Izakaya Fishtown - Review - Fishtown - Philadelphia - The Infatuation

"There’s no shortage of restaurants for ramen, premium fish, and long lists of maki in Fishtown (we’re looking at you, Hiroki and Dawa). While Izakaya Fishtown doesn't quite pull off the ramen, maki, and small plates bit, it's a spot where you can comfortably stick to Happy Hour, hand rolls, and highballs, and leave satisfied. photo credit: EMILY SCHINDLER photo credit: EMILY SCHINDLER photo credit: EMILY SCHINDLER photo credit: EMILY SCHINDLER Pause Unmute Happy Hour is the perfect time to drop in because, unlike most places where a handful of items get a dollar or two knocked off, it feels like the entire menu here gets the Prime Day deals treatment, including the drinks. The gin-based highballs (we’re partial to the Seasonal with grapefruit and sage) can get dangerous—they’re perfectly blended, extremely refreshing, and pair with everything on the menu. You can expect a variety of hand rolls here, like salmon belly, shrimp, and buttery toro scallion (there’s not a bad one to be had–we checked). The raw bar items like oysters and tuna tartare are more filling but unremarkable. You'll forget about small plates like grilled chicken thighs and flavorless pork gyoza by your second sip of sake. And the ramen can be so oily that it's close to inedible. Stop by with a few friends and stick to what's best: hand rolls, sudsy drinks, and spending less than the full price on both during Happy Hour. Food Rundown Tuna Rice Crisp Who doesn’t love a satisfying crunch? The tuna rice crisps are rectangles of crispy rice topped with creamy spicy tuna and serrano pickles. Each bite has just the right amount of heat and tanginess balanced out by the fish. Order it. Chicken Robata This chicken skewer is about as memorable as the meal from your weird cousin’s wedding. The yakitori sauce does nothing to enhance the flavor. It’s a dish you should skip. photo credit: EMILY SCHINDLER Shrimp Handroll Jumbo shrimp, sticky white rice and scallion might not be the way to everyone’s heart, but it is to ours. Order a few of these refreshing handrolls for the table. Yellowtail Handroll This hamachi handroll, full of chunky Kizami wasabi, scallion, and nori will have you thinking about replacing your birthday cake with a handroll tower. Each bite is light, and the avocado adds the perfect richness. Kawasaki Chicken Ramen You would think a mix of Kawasaki-style chicken soup, tender chicken breast, and salty anchovy oil would pack your bowl with flavor. But this ramen–like many others here–is disappointingly bland." - Candis R. McLean