Pabu Izakaya

Found it on Eater and it looked cool but the food wasn't particularly good. Sushi was cut poorly as it had stringy parts to contend with and the donburi was over sauced.

Pabu is a great izakaya experience, especially for anyone not having experienced one. The inside is intimate with a long central bar and a few side tables. Don't expect to be seated quickly with a group over four people, but there are patio seats. The service can be slow. Even sitting at the bar in front of staff it takes time to get someones attention if you need something. They're always busy. Be very clear when ordering. I asked for tonkatsu (a ramen bowl) but received katsu (a fried chicken plate). But you know what? It was absolutely delicious. Everything here is delicious. The katsu was perfectly fried and juicy inside. The karrage was the same. Even the veggie gyoza were an order I'd have again. The flavors of every sauce burst out when tasted. I'd happily return any time. Once they fix their service issues it's an easy five star.

Authentic Japanese sushi in a izikaya vibe. Excellent tamago+unagi sushi. If you are looking for true Japanese sushi and not fusion rubbish then this is your place. open late and chilled vibe and outdoor and indoor seating it’s proper.

The food was excellent! I especially liked the chef’s combos. We ordered the scallops with foie gras, oysters, uni, chef’s sashimi and some rolls. Everything was great, though I do wish the server had told us what fish were in the sashimi. The ordering app worked well, and would allow someone who doesn’t speak Portuguese to see what they were ordering. Overall, I’d definitely go again.

I was pretty stoked to try this place as it showed up in a lot of my searches for places to eat in Rio. The service was friendly and great. However the food was not good at all, I am not from Brazil and have not had any other Japanese food here yet , but I Hve been to Japan and many other cities and had a lot of Japanese food all over the world. The fish is my nigiri was very warm, like alarmingly warm, the rice should be warm but the fish being that temperature scares me from a food safety perspective. The buta no kakuni was inedible, the pork was incredibly tough, I'm not used to it being served in such a light broth, however if that's how you want to serve it, it still should have had more flavours of dasbi, soy , mirin and sake. The broth was relatively flavour less. The karage was decent tasting but not a typical karage, the chunks of chicken were quite small and didn't taste like the chicken was marinaded before hand . Gyoza, unfortunately also not good, not a great sear on them , pork filling was lacking flavour, could have used some ginger. The Toro, O Toro seemed like they were cut sloppy. Overall I love the open air street seating and it had great clientele in there but the food was unfortunately a waste of a meal in my limited time in Rio.

Really great sushi and fish quality. Presentation and decor upgraded. Chicken kagage and fermented cucumbers outstanding. Good selection of Japanese beer sake and whisky and also non Japanese as well. Met with one of the owners who is also a chef and he was lovely. The staff are ok. I want to buy one of their t shirts. Great design.

This place is great, I went alone to have dinner they offered a good sake for my dinner. The place is small so there’s not many tables! But is really nice and the most important the service is great, the food is nice, just probably as a recommendation we should get a menu in English or Spanish for international.

The best food we had in Rio!! Everything was so fresh, flavours were second to none and service was lovely. Couldn’t recommend this place enough if you’re in Leblon.

Pabu is a great izakaya experience, especially for anyone not having experienced one. The inside is intimate with a long central bar and a few side tables. Don't expect to be seated quickly with a group over four people, but there are patio seats. The service can be slow. Even sitting at the bar in front of staff it takes time to get someones attention if you need something. They're always busy. Be very clear when ordering. I asked for tonkatsu (a ramen bowl) but received katsu (a fried chicken plate). But you know what? It was absolutely delicious. Everything here is delicious. The katsu was perfectly fried and juicy inside. The karrage was the same. Even the veggie gyoza were an order I'd have again. The flavors of every sauce burst out when tasted. I'd happily return any time. Once they fix their service issues it's an easy five star.

I stopped by Pabu Izakaya with two partners in crime for dinner. We were in the mood for some Japanese food and Pabu was recommended in my Brazil guidebook. We sat outside on the front patio. After ordering some sake and a Brazilian beer, I went with the chicken kaarage. This classic dish always delivers and it didn't disappoint at Pabu. It was served with a nice dipping sauce. While not a large portion, it was a yummy dish. Service was standard. If you're looking for some Japanese fare in Rio, check out Pabu!

Was craving Ramen in Brazil and this place did not disappoint. I went with a group of people and we all had the pork ramen, the eggplant, the pork belly buns and a few other appetizers. The pork belly buns were a standout but everything else was delicious as well. Highly appreciate the staff helping us order as we didn't speak Portuguese!

Delicious food and a different japanese food experience (for Rio at least). A little pricy, but they have some specials with reduced prices ou late night discounts. The ramen is great here!

Great food, different angle. Usually Japanese food is something we know and love in rio, it's innovative in the sense it's extremely tradicional, so they have a crap load of pub foods thats actually served in Japan, but we don't see here. They have ur raw fish things too, well made and fresh, but ur really missing out if u don't try anything else