Yanaga Kappo Izakaya

"After pitstops in Fishtown and University City, Chef Yanaga has opened his namesake izakaya and sushi omakase place in Northern Liberties. The menu features duck onigiri, kappo crispy potato with yumyum sauce, and mains like fried chicken thigh sandwiches and pork tantan mazemen.   We checked out Yanaga Izakaya Kappo. Read our thoughts here." - candis mclean, alison kessler

"There are dozens of sushi spots where you can get the same quality of tuna rolls or pork gyoza as Yanaga Kappo Izakaya. And you should head to them instead, if only to avoid duck onigiri that looks like an oily hockey puck. This Northern Liberties spot has a long bar but no liquor license (it’s BYOB for now), anime playing on TV, and neon signs that say things like, “sushi addict.” And yet, we found ourselves so bored at dinner that we did napkin origami to pass the time. All of this would be forgivable if the food was worthwhile. But everything ranged from flavorless (like the vegetable tantan mazeman noodles) to hideous (like a crab roll with a part-butter, part-soy sauce dip). We’ll check in later when the bar isn’t just a showpiece. But for now, it’s a place that you should use only when you’ve already eaten and want to re-watch Dragon Ball Z." - Candis R. McLean