Yuki Izakaya

I have always loved japan. Not just for its beautiful scenery, incredible history, or cute Harajuku girls, but for its food.

I love all Asian cuisine. Chinese for sweet and sour, Thai for a creamy green curry, and Indian for spicy saagwala. For me there is something about Japanese food that, if done well, brings a whole new meaning to 'flavours of the world.' It is friendly, inviting, and exciting, yet also daring and different. The flavours are exotic but not too extreme like some other Asian counties. Japanese food is the discovery of new flavours without the shock of sweat-worthy spice or the discovery of chicken feet in your soup. To put it simply, I am never scared to try a new Japanese dish.

Another reason I love Japan might be because I have grown up with a number of Japanese live-in students. Whether they stayed for two weeks or a year they were always delighted to share something new with us. We got to experience the flavours first hand right in our home. From sushi platters to udon dishes. Japanese cuisine is a huge passion of mine so I am always thrilled to try a new Japanese restaurant. 

Yuki Izakaya. A hidden gem right in the center of Dunedin. It would have to be the only place tucked away in Bath Street, just seconds away from dozens of other cafes, bars, and restaurants near the Octagon. In Japanese Yuki literally translates to either 'snow' or 'happiness'. Perfectly suited for Dunedin I thought. And Izakaya is a place to drink and enjoy a range of small meals. My first thoughts as I left dinner last night, what a flawlessly suited name. Welcome to Yuki Izakaya, a place of happiness where you can drink from their outstanding drinks selection or even bring your own wine, and indulge in a wonderful array of small meals.

When you slide the door, yes slide not pull, and step into the restaurant the unique atmosphere hits you right in the face. You will notice how small yet open the room is. There are a handful of beautiful wooden tables, stools and chairs neatly arranged around the room and in the back ground there are glorious sights and smells coming from the visible kitchen. The staff greeted us promptly, making sure that we had indeed made a booking, then guided us to our table. Before we knew it we were handed the extremely oversized and slightly confusing menus and from that moment on were approached every couple of minutes by various staff members to see if we were ready to order. All of this is a lot to take in so I recommend ordering a drink to start, or some glasses for your own bottle of wine, and exploring the menu. 

As soon as I saw it on the menu I knew I had to try it. Okonomiyaki, a savoury pancake filled with cabbage and your choice of bacon, seafood, or vegetables. 

The flavour of this dish was top marks compared to other Japanese restaurants I have been to lately. It was different to your average asain buffet where the flavours all become one, it was authentic. The pancake was filled with generous amounts of shrimp, crab, and squid and was drizzled with Japanese mayonnaise and barbecue sauce and finally topped with fish flakes that appear to be dancing on your plate (another reason I love okonomiyaki). It was almost perfect, with impeccable flavour however it was more soggy rather than fluffy. Thank goodness for the crunchy texture of the cabbage to balance that factor out. 

The staff kept coming over to take orders throughout the night, maybe it was our compelling conversation or maybe they were trying to hurry us along. Who knows. 

Due to a few hasty decisions the next couple of dishes were purely mediocre. The agendashi tofu... I do not have too much to say about it. The pieces were larger than I expected and managing to pick up a large wobbly piece of tofu with chop sticks is as hard as it sounds. Despite this, they were cooked reasonably well with a nice crispy skin. The tofu itself was bland and the tsuyu sauce could have upped the excitement a considerable amount if it had actually soaked through. It was simply, nice. 

The pork hot pot, well I can say I liked it. Small pieces of pork, cabbage, and sprouts in a spicy broth. But don't fear, the cute bucket hot pot it's served in will keep you entertained! I didn't love or hate it and quite frankly I would rather make it at home.

Now before you start to think I am giving Yuki a bad name, I'll lighten up the mood a little . Takoyaki octopus balls. These were a remarkable finale. Crisp skin, cooked perfectly, and an explosion of flavour. I hadn't tried anything like these until I visited Yuki, in the future I will order these again. A MUST try.

Other recommended dishes are the pork belly, karaage chicken, and spicy chicken. But I am not trying to 'bulk' and would not be able to eat that much even if I tried.

 I do love Yuki I just believe you need to be careful wear you tread. Choose wisely, it's better to stay safe and go with what your friends recommend. Whenever I venture outside of my comfort zone at Yuki I am not usually excited about it. Don't get me wrong, the popular dishes are outstanding and if you are in dunedin do go out of your way to go. It's a place to bring your own wine, drink Asahi beer, enjoy company, dive into a variety of small dishes, and finish on a shot of hot saki. Just make sure you book in advance or else you will be shown to the door by every staff member available. 

-Sophea