; dinner 6-10pm, later on weekends

Best features: real Japanese specialties, casual atmosphere

Vegetarian friendly: yes

Credit cards: yes

Wheelchair access: yes

Alcohol: yes

Price: $22/person including tax, without drinks & tip

Rating: HHH out of HHHH