At the end of the day, before going home after work, there are many people who like to get distracted by having a drink and perhaps a snack in the company of colleagues and friends. In Italy there are bars and taverns, pubs in England, in Spain the taperie … and in Japan the Izakaya!
Often less known to us in the West, these local informal cafes serve sake and beer accompanied with delicious dishes to share with friends: edamame (soybeans), Kyuri tofu (soy cheese with cucumber), yakitori (chicken skewers) and ebi mayo (fried shrimp), to name just a few.
Because of the many people of Japanese origin, these traditional cafes are also prevalent in Canada. Jean de Lessard designed the interior of the Izakaya Kinoya in Montreal, betting on a style both aggressive and brusque but secure in its impact. The new diner occupies the space of a more “classic”, Japanese-style restaurant, from which the furniture and the floor have been retained.
But now entering the Izakaya Kinoya one has the impression of being in a wooden building built in a hurry. The irregular walls and ceilings arise from the combination of rough planks, decorated with drawings of samurai, giant octopuses and ideograms in strong tones of red and black. Although the space is narrow and the seats are very close to each other, it seems that the theory of “shock socialization” proposed by de Lessard has proven to work 100%: already, after only a few months following its opening the Kinoya has been sold out every evening.
WHERE: 4250 Rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC H2J 2K8, Canada