Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook

by Mark Robinson, Masashi Kuma (Photographer)

Overview

Japanese pubs, called izakaya, are attracting growing attention in Japan and overseas. As a matter of fact, a recent article in The New York Times claimed that the izakaya is starting to shove the sushi bar off its pedestal. While Japan has many guidebooks and cookbooks, this is the first publication in English to delve into every aspect of a unique and vital cornerstone of Japanese food culture.
Eight Tokyo pubs are introduced, ranging from those that serve the traditional Japanese comfort foods such as yakitori (barbequed chicken), to those offering highly innovative creations. Some of them have long histories; some are more recent players on the scene. Author Mark Robsinson includes knowledgeable text on the social and cultural etiquette of visiting izakaya, so the book can used as a guide to entering the potentially daunting world of the pub. Besides the 60 detailed recipes, he also offers descriptions of Japanese ingredients and spices, a guide to the wide varieties of sake and other alcoholic drinks that are served, how-to advice on menu ordering, and much more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781568364322
Publisher:	Kodansha USA
Publication date:	08/24/2012
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	953,952
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

MARK ROBINSON lives in Tokyo and was the editor of the Japanese culinary magazine Eat, as well as deputy editor and music editor of Tokyo Journal magazine. He has been a regular food and culture contributor from Japan to publications such as Nest (U.S.), the Financial Times, The Times (U.K.), the Australian Financial Review Magazine, and others. Born in Tokyo and raised mostly in Sydney, Australia, he returned to Japan 20 years ago where, enchanted by the pleasures of izakaya, he has lived almost continuously.

Photographer MASASHI KUMA was nominated for a James Beard Award for Photography for his work in the Kodansha book, Kaiseki, published in 2006. His photographs appear regularly in a number of periodicals, including Voce and GQ.

Editorial Reviews

"...delightful. Robinsons book is more a paean to the vibrant and complicated izakaya culture than a definitive cooking guidebut the recipes, more than 60 of them, are the sort you wish more neighborhood restaurant chefs in New York would read. The New York Times Book Review

Izakaya - the Japanese Pub Cookbook celebrates unlikely foodie haunts and their cuisine, combining shochu-soaked anecdotes and pen portraits of izakaya chefs with recipes for their tasty snacks and appetizers. Reuters

Izakaya profiles several popular restaurants that offer affordable eclectic fare. USA Today

A unique work, recommended for most collections. Library Journal (Starred review)

From the Publisher

Robinson's book is more a paean to the vibrant and complicated izakaya culture than a definitive cooking guide (one of the Tokyo joints he writes about has a name that translates as Laughing Drunk), but the recipes, more than 60 of them, are the sort you wish more neighborhood restaurant chefs in New York would read. Certainly they're adaptable to a casual, if work-intensive, Saturday night home meal.
—The New York Times

Sam Sifton

Robinson, a journalist who writes about food and culture, grew up in Australia but was born in Tokyo, and he has lived there for the last 20 years. He believes that izakaya, casual neighborhood spots that are something of a cross between a tapas bar and a pub, are poised to become as popular in the West as sushi bars are now, and his first book is an appreciative introduction to the world of izakaya. He profiles eight of Tokyo's izakaya, each distinctive in its own way, and includes 60 recipes that demonstrate the range of food served in these establishments. There are also sidebars on culinary traditions, ingredients, and related topics, and color and black-and-white photographs show off the izakaya and the dishes. A unique work, recommended for most collections.

—Judith Sutton

Library Journal