Look past the velvet rope and bouncers and you might notice that Akoya is trying to making a name for itself in the shadow of it’s nightclub sibling Peal upstairs. David Snyder has the results thus far.

[T]here’s plenty to like about this retooled spot in terms of food. I loved the fact that the menu assembled by chef Greg Garbacz ([orignal chef, Ari] Weiswasser’s former sous chef) is loose and flexible, one of the more intuitive and navigable small-plates menus around. Geeks could call it open-source dining — the noodle and hot dish sections provide guests with the comfort of the conventional three-course route, yet the snacks, small plates and yakitori categories provide a wide berth to play and share. This is all at reasonable prices.

Pearl Vision [City Paper]
Akoya [Official Site]

Despite the bottle service and velvet ropes of Pearl being upstairs, Adam Erace says Akoya is all about the food. 

 

Buttery miso-glazed pork belly kebabs were perfection for only $7. Tender short rib sliders (braised in pho paste) were a $12 trip to Vietnam. Indonesian- style spare ribs cured in-house and tossed in vibrant kecap manis ’cue sauce: not so bad for $10—especially considering the accompanying mound of soulful, sweet soy baked beans mined with scraps of char sui pork. That East/West harmony blended so seamlessly, calling it fusion would be an insult.

With similar Asian flavors and dedicated tempura and yakitori sections, Akoya’s menu comes a little too close for comfort to Michael Schulson’s at Izakaya. But looking past that, Garbacz delivers better food—and the staff better service—than you’d ever expect in such swank surroundings.

 

Akoya [Philadelphia Weekly]
Akoya [Official Site]

Michael Schulson’s Izakaya at the Borgata gets a ringing endorsement from Craig LaBan.

With its casually stylish ambience and ambitious small-plate take on Japanese pub fare, this is a departure from traditional casino fine-dining. And, judging from the stunning parade of dishes, from the crispy nori-rice cracker topped with spicy tuna to the silky kabocha cheesecake, Izakaya is also a smashing debut for a familiar name we’re likely to be hearing more from.

Three Bells – Excellent

Izakaya [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Izakaya [Official Site]

Adam Erace visits Izakaya in the Borgata and finds Michael Schulson’s take on a Japanese pub to be a sure winner.

Izakaya [Philadelphia Weekly]
Izakaya [Official Site]

Today’s edition of The Bite notes that Izakaya Bar & Bistro will be taking over the cursed Kaizan spot in the Academy House. Food and Drinq adds that the spot is being run by Jonathan Chun of Fuji Mountain.

Combine this news with the conjecture that has Stephen Starr considering an izakaya at the Lainesborough (16th and Locust) and word that Michael Schulson, chef at Izakaya in the Borgtata, is looking for a restaurant space for a Japanese restaurant near the Kimmel Center and we have to ask the question again, can a restaurant jump the shark before it even opens?

Dan Gross is back from vacation and offers us this nugget in his column today.

Izakaya chef Michael Schulson and star of Style Network’s “Pantry Raid” has his eyes set on Philadelphia.

[Schulson] told us he has a lease on a high-end Japanese restaurant near the Kimmel Center, but wouldn’t give a name or location.

Could it be the cursed location of the former Kaizan or could it be somewhere else?

Or, more precisely, can a restaurant jump the shark before it even opens?

We’re talking about izakayas here, people. An izakaya is the Japanese version of a gastropub supper pub, also known as a bar that serves snacky, alcohol-friendly food. A tavern, if you will. They were the hotness in New York a year or so back and we guessed it wouldn’t be long before they migrated down to Philly as so many food trends from NYC are wont to do (tapas craze, anyone?). And we guessed right!

First, there was Yakitori Boy, which turned out to be a dumbed-down sort-of-izakaya with middling food and a much more enticing karaoke bar. Then there was news that Michael Schulson, formerly of POD and Buddakan would be opening an izakaya called, well, Izakaya in the Borgata. Then Drew Lazor of City Paper reported that Owen Kamihira of Bar Ferdinand is also opening an izakaya in the Blatstein Vortex in NoLibs.

And then, this past Friday, Michael Klein revealed that the Stephen Starr octopus is plunging its mighty tentacles into the izakaya business with one planned for an undisclosed Rittenhouse location later this year.

All of which leads us to wonder: might the izakaya might be over before it began?

Joking! We’re looking forward to at least one of these places being worthwhile. We’re putting our money on Kamihira, but… the Restaurant Yenta in us can’t help but wonder where exactly Starr will lay down his newest Japanese-inspired gauntlet. We thought it would be amazing if Striped Bass were the spot–or the jinxed former Copa Miami location. If anyone can cleanse out the bad juju there, it’s the Dark Starr. Or perhaps that building on the corner of 20th and Sansom, just south of Tinto’s new expansion, which we’re calling the new restaurant nexus.

We thought all of these things, until a little Starrling peeped up that the likely locale would be The Lanesborough condominium building at 16th and Locust. That condo is an Allan Domb venture, as are the Barclay and the Parc Rittenhouse where Starr has (or will have) other restaurants. You do the restaurant and real estate math.