Have you ever visited a Japanese izakaya before? These lively establishments are the lifeblood of Japan’s eating and drinking scene, and provide a peak into the country’s unique social and drinking culture.
1. Irasshai! Irrasshaimase! いらっしゃい！いらっしゃいませ！
Don’t run out by the loud voices welcoming you into the izakaya! This is a typical greeting you will get when entering an izakaya. It often signifies the level of customer service you’ll get. The louder the better! Once the staff greet you, just bow your head slightly in acknowledgement and hold up your fingers to show how many people are in your party.
2. Toriazeu nama! とりあえず生！
This will make you sound like a local. It means, “A draft beer to start!” Many Japanese people – thirsty after a hard day’s work or from strolling around the busy streets – will start with a beer to quench that thirst. Most izakayas will have a “house” draft beer (e.g. Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, Ebisu). Oh, they are all so good, though our fav is Ebisu. Some locals will only go to izakayas where their nama/draft beer of choice is on tab. You can say, “Toriaezu nama” and then hold up your fingers to show how many namas you want (as you’ve noticed, fingers to indicate quantity are quite handy)!
Toriazezu nama! A nice cold one to start
3. Otōshi お通し
There are many tourists who come to Japan and are surprised (and perhaps slightly miffed) to see a charge for otōshi on their bill at the end of their fab izakaya experience. Otōshi is basically a cover charge, which can range from 200 to 500 yen. In return for this charge, izakayas will often serve a small dish when you get settled at your table. These are usually yummy – edamame, some soy-sauce simmered delight perhaps, macaroni salad, or sometimes popcorn at more casual joints. Tip: if you don’t want the otōshi, you can sometimes decline this and get the charge waived, but most people don’t do this. Think of it as a service charge. There is no tip in Japan, so we often consider the otōshi in place of that!
This is a handy phrase to remember. It literally means “Sorry!” and is the way to get the server’s attention. If you need another beer or need the menu again just say, “!” The servers will then jaunt over to you. Some larger chains will have a handy buzzer at your table, which you can also use to call your server. It always reminds me of the episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm where Larry wanted a bell for servers. Well this is it!
Make sure to have some bills in hand!
Popular
option: lemon sour
Some typical
dishes
X signifies that you want the bill
Cheers to that!
