Gaijin Izakaya

good quality, good value cooking

Kitchen chef Dan Shu and his crew have long found their winning formula: Japanese ingredients and cooking techniques without simply replicating Japanese classics. The result: a quirky, experimental culinary style that consistently surprises. Success proves them right: the restaurant near Stauffacher is fully booked seven days a week – at lunch and dinner, despite double seating! To start the Omakase menu, we received a heartwarming kingfish soup with puffed rice that quickly turned soggy. And a somewhat unconvincing plate of fatty pumpkin tempura and fridge-cold radish. This was followed by thinly sliced wagyu – flambéed tableside, yet still partially cold – hiding a mini rösti and tofu aioli underneath. Fortunately, things took a sharp turn for the better next: first thanks to a masterfully grilled kingfish cheek with ginger pickled in raspberry. And then with the evening's highlight: grilled black tiger prawns with a brilliant chili-butter-lemon sauce. Also wonderful were the last two courses before dessert: Peking duck à la «Gaijin» – buttery tender and superbly seasoned, with house-made hoisin sauce and cucumber salad. Then gyoza with an aromatic beef filling in a fine tonkotsu broth, topped with a piece of grilled rib eye and some shiso. The perfect side dish: roasted miso eggplant with crispy garlic and sesame on Japanese rice. Orange-yuzu cake with smoked olive oil and vanilla ice cream provided a fitting finale to the versatile menu, though this time we missed a bit of attention to detail from the kitchen. PS: The best «Gaijin» classics, such as the excellent veal cutlets served in «takoyaki» style, are also available à la carte.