A Dad, A Beerhouse, and Charm.

Cultural conflation makes San Francisco’s genome a round entity. And yes, you can say that about many metropolitan cities. It’s the lushness of California and the accessibility of fresh, organic, and sustainable products that sets San Francisco apart from other cities. This advantage highlights and regulates Northern Californian gastronomy in concept, flare, and execution. The gastro pub concept has inked its way through and into San Franciscan tradition with attention to craft and artisanal beer and bright, honest, and locally produced food.

The gastro pub in concept mirrors the Japanese izakaya concept. And it’s the Izakaya that is hard to find in San Francisco where beer and sake are complimented by authentic, home-inspired, and simple Japanese eats. The izakaya tradition exudes soul and unpretentiousness. Where sushi is fluid and complex and often luxurious, izakaya lacks façade and smoke screens. Yet most significantly, it is hearty and in the vein of soul food.

A true gem, Oyaji is located on 3212 Clement Street, in between 33rd and 34th avenues, in the Outer Richmond District. The 'Dad' (which Oyaji essentially means) would be Hideki Makiyama, chef and owner. While he has a full sushi bar, stock full of wonderfully fresh treats, I journey here for the dishes that honor the lore of izakayas. Hoshiebi kakiage consists of shrimp rolled up into a patty with vegetables to make a savory deep fried dumpling shrimp cake. I enjoy the aigamo which is duck meat marinated, grilled, and accompanied with yakitori sauce. The menchi korokke is perhaps my favorite. It’s a combination of minced beef intertwined with potatoes and onions, egg, and rolled up into a ball and deep fried. Off the menu on a particular night, I’ve had jack smelt lightly fried crisply and accessorized with lemon and ponzu sauce. The Japanese deep fry in a way where you never give second thought to the amount of grease or weight of a single dish because everything is done lightly and airily. The gindara kasuzuke is a a fatty cod grilled to smoky perfection and glazed with a kasuzuke sauce which is prepared with the water leftover from the distillation process of sake. Each charred and flaky piece is infused with a subtle rice wine flavor and the texture of the fish is buttery and rich.

When you go, make sure to sit at the sushi bar. Makiyama, as a welcoming ‘dad’ would, enjoys making his guests feel comfortable in his home. Drink with him. Cheer with him. He jubilates in his guests’ contentment.

Unfortunately, I was unable to recover any of the pictures that I took. But continuing along with this ode to izakaya and just for giggles, here are some pics that I took of the delectable snacks that I had while visiting another izakaya, this time in Vancouver, British Colombia….Kitanoya-Guu. Eat your heart out.

Ahi Tuna Sashimi Steak


Deep Fried Pumpkin Croquette with Egg


Fresh Beef Sashimi Carpaccio w/ tomato ginger sauce and mustard mayonaisse


Salmon Sashimi Yukke w/ Garlic Soy


Grilled Pork Cheeks and Green Onions w/ Ponzu


Grilled Beef Tongue w/ Salt & Pepper


Deep Fried Prawns with Spicy Mayo


Baked Minced Beef, Mushrooms, Onions, w/ Garlic Tomato Sauce Rice Gratin

Food is SOULFUL when it's served out of a window.

Bustling along my enchantment with street food, I must devote some time to say a word or two about Little Skillet, the little sister to Farmer Brown. With street food widely becoming 'hip' these days, it seems like everyone is trying to get in on the act. And rightly so...consumers simply are adjusting themselves and their spending habits to the fact that the economy is constantly taking a dump. But it's hard to become accustomed to great food and gratifying culinary experiences and quit cold turkey. Food is the quintessential nexus between people of all different race, ethnicity, and background. It is politically correct pornography. So when someone asks me what I think of when I catch wind of the concept of fried chicken and waffles with mushroom-herb gravy and maple syrup for $8.50 out of an alley window (360 Ritch), it's hard for me to remain reticent. Cuz that just sounds damn good.


I know, chicken and waffles, big deal. But it's hard to find chicken these days that actually tastes like chicken...not the steroid infested, hormone injected birds that plague most of our grocery stores. This bird was fried so that the juice and moisture were locked inside and the chicken wasn't spongey like the salt water permeated bird that we're so used to. The breading was crisped splendidly with the perfect amount of seasoning and a hint of spice, I'm guessing from cayenne. Needless to say, it was very satisfying. The waffle was perfect. Texturally, it was spot-on. I love waffles that are browned just enough so that you have that light and subtle crunch with it's surface, but the inner core is that magical oxymoron constituted of both a dense and fluffy consistency. The syrup wasn't overloaded with sugar and wasn't too viscous. If you go, make sure to get the mushroom-herb gravy. Hearty and earthy, I even just like savoring in it on it's own. As a whole, this box served as validation, that simplicity executed correctly, is often times, if not more, just as fervent as food complicatedly executed.


As much I enjoyed the chicken and waffle, I didn't quite 'get' the andouille sausage waffle dog ($9) that I had. This picture isn't taken well...you can't really see the waffle that the sausage is sleeping on. I had heard so much about the waffle dog before my first trip here, and I guess the hype got to me a little bit. But I will admit, that this wasn't the bacon wrapped waffle dog that many people have raved about. Upon my first bite of the andouille dog, I immediately wanted to dismantle it and consume each component of it separately. The andouille was excellent, peppery with just the right amount of heat and spice. It was juicy and unctuous. It was topped with sauteed onions. The waffle 'bed' was conceived with corn meal. Essentially, it was a piece of corn bread. And it was good corn bread...moist and cakelike, but not overly crumbly. I think where the combination of the two lost me, was that the corn meal waffle was more of a corn bread cake than a waffle. There lacked a strength and elasticity in the foundation of the waffle for the andouille to make it work for me. Separately, I would have delighted in it, but together, it served more like a sausage in a mushy bun. Nevertheless, I'm still on a mission to try this fabled bacon wrapped waffle dog that everyone coos about. The andouille waffle dog was accompanied with freshly fried potato crisps.


And of course, I had to order a side of fries. They were solid. Fresh potatoes, cut and fried to golden goodness with the 'meat' having that subtlely grainy and sultry tissue. Nicely seasoned, they satisfied me very much.

I don't know what it means when people delight in picking up food out of window in the back of a building in an alley. There is quite a bit of fodder that comes to mind and can be associated with some pretty dubious images. With that said, when the food is good, let's just calm down and eat, even if the only place to enjoy such sustenance is on the cement loading dock across the alley way.