Dinner at the Izakaya

Last night my wife and I had dinner with her parents and we were taken to my mother-in-law's friend's izakaya.

I love izakayas because they're a casual place to go and have a variety of food. Usually the food is even good!

Last night's meal started with the otoshi; the small appetizer-like thing that you are given even though it wasn't ordered but you have to pay for. I guess it's another way to pull in some income. It was a plate of a few vegetables, some small pieces of fish, and this snail-like thing. It kind of tasted like sazae, but it was smaller.

I opted for the shochu with water since I was with my wife's parents. The izakaya had an extensive list, and my father-in-law is from Kyushu and knows shochu. So I let him chose. I eventually switched over to beer a little later and was two-fisting for a short time. That didn't last long.

There was a curious thing on the menu--whale. I've had it before, and I had it again last night. I've tried whale two or three times since coming to Japan, but it was always served on a griddle. Last night the whale came raw as sashimi. If I ever eat it again, I'll eat it cooked. When it's cooked, it tasts somewhat like beef. When it's raw, it reminds me of basashi -- or raw horse.