The owner of this little bar-cum-restaurant spent years living in Japan, before moving to world-food mecca New York, and finally, returning with his Japanese partner to Zagreb, equipped with culinary expertise; but he’ll be more than happy to tell you that himself, in elaborate, gesticulated detail. Eat at Gyoza once and you’re a welcome guest, eat there twice and you’re a friend.
The menu is small and specialised, and each meal – whether it be glass-noodles with prawns, or the Saturday special ramen – is prepared exactly as it would be in an izakaya bar in Tokyo. As its name suggests, the star of the show is the gyoza, traditional little parcels packed with grated meats or vegetables, which, when dipped in soy sauce, taste salty, fragrant, and fresh.
It’s not fine dining – don’t expect elaborate sushi platters. Instead, you’ll get simple, authentic dishes served up by the friendliest staff in the city.