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Hideyoshi Takasawa thought he’d left the restaurant industry for good decades ago when, after opening nine restaurants in Japan over seven years, he decided at age 25 that he wanted to start a family.
“Being in the restaurant business meant working until late at night, on holidays and weekends and I didn’t want to do that anymore,” said the owner of J-Shop, a Japanese specialty food grocery.
He passed his restaurants on to his sister and went into the food import and export business instead, sourcing the best of Japan’s seafood, wagyu beef and produce from all regions for clients across the United States.
He continued his business after moving to Hawaii, and famously worked with Shirokiya to present its many food festivals, each one focusing on one particular region’s specialties, from Hokkaido to Kyushu.
When Shirokiya made its transition from retail store to the vendor-filled food hall Japan Village Walk, customers starved for Japanese produce, Hokkaido seafood and other ingredients, which pressed Takasawa to open his own retail outlet, and J-Shop was born.
But customers didn’t stop their nagging there. From the outset, they asked him to open a restaurant that would double as a demo kitchen for the shop’s products, but he resisted, until July, when he opened a small kitchen and counter without a formal name, simply known as Izakaya at J-Shop.
Already, he says, “I regret it,” of having to work until 10:30 p.m. most nights, while waking up at 4:30 a.m. to tend to his import business. But for now, the show must go on.
Over the years, we’ve seen small eateries pop up in some unusual shared spaces due to the high cost of rent, but the food connection makes the grocery store more sensible than a gas station or hair salon. Even so, this izakaya is best suited for those whose appreciation for food requires no ambiance. The only piece of décor is the shoji that separates the shop from a 10-seat food counter.
At first, that was the ex tent of the restaurant, which opens at 6 p.m., just when the shop closes. But customers unable to get a seat encouraged Takasawa to add a few more tables. Refrigerator cases were shuffled around, and the space can now accommodate up to 18.
It’s pretty amazing what chef “Cho-san” Arai can do single-handedly in a tiny space. Courses braised, deep-fried and raw arrive in no time.
You’ll be handed a bunch of loose, laminated menu pages and handwritten paper pages highlighting specials of the day. The roster of specials have included gems such as savory goya champuru ($8) and braised ahi belly nitsuke ($19.50) with mushrooms and tofu.
Meals begin with a small complimentary appetizer that on one day might be kinpira gobo with agedashi-style yamaimo (mountain yam), and on another day start with tender braised eggplant. These make a delicious start for any meal and serve as a preview of quality to come.
The sashimi moriawase (mixed platter, $50) for two, is a good place to start, highlighting Takasawa’s imports. A recent arrangement featured one piece of amaebi, a generous helping of Hokkaido uni, two Hokkaido scallops and rare pieces of flounder engawa, plus snapper, hamachi and ahi. This platter was pure joy and provides good value considering a single piece of uni nigiri runs $15, otoro nigiri $16 and hamachi $12. Juicy wagyu nigiri is $15 and disappears in your mouth in seconds.
If deep-fried fare is your preference, there’s also a tempura moriawase ($20) with a mix of shrimp and vegetables, including a half onion. There’s a pleasant crunch to the sweet tempura batter and it’s best devoured while still hot. The same goes for orders of mochiko-dusted octopus karaage ($12.50).
Other favorites from recent visits include misoyaki butterfish ($18) topped with mild myoga bud (Japanese ginger), and mixed seafood and vegetable dynamite ($7). It was a special that may not pop up on the menu for a while, but I loved the creamy combination of hamachi, ahi, ika, yamaimo and zucchini.
Other simple, but satisfying fare include humble torotaku (ahi belly and salty-sweet-tart takuan) maki ($7), negitoro maki ($12.95) and egg omelet ($9.50).
There’s a lot of fine print to go over on the menu and in a rush to order you may miss some things. I’m sorry I missed seeing the grilled hamachi collar ($19.75-$26). And sometimes curiosity may get the better of us, such as taking a chance on unagi tempura ($15), the eel being too soggy for tempura from the start.
That said, there’s a lot to enjoy here and we can only hope Takasawa can find the stamina to keep the izakaya running.
For dessert, there is imported yuzu sorbet ($9.75), caramel flan ($5) and orange sorbet served in an orange rind ($17.50). The sorbet has a delicate sweetness to it, but for the money, I’m fine with yuzu.
Izakaya at J-Shop
1513 Young St., Honolulu
Food: ***½
Service: ****
Ambiance: **
Value: ****
Call: 808-200-5076
Hours: 6-9 p.m. daily; Reservations needed
Prices: About $100-$120 for two; BYOB
Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).
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