Tanuki, Auckland, New Zealand

The Japanese Izakaya concept seems to have gained prominence far and wide in the last year and Auckland, New Zealand is no exception. Essentially Japanese bar food eaten with liberal amounts of alcoholic beverages, the movement has spawned variations and it’s possible that in another year it will have morphed into something else. But the basic idea here works – who’s going to argue with yummy Japanese small plates while guzzling some delicious sake or endless Kirin beers?  So, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? Exactly what Tanuki has figured out.

Here the concept is full blown and the restaurant offers a full menu of Japanese specialties including teriyaki, yakitori, sushi and sashimi. The place is jumping on a Friday night when we arrive.  A big heavy wooden sliding door and slatted wooden shutters on the windows add a note of authenticity as we enter and automatically we’re smack in the middle of a jovial communal atmosphere with rough hewn picnic tables and benches and multi-colored parasol lights suspended from the ceilings. It’s painted a brilliant orange with festive gold leafed paper trim, wooden cutouts dotted around the room and the ubiquitous calligraphy banners fronting the sushi bar.

A cucumber fan is a beautiful decoration for my sashimi plate of yellowtail and tuna and I devour it in an instant. Our server quickly acknowledges that we need suitable beverages and within seconds we’re sipping warmed medium dry sake from Kobe, called Morning Flower and ice cold Sapporo beers.  The Sake menu, comprising 19 varieties including a cloudy sake, is conveniently organized by region, dryness and alcohol by volume.  You’ll need to keep tabs on that in an izikaya environment, prone to endless bottoms ups.  Why it’s practically a celebration of Japanese culture.  This one is a perfect match for the yummy Mixed Tempura and a deep fried Agedashi Tofu both demanding the requisite sake/Sapporo gulp. One never tires of these Japanese standards and the izikaya specializes in them as you’ve got to balance the booze with something fried.

We decide to get adventurous and order the Grilled Scallops wrapped in sliced Pork Belly and served with Tanuki’s Original Sauce, the house special.  Essentially uncured bacon, the rich textured fatty meat with a complex flavor is a perfect foil for the always exotic and simply delicious bivalves. Add the sauce and you have a match made in heaven!  We stay the course with meat and decide to go back to uncooked, ordering the Carpaccio style seared (rare) Raw Beef Tataki.  In my mind you can never get enough of food close to its natural state and the beef is a welcomed treat.  Cue for more sake and beer!

By now we are on a ferocious course and want full on cooked mains to sustain us for the balance of the evening out on the town in Auckland.  Perusing the extensive list of mains, we go with the Chicken Karaage with Ponzu Sauce and the Oven Grilled Lamb Chops.  Both are supreme examples of a kitchen that is sublimely suited to please a roaring Friday night crowd, hell bent on having fun.  Tanuki is that rare breed of restaurant that combines good times with good cuisine.  I promise you’ll walk out on a cloud and not be hungry in an hour!