Warayakiya わらやき屋 @ Ginza

Warayakiya, or “straw burning house”, is a popular chain of izakayas, with branches in all corners of Tokyo. I have been to their Akasaka branch many times with my ex-colleagues; now with a new group of colleagues, we went to the Ginza branch.

In Kochi Prefecture, fishermen used to make bonfires of using straws and cooked their catch. This technique called warayaki and is quite a spectacle to watch. The result is a smoky and tasty BBQ-style of cooking.

前菜盛合せ Appetiser Platter

We started with an assortment of appetisers that included sliced octopus and kelp, chikuwa 竹輪 fish cake stuffed with cucumber, poached prawn and some natto dip.

蒸し鶏のサラダ ～胡麻ドレッシングとかつをラー油～Steamed Chicken Salad With Sesame Dressing And Chili Oil

I thought it was Caesar Salad because of the sprinkling of the cheese. Then I realised it’s actually a chicken breast salad with Japanese sesame dressing,.

カツオの藁焼き “Warayaki” Skipjack Tuna

Katsuo カツオ (bonito, sometimes called skipjack tuna) has been a dietary staple in Japan for millennia, evident from the discovery of its bones in Jomon-era (14,000–300 BC) shell middens. And if you’ve ever eaten Japanese food, you’ve likely eaten bonito. It is the foundation of dashi broth, an indispensable ingredient in Japanese cuisine. You might have even seen fish flakes called katsuobushi, shaved from dried bonito, dance like an apparition atop tofu, rice, and other dishes. Kochi is very well known for bonito.

カツオの藁焼き “Warayaki” skipjack tuna is the traditional way of eating bonito in Kochi. The block of bonito is grilled with a big flame from burning hay and the fish is smoked at the same time. The fish is then sliced and eaten with a variety of condiments, or for me, simply with a dash of salt.

Bonito sashimi is also served together with the warayaki version for a contrast of texture and flavours. Strangely, bonito as sashimi is not as prevalent as in Japan. Fresh bonito blocks are prized in many sushi-ya in Singapore.

きびなごの唐揚げと芋天 Fried Kibinago (Silver-stripe round herring) and Yam

Kibinago きびなご (Silver-stripe round herring) is small fish used as fishing bait, especially in skipjack tuna-fishing. Kibinago are said to be the most delicious when the fish are about to spawn as they swim close to the coastline from early spring until the beginning of summer. These fish are deep fried and are perfect snacks with ice cold beer during summer. Served with deep fried yam balls which are made from whole baby yams.

四万十ポークの角煮 Braised Shimanto Pork

The local specialty of Shimanto Town in Kochi Prefecture, 四万十ポーク Shimanto Pork, is a flavourful, juicy meat. One of the best ways to enjoy Shimanto Pork is braised in a sweet and spicy sauce.

The pork, although fatty, was absolutely delicious and not greasy at all. But it was the daikon (radish) that stole the limelight. The tasteless vegetable absorbed all it flavours from the braise and was refreshing at the same time flavourful.

鯨の竜田揚げ Deep Fried Whale

鯨の竜田揚げ Deep Fried Whale has quite a strong flavour and the meat is very dark, like in between red and black. Not quite what I imagine it to be a “fish” fillet as whales are mammals and the flesh should be like other red meat like beef or mutton.

藁炙り鶏もも肉のにんにく醤油焼き “Warayaki” Grilled chicken thigh meat with garlic and soy sauce

藁炙り鶏もも肉のにんにく醤油焼き “Warayaki” Grilled chicken thigh meat with garlic and soy sauce uses Tosa Hachikin Jidori. Of the 38 breeds of jidori 地鶏(heritage chicken breeds) in Japan, 8 are from Kochi Prefecture. Raised in pristine natural areas like the village of Okawa, Tosa Hachikin-Jidori are a cross between several Kochi heritage chicken breeds. The meat is lean and tastes very clean, while still packing a serious punch of umami. 

炙り鯖棒寿司 Seared Mackerel Sushi 

炙り鯖棒寿司 Seared Mackerel Sushi is prepared Kyoto-style sushi called bo-sushi 棒寿司, which only uses cooked ingredients like this “warayaki”ed mackerel. The mackerel is burnt with straw and releases a very flavourful oil onto the rice which elevates the entire sushi. And slight smokiness of the straw added another dimension to the bo-sushi.

The dessert of the day was a burnt cheesecake covered with shaved frozen Camembert – salty and sweet at the same time.

Lively atmosphere, great place for afterwork gathering, although the food is only good at best, not outstanding; it only costs around USD 50-80 per person, and you can limit the damage with a nomihodai 飲み放題 package.

Warayakiya わらやき屋
Japan, 〒104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo City, Ginza, 6 Chome−5−15 銀座能樂堂ビル 6F
Tel : +81 3 35745252

Visited Jul 2024