Kyara
Oolong Cocktail, Orange Juice Cocktail
Yamaimo Somen – Mountain potato somen noodle
Cheese no Tempura – Cheese Tempura with Fig Jam
Age dashi Mochi – Deep fried Mochi with special sauce
Ika Maru – Grilled whole squid
Yamaimo Teppan – Mountain potato on hot plate with Ponzu sauce
Kaisen Chawanmushi – Steamed Egg Custard with Seafood
Kawa – Chicken skin / Butabara – Pork Belly
Tofu Mousse – Homemade Vanilla Tofu Mousse, Strawberry Sorbet
Green Tea Waffle – Green tea waffles with Vanilla Ice cream, Butter, and Honey
Admittedly a bit perplexed by the subtitle “Japanese Tapas” as opposed to Izakaya, Kyara had been a longtime member of my ‘to-visit’ list when a friend and I decided to pay them a visit on Saturday evening and arriving just after 7:00pm to a restaurant recently named “Ethnic restaurant of the year” by Desert Companion the first surprise of many that evening was in fact the space itself, devoid of all other diners leaving us a corner seat at the bar and no less than three waiters to cater to our needs. Featuring an extensive menu of Japanese classics arranged under headings such as grilled, steamed, and fried plus a handful of daily specials as Chef Komada watched over a team of four in the open kitchen it was with an eye toward variety that we placed our order and with a complimentary cocktail to begin nearly every one of our nine items proved excellent, particularly considering a total bill inclusive of tip less than $30 per person. Starting first with cold selections and then proceeding through those grilled and hot it was with impeccable skill that traditional options like robatayaki, grilled squid, and chawanmushi shined but far more interesting and thus more impressive were items trending toward esoteric, both the hot and cold mountain potato dishes absolute show stoppers in terms of texture and flavor while tempura selections proved innovative and light. Moving on to dessert, a decision left in my hands, a selection two sweets arrived and while the tofu mousse was admittedly quite light the general lack of flavor proved rather underwhelming in its own regard and all the more so next to a pair of crispy yet supple matcha spiked waffles topped with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream and sidecars of liquid butter and honey, the end effect every bit as delicious as the Honey Toast at Ichiza or Serenade but with a slight bitter undertone adding a touch of intrigue, an upgrade on a classic that seems to typify much of the restaurant’s cuisine and all the more reason to come back soon.
