#1. District 1, Le Thanh Ton Japanese Restaurant KAKU IZAKAYA Review
Japanese Restaurant KAKU IZAKAYA is located at the entrance of Le Thanh Ton Japanese Town, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. This is a trendy izakaya with a young atmosphere, making it an attractive restaurant frequented by both young locals and older Japanese men.
The restaurant is small in size and has bar tables on both the first and second floors. The first floor has an izakaya atmosphere, while the second floor has a completely different concept with a cocktail bar atmosphere. Since I came to drink beer with oden, I took a seat on the first floor.
Recently, Asahi beer has started to arrive in Vietnam and is starting to appear here and there. It sells for twice the price of Sapporo beer, so I don't want to pay for it, but if I visit during Happy Hour and get a 50% discount, it's worth ordering. It has a cleaner, more refreshing taste than Sapporo beer but does not have a deep taste.
For my first dish, I ordered 3 Kinds of Oden. The menu says 3 Kinds of Omakase, and the staff gave me 3 of the 12 ingredients at his disposal. I served radishes, eggs, and potatoes in a bowl, and the radishes were really delicious. When it comes to Japanese oden, radish is the truth. It was a little disappointing that they didn't provide any fish cakes.
For my second dish, I ordered 5 Kinds of Sashimi. Two pieces each of mackerel, grouper, squid, salmon, and butterfish are placed on the plate. The raw fish was fresh, moderately thick, and overall satisfactory.
For my third dish, I ordered Buta Kakuni(Pork Belly & Egg Braised in Soy Sauce). The small plate contained a piece of pork and an egg. The sweet and sour sauce was well seasoned and the seasoning was a bit strong, so it was better as a side dish with drinks.
For my fourth and final dish, I ordered Tofu Dashi(Fried Tofu & Eggplant). Fried tofu and eggplant were served in a tsuyu-based sauce, with a sweet and salty flavor that was great as a side dish for drinks. The soft eggplant was especially delicious.
#2. Japanese Restaurant KAKU IZAKAYA Menu
Since renewing the menu, KAKU IZAKAYA has been serving snacks with a Japanese street tent restaurant feel that are generally affordable. The cheapest snacks start at 30,000VND, making it an attractive place where you can order a variety of snacks without stress. Above all, the price of oden is reasonable and it tastes good, so it is recommended to order it.
I visited alone on a Saturday evening and ordered foods below.
5 Kinds of Sashimi: 200,000VND
3 Kinds of Oden: 80,000VND
Buta Kakuni: 50,000VND
Tofu Dashi: 30,000VND
Asahi Beer(Happy Hour): 48,000VND x 2 EA = 96,000VND
The total was 456,000VND plus 8% general VAT and 10% alcoholVAT, resulting in a total of 494,400 VND. I visited before 7pm and was able to get a 50% discount on alcohol(Happy Hour), so I was able to have a really cheap meal with a variety of Japanese foods. Unlike other izakayas around, KAKU IZAKAYA is a trendy izakaya with a young atmosphere, making it an attractive restaurant frequented by both young locals and older Japanese men.
#3. Japanese Restaurant KAKU IZAKAYA Hours and Location
KAKU IZAKAYA is located at the entrance of Le Thanh Ton Japanese Town, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Because it is a neighborhood with many Japanese restaurants nearby, such as Sushi Tiger and Gyoza no Chikara, it is a place you often visit while living in Ho Chi Minh. For a more detailed location, click the Check Location button below to check on Google Maps.
Address: 15B/12A Đ. Lê Thánh Tôn, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
Phone: 0794757742
Hours: 17:00 ~ 01:00(Closed on Sunday)