Learning to love charcoal with Izakaya Ju

Izakaya Ju is a Japanese restaurant that is located in J-Town, the same plaza where Shiso Tree Cafe is located.  The interior resembles that of Guu, but with less of a crowd and quieter.  I generally prefer a quieter/less rowdy dining experience so this suited me just fine!

We actually had a bit of a rough start with this restaurant; however, we have definitely grown to love this izakaya and it is now part of our regular dining rotation.  Our first visit to this restaurant was a little disappointing- based on what we gathered from our subsequent visits, I would probably chalk this up to a combination of an off day and ordering the wrong items..

Tako yaki ($5)

Octopus balls

These are definitely a must-order for me whenever I visit an izakaya.  They were delicious and a reasonable price.  I realize that these are only little balls of dough and are really easy to make, but they just taste so darn good!

Quick Eats: Menya Mappen

Menya Mappen is the epitome of Japanese assembly line fast food. All orders are serviced in a queue - hungry customers enter from one end, happy customers exit from the other. The food selection consists primarily of their noodles, rice bowls, in addition to an assortment of Japanese sides.

I passed by on one fine Thursday afternoon in search of lunch and happened upon Menya Mappen as I entered a building just off of George St near Liverpool St. Inside the building, there were plenty of other options (Pepper Lunch, Oiden, etc.), but Mappen happened to be in my direct line of sight. At the entrance of the restaurant, signs directed customers to an entry queue on the left.

A closer look at Menya Mappen's regular menu.