The word izakaya is written 居酒屋 and roughly means «a place to sit and drink». It is Japan's neighbourhood tavern: where people go after work, with friends or family, to have a drink, eat without hurry and let the conversation run on.
If you need a comparison, think of a Spanish tapas bar told in Japanese. The plates are small, they reach the middle of the table one by one and everyone shares. Sake is poured for the other person. Nobody watches the clock. That is what we brought to Málaga with Sake Izakaya, a Japanese restaurant right in the Old Town.
What Japan eats every day
Outside Japan we tend to think Japanese food means sushi. But a Japanese person eats sushi only now and then; they go to their izakaya almost every day. Sushi has its own, very specialised restaurants. The izakaya is something else: it is where you see how Japan really eats, and for many people it is almost a second home.
That is why at Sake we have always said no to sushi. Not because we don't like it, but because Japanese cooking is much more than sushi, and we wanted to bring that other side to Málaga: the tavern.
A night at Sake
- Otōshi (お通し). Before you order, something is already on the table: the small dish the house welcomes you with.
- Masuzake (枡酒). Sake arrives in a masu, the little wooden box, and is poured until it overflows. In Japan, that is how a house says it doesn't skimp.
- Toriwake (取り分け). Plates go to the middle. The best way is to order a few and share them without hurry.
The menu follows the order of an izakaya: zensai (starters), tsukuri (raw and sashimi, which we do serve), agemono (fried), yakimono (grill) and nabemono (hot pots and stews, like Japochuelo, Juan's dish).
If you think you don't like Japanese food
It is what we hear most in the dining room: people who arrived convinced Japanese food wasn't for them and leave saying the opposite. If that sounds like you, start with the fried dishes and the grill, or let Juan guide you with the tasting menu «A stroll through Sake».
Frequently asked questions
Is there sushi at Sake Izakaya?
No. Sake is an izakaya, and Japanese tavern cooking is something else. What you will find on the menu is raw fish and sashimi from the fish market.
What do you order at an izakaya?
Several small plates to share in the middle of the table: starters, raw fish, fried dishes, grill and stews, with sake or Japanese beer.
Where is Sake Izakaya and when is it open?
In Málaga's Old Town, at Calle San Juan de Letrán 4. We are open Tuesday to Saturday, from 13:30 to 16:30 and from 20:00 to 00:00, and on Sunday for lunch, from 13:30 to 16:30.
