The rise of the izakaya seems to be in full force and will only strengthen with the arrival of O Izakaya Lounge. We were fortunate enough to take a peek inside yesterday and the place looks just about ready to get off the ground as early as next Monday (stay tuned for updates). Set in the ground floor of the Hotel Kabuki, there's a heavy emphasis on Japanese baseball, as evidenced by the custom-made decorations adorning the walls and windows of the place, not to mention nine (?) flat-screen televisions that will broadcast sporting events from across the Pacific. Some sushi dishes will be present on the menu but it will center around the traditional izakaya fare. Baseball + alcohol + gourmet pub grub - douchey sports bar = happiness.
The bar, as seen directly from the entrance. Beer and sake, coming up.
Fight through the blurry to note the upstairs area and the multitude of exposed brick.
· Plywood Report Primer: And We've Got Signage at Bin 38 and O Izakaya! [~ESF~]
· Trend Watch: Is a Izakaya? [~ESF~]
