At the busiest traffic square in the city, where everyone has driven, walked or cycled past, you will find the Duke of Tokyo. This place is more than a bar: let loose during an evening of karaoke, or (unsuspectingly) have a drink at the bar.
However, what many people do not know and what you do not immediately realize from the outside, is that there is a hidden world behind this. When you are guided through the bar, it turns out that there is a real “izakaya” hidden behind it! You could call it a Japanese eatery. The word is a combination of the Japanese words for “stay”, “alcohol” and “shop”. So you can get an idea of what happens in such an izakaya. There is an informal, vibrant atmosphere and it is pleasantly busy. Now that we're inside, it's time to explore the “zaka” part.
While we study the drinks menu, we simultaneously marvel at the interior of the izakaya. When you look around, you imagine yourself in the old streets of Tokyo. It is dark and a bit mysterious. I am very curious about what is conjured up from the kitchen here. Everywhere from the izakaya you can look into the open kitchen and see the chefs busy.
As for drinks, there is a lot to choose from. The number of cocktails and the different sakes are particularly striking. The cocktails have a Japanese twist: they all contain at least Japanese whisky, umeshu (Japanese plum wine) or sake. My eye falls on the sour san, a Mexican/Japanese combination: a slightly sweet cocktail with a raw edge. First the mildness of the sweet potato shochu dominates, after which the lime juice and tequila give us a bit of a kick. We like this.
They work with a shared dining concept. There is a selection of snacks that are shared, but you can also be surprised by a four-, five- or even six-course menu. It reminds me a bit of tapas. We decide to choose a selection of the different snacks from the menu ourselves.
For the first round we start with a real classic: Karaage. We often see this Japanese fried chicken as a snack. Izakaya's version has an intense flavour, but is very light on the stomach for a fried snack. That's an art. We also go for the scallops. These are served very elegantly with a beautiful foam layer of miso, pear and celeriac, a unique find.
We are even more enthusiastic about the grilled leek. For this dish, several pieces from different phases of the exciting life of a leek are grilled over binchotan (Japanese charcoal). It's fascinating how such a simple vegetable can be taken to a higher level by a quick visit to the barbecue. I find the cream version of leek especially surprising.
The first round was a great success; So on to round two. Because our biggest hunger has already been satisfied, we only have two dishes this time. We choose the blanched wild spinach in sesame dressing and we also fancy some grilled beef with Japanese barbecue sauce. The beef skewers are wonderfully tender. Firmly grilled so that the outside is almost a little crispy, but still beautifully pink on the inside - a real delicacy.
The spinach also turns out to be a tasty discovery. Especially because the layout shows a nice piece of Japanese discipline: the leaves and stems are neatly separated and stacked with great precision. The sesame dressing is perfectly balanced and not overpowering.
Japanese cuisine is becoming increasingly popular and Izakaya Duki is a welcome addition to Rotterdam's range. For example, read the article in which I share my experience at Mori Japanese Bistro via the button below. I give Izakaya five smack points and I would like to come back again to be (extra) surprised by the chef's menu. If you dare to explore, put Izakaya Duki on your list!