If you can get past the constant, smoky smell from the grill, you will be treated to some excellent Japanese bar food at Izakaya Kuroyama on State Street.
Even with the front door open, the smokiness was prevalent. Fortunately, the food comes out quickly, so you don’t have to stay longer than necessary.
For example, the fried rice was brought to my table within a couple of minutes of ordering it. The dish was tasty, with a wonderful fried flavor and loaded with cabbage, onion, carrots and scallions. I chose beef, and it was tender and flavorful (I can use those adjectives to describe many of the items here).
Much of the smokiness was likely caused by the skewers, a staple of the izakaya. Your choices include bacon-wrapped tomato ($4) and shiitake ($4). I got the wagyu ($9), which was so incredibly delicious, and the unagi ($11), which was fall-apart tender.
Another staple is the takoyaki ($8 for six). I found them to have a perfect balance of crispiness on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside.
New to me was the saba ($12). The grilled blue mackerel was flaky and glazed similarly to the unagi, making it quite enjoyable.
The other appetizers I ordered were the kurobuta sausage ($8 for two), which was reminiscent of Chinese sausage but more plump, and the okonomiyaki ($13), a flavorful bacon pancake that was loaded with so many toppings (including tuna, carrots, shrimp and various sauces) that it was hard to hold and messy to eat.
I regret choosing the tan-shichu ($8). This beef tongue soup was oddly sweet and thus ruined the otherwise enjoyable beef tongue and radish.
Among the entrees, I tried the Hakata tonkotsu ramen ($17). The broth was soothing, and the pork belly was tender, but the noodles were a little too al dente. You also can find chicken ramen ($16) and seafood udon ($18) on the menu.
Both the oyakodon ($15) and gyudon ($15) rice bowls (the former with chicken, the latter with beef) were hearty and savory. They were topped with an over-easy egg, onions, pickled radishes and scallions, which provided a lot of tastes and textures.
Izakaya Kuroyama is open for dinner and late-night every day.
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See more photos in our Izakaya Kuroyama Flickr album.
