カキーン :: また行きたいです!

Since the man loves oysters, but haven't indulged in any for months, the friends took us to dinner at Kakiin Oyster Bar (literally, カキーン オイスターバー HAHAHAHA). I had enthusiastically set an alarm on the phone to remind myself to pop an antihistamine before heading out to dinner. Oysters and such? I think I wouldn't chance it. For good measure, I also popped a charcoal pill. LOL 

It's a 200sqft tiny izakaya — 12 seats at the counter, but with social distancing, maybe 10 guests per seating. It's a logic I don't understand. It's such a tiny space. It doesn't make a damn difference. We took the 6pm seating (gotta clear out by 8pm for the second seating at 8.15pm). Fine by us; we would have more time to digest our food, and get back to the dog. Oof! 

The owner and his wife are really quite friendly. By now, I suppose. They did smile a lot. Hurhurhur. To be honest, there wasn't time to waste on conversation at the first seating. The space was crazy tiny and there was lots of food to be served. A sous chef helped, but still. I died laughing at this review in The Business Times last April, especially at this one line highlighted in blue. Oh don't I know that?! 😂

Welcome to Kakiin Oyster Bar where, unlike the TV show Cheers, nobody wants to know your name. Certainly not the boss man who, when you enter, looks at you the way you look at relatives whose existence you don't want to acknowledge, ie, not at all. He has the PR skills of a shiba inu - not friendly but will engage if he feels like it - so if you're a glutton for social punishment with a side of shellfish, step right in.

I do love the food! Easy bites and nothing much to complain about. It's not fine-dining in that way, but I was comfortable and happy. I was careful not to drink too much We had highballs and shared a 720ml bottle of 2022 Tiger Year junmai daiginjo from Tatenokawa brewery in Yamagata (楯の川酒造). Since I didn't get to taste the brewery's collaboration bottles with Foo Fighters, this expression would have to do.

There were potato salad and an awesome tofu with seaweed that went great with our highballs. The oysters were superb. They were freshly shucked to order. Then there were squid, scallop carpaccio with ikura, and a delicious bowl of steamed clams in soup/sake!In the display of sauces for diners, the man found the bottle of Tabasco Scorpion Pepper Sauce, and was so thrilled. It had half a bottle left and he finished it all. He really loved this iteration. J and the man went big on grilled chicken liver and gizzard. and chicken thigh. There were fried chicken, grilled pork belly, beef skirt, beef tongue. No regrets with the grilled oyster and garlic fried rice. That was a lovely round-up of carbs to the meal. 

We didn't over-order. The food was sufficient to fill all our stomachs, but nothing too damning as to cause indigestion or bloating. Hahahaha. We wisely didn't order two portions of every dish. Well, except for the oysters. We weren't allowed to share in the bill — the friends insisted that this was to be the man's birthday treat. Wheeeeeee. What a delightful evening!