My personal highlight: Snacking & Drinking in the first Izakaya in Zurich! Discovering delicious chicken grilled on the Konro Charcoal-Grill, paired with Japanese Swiss craft beer
Welcome to the cosy Izakaya in town with modern and traditional Japanese dishes to share!
This food discovery was very special for me since I had the fun to have my friend, mixologist and photographer Kasper with me! Usually, I have to wait for every bite I take until my food pics are done, this time I could immerse myself into the culinary experience right away!
For the opening night, Chef Dan Shu and his staff created a special selection of dishes to get a complete picture of their food concept. My absolute favourite dishes were the Chicken Karaage – Cabbage Salad, Homemade Japanese Mayo, the LUMA Wagyu Beef – Grilled Cabbage, Baby Lotus, Onsen Egg and the dessert: Churros in a super special shape tender and creamy with some ginger sour cream and berries. Truly amazing the pairing with a Gaijin Draught Beer made with some delicious blooming sake. Find a selection of sake, wines and soju, too.
A simple and cosy Izakaya
The ambience at Gaijin is simple but cosy, not too much decor, the light is a bit dark and ideal for a chilled friends’ night out or a date.
The menu at Gaijin
Choose from around 30 small dishes and share them with friends. That way you can try the diversity of dishes they offer. I love the way the menu card is divided! Under “Fire” you will find everything from the Konro Charcoal-Grill, “Hot” presents warm appetizers like Chicken Karaage and “Cold” are cold dishes like the Taco California.
Do you like to be surprised by the boss: choose the option “Omakase“! This means as much as “I leave it to the chef” and has a long tradition in Japan. This choice costs 60 CHF. Single dishes start at 6 CHF up to 45 CHF depending on your choice. There is a variety of veggie options, too! I loved the Miso Shoyu roasted eggplants with garlic chips and a delicious sake sauce and the hot & cold cucumbers.
Address: Gaijin Izakaja Resaurant, Birmensdorferstrasse 5, 8004 Zürich, T: 044 482 22 00
Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday 5.30 – 00.00 pm
In the mood for more Asian food inspiration? Get them on my food guide!
