Kobachi Izakaya Dining
So much for trying to eat at Edomasa this evening. I even had some notes of friends recommendations. Soon, I hope. Soon!
Instead, it was a Kobachi evening.
Top row, left: iced green tea, ordered by both Drew and Laura. I had hot green tea.
Top row, middle: the infamous aburi saba. Surprisingly, Drew had not had this dish yet. But unsurprisingly, it was a favorite of the evening.
Top row, right: hijiki nimono – a warm black seaweed salad. At certain times of the evening, ordering 3 items from the izakaya menu garners a freebie dish and the kitchen sent out the seaweed salad for us. I think another freebie option is edemame. I was happy with the kitchen’s choice.
Middle row, left: a plate of BBQ beef ribs. Very tasty, but I was the only person at the table that would eat the gristle and pick the bones clean. It even threw off the waiter, who initially hesitated on clearing the plate as he thought we weren’t finished. Then he saw the gnaw marks. Wasteful Americans!
Middle row, middle: some fat slices of salmon and hamachi sashimi. We had initially ordered the blue fin tuna, but the yellowtail was recommended higher. Drew had been looking forward to sushi for the last two months, after travelling around eastern Europe and mostly eating carbs and red meat.
Middle row, right: Mmm, agedashi tofu. Everyone was appropriately warned that this dish came out piping hot.
Bottom row, left: Pork kaku-ni, the tender cooked pork belly. Delicious and fatty, we couldn’t finish it and took a piece home.
Bottom row, middle: that would be me, demonstrating how to eat a whole fish. It’s easy enough, just pop it in yo mouf. Q.E.D.
Bottom row, right: Mame aji nanban! Small whole fried sardines in a cool broth, with fine sliced onions and sweet peppers. This was Laura’s first time eating whole fish, she was worried she wouldn’t like it, but she did! and she took photos with her iPhone. Atta girl. Next thing you know, she’ll have a food blog too.
The surprise of the night was dessert, it came to the table after we’d settled up the bill. Normally it’s a little mochi ice cream, or a little black sesame flan, but today we got some yummy jelly roll and a melt-it-in-your-mouth dessert I can only describe as a chocolate mousse yorkshire pudding. Want more, please!
Side note: a recent visitor of Japanese descent translated “kobachi.” It means “small dish.” Makes sense.
Past posts:
28 June 2009
22 June 2009
21 June 2009
7 June 2009
6 June 2009
13 May 2009
7 March 2009
9 February 2009
26 November 2008
12 September 2008
Kobachi Izakaya Dining
4141 State St
Santa Barbara, CA 93110
www.kobachiizakaya.com
