Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook

The Age

Tuesday September 30, 2008

David Sutherland

Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook

By Mark Robinson, photography by

Masashi Kuma

Kodansha International/Bookwise, $39.95

Tokyo-born and Sydney-raised author Mark Robinson predicts the "izakaya is overdue to become one of the biggest Japanese cuisine trends abroad since the sushi bar". His book Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook takes the reader into eight different izakayas, from the "event" venue to the "tachinomiya" or "standing bar"; from the old, esteemed, hallowed izakaya to the one that specialises in animal innards. Robinson's evocative prose makes it impossible to deny his assertion that the word "pub" is an utterly inadequate translation for the "izakaya" phenomenon. The book provides easy-to-follow recipes representative of each pub and style of cooking. Grilled skewered stuff (yakitori), Japanese salads, fried everything (from chicken to vegetables to live tiny freshwater fish called "dojo"), and udon noodles are among the dishes that get a look in - the common point being that each goes well with sake and beer. And Masashi Kuma's lovely photography effectively evokes the excitement and companionable noise of the izakaya. -- DAVID SUTHERLAND

© 2008 The Age

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