The bar snacks you should order at an izakaya

As a general rule, anything that’s deep-fried and salted makes an excellent accompaniment to booze – and evidently chicken cartilage is no exception. While the crunchy texture of the cartilage may catch those expecting tender meat off guard, the golden brown morsels are ideal for sharing on a night of drinking. They’re best eaten while hot with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a dollop of mayonnaise. 

Tsukemono is typically a serving of pickled vegetables that are eaten with leftover rice at the end of a meal, but it can also include small fish or seafood. Due to their high salt content, these pickles make an ideal pairing with beer or sake, and are often served at high-end bars as well as more casual izakaya. It’s common for pubs and bars to source their tsukemono from particular regions around Japan, but some also take pride in pickling their own garnishes in-house and displaying the jars on bar counters.

A basket piled high with these tender soybeans will likely be reduced to a heap of empty pods within moments of landing on the table. These ubiquitous beans hardly need an introduction – they’re the most popular snack in local izakaya and no Japanese pub menu would be complete without them. Although available all year round, they come into season in August and also make a popular street food at matsuri (festivals).

Fermented viscera is just as pungent as one might imagine, and its sharp, penetrating taste can put off even those with a penchant for bold flavours. While shiokara can be made from many types of seafood, it most commonly consists of fermented squid. If you want to give yourself the possibility of actually enjoying this strange side dish, you must understand that it’s only meant to be tasted in small quantities due to its extreme salt content. Take a strand about as thin as your chopstick and chew briefly before chasing it with a sip of whisky. 

Izakaya often impose an otoshi, meaning ‘cover charge’, but this usually gets you an appetiser on the house. The said appetiser will typically be hiyayakko, tofu seasoned with dashi shoyu and sometimes grated ginger, as it’s quick and easy to serve. Neither meaty nor deep fried, this little square of chilled tofu is perhaps the last thing you’d expect to get to go with your beer. Still, you can’t go wrong with this light and subtly sweet start to a night of drinking. 

Eihire refers to stingray or skate fin, which is dried, smoked and usually grilled just before serving. Its firm, chewy consistency makes it most akin to jerky, and when sprinkled with a dash of shichimi chilli powder, it’s tasty enough to dissolve any lingering doubts about eating a creature better known for its venom than its delicious taste.