LOCAL Houston | The City Guide August 2016 | Page 21

FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE+LEISURE

A Japanese gastropub. Awesome, right? Frankly, yes, it is. We’ll
be honest: We really enjoyed Farrago in Midtown, but there’s really no comparison (other than location) because Izakaya’s on a
whole ’nother level. Part of the Azuma Group (think Azuma, Kata
Robata), Izakaya took over the corner of Gray and Bagby, giving
us a Houston spin on the classic Japanese tavern/tapas/gastropub which normally functions as a post shift respite for drinks and
bites after a day (or night) of hard work. Our version offers a creative mix of excellent cocktails, an intelligently curated wine list, a
boatload of stellar spirits (whisky flights range from $25–$125,
increasing together in specialty and price) and food that goes toe
to toe with just about anywhere else in the city. Izakaya also takes
things one step further, offering a killer brunch to keep those weekends rolling. You’ve been to Midtown so you likely already know
the atmosphere slants toward party. Keep that in mind and expect
cool crowds filling the trendy Asian industrial interior and patios
seven days a week.
Our Perfect Pairs come from many different inspirations. This month
it’s a soulful, chef-paired dish as wild as the surf but simple as a
day at the beach, brought back from Chef Philippe’s recent trip to
Mexico for a wedding. The Aquachile shrimp is cooked perfectly
medium rare by simply shaking it in lime juice, vinegar, salt and
jalapeno. That is correct. It’s cooked in only those ingredients. FYI,
this cooking/curing marinade is also known as leche de tigre.
After, the shrimp is served with some leche de tigre and an appropriately summer garnish to add a fresh crunch. As you can imagine, when enjoyed with the rough (in a good way), peaty shot of
Del Maguey Vida Mezcal and the Tajin-topped Valencia orange, you
get one of the most wild but balanced pairings we have ever had
the pleasure of enjoying. Acid, smoke, sweet, savory. We could
go on, but instead we’ll let you get up and go on to Izakaya...

By Mike Cook
Photography by Kennon Evett

IZAKAYA | 318 Gray St. | Houston, TX 77002 | 713.527.8988
www.houstonizakaya.com
DEL MAGUEY VIDA MEZCAL | www.delmaguey.com

august 16 |

L O C A L

21