Notable Nosh: Izakaya’s Beef Tataki | Sybaritica

I just recently published a post featuring my own version of Beef Tataki and at the time I did the cooking I had only ever eaten that particular delicacy when made by myself at home. Since then, however, I have managed to experience it at an Ottawa restaurant called Izakaya, and so I not only get an opportunity to show you a professional version of the dish, I can also compare and contrast with my own modest effort…

The rendering I was served at Izakaya was served with a sauce they described as a ‘Sweet Soy Mirin’ and it was served on the side rather than beneath the slices as I did it with my Ponzu style accompaniment. The little salad on the side was composed of shredded daikon and carrot and was not particularly remarkable as such things go, but it did add some interest to the dish as a whole. The only other significant difference between their production and mine was the addition of crisp-fried shallot and garlic sprinkled over the slices. This was a pretty nice embellishment actually as the textural contrast was very pleasant.

And…  the comparison in overall quality?

Well, Izakaya, I have to say, had me beat hands down in terms of presentation as their plate looked so much more interesting than mine. As far as the beef itself, however, I think mine had a slight edge although, in all honesty, I think this came about chiefly because I luckily happened to select a cut that turned out to be very good indeed. In any event, I enjoyed this little small-plate offering and was very glad to see somebody else’s interpretation…

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