Forget Jiro — For Japanese Dining Head to this Izakaya
Great Izayakas Take Japanese Dining to the Red Line
Eating at an Izakaya when in Japan is an experience all in itself but sometimes you come across a place that lifts the game a few levels. You’re left knocked about and bewildered as to just how good eating out can be. One of those places is Gataro.
Located under the train tracks of Hankyu Station in Osaka Japan, Gataro is small but the energy of the place is overwhelming. It is like someone has put a Formula 1 engine in a Prius.
As soon as you open the door, you are hit with the loud welcome of “rasshai” called out in unison by each and every member of the staff. The whole place is on hyper-drive and the atmosphere is … buzzing.
Seated at the counter you will notice it is the perfect height, low enough to be involved with what is happening in the kitchen, yet high enough so as to provide enough personal space between diners and the chefs.
The chef could best be described as a Japanese version of Mr. T (from that 80's TV cult classic the A-Team) not only because of the beads around his neck and the bandana on his head, but the way he controls his crew in the kitchen. This is a no-nonsense place. Mr. T “ain’t got time for the jibber jabber.” You can see the heads of the A-TEAM throbbing with orders as…
