Underground Bar Izakaya MEW

On a cold evening of 38 degrees, I meet up with a former classmate. As it was extremely chilly, I walked into Macy's at Herald Square. the mall was bustling as ever at 6pm. It was loud with chatter and shoppers browsing through various stores. The old wooden escalators have been completely replaced with new metals ones except it still hasn't abandoned the old rickety sounds. It shook like an old man with knobbly knees. My friend calls and we walk over to Izakaya Mew on 35th St. I have heard things about Mew being this hipster trendy bar and restaurant. I always wanted to try an izakaya and it's good to new that izakayas have been popping all over Manhattan. Izakaya culture consists of alcohol and small plates of food catered to the typical salary man who wants a place to retire to after a long day of work. Space is in izakaya are usually small to cater to private conversation and cozy corners though they also welcome large groups of people. However it is recommended that you come in small groups to enjoy talking and relaxing.
Mew is located in a basement and it's very easy to miss. The only thing that distinguishes it from teh restaurant next door is a small banner reading Mew on the door and a chalkboard written in Japanese with 地下居酒屋 on it if I remember correctly. It was only 6:08 and already the entire izakaya was filled. We could wait another half an hour for an empty table, share a table with another group, or be seated near the bar. I told my friend to get seats near the bar so that we can get served quicker rather than wait. Indeed it was the right decision because no one looked like they were leaving anytime soon and while we were seated, more people continued to come in.

This was my seating area.

The place we sat in was a small skinny ledge right off a brick wall. When our food came, it was on the borderline of fitting entirely on the table. Our seats were stools from classrooms. Most people described the place as oddly chic and to me the decor was just ... I don't know not my type of aesthetic. I would say it does has its nice atmosphere, but it's dim ('cause it's a bar obviously) and reminded me too much of my old school. Unless you really held bad feelings about school like me, you probably would enjoy this kind of bar setting. Everything from the bathroom to the serving areas is very industrial. For certain seating areas you have wooden crates and metal tables. The sink taps are these flat plastic coated levers you would see in some underground factory controlling the valve pressure of something.

 Due to the seating area and the heavy influx of waiting customers, it was hard to get servers to pay attention, but I still think they are more attentive than a lot eateries. They were definitely very courteous and make you feel very comfortable drinking and eating here. For the night, we each ordered a Sapporo draft since it was a $3 happy hour special, a oden ($10) and a plate of kalbi ($11) making our bill totaling approximately $30. Like the reviews had said, the food definitely tasted good. Our oden had different fishcakes, a piece of daikon, and a boiled egg in a flavored broth. The plate of kalbi had some shredded raw cabbage with a tiny drizzle of Thousand Island dressing and a handful of baby arugula. When I was done, I was definitely not full. The prices are affordable, but is pricy compared to specials at restaurants nearby. I suppose an izakaya is not really a place where you are there for the food unless not all izakayas are like this. I can't rave about this place like other customers, but I don't think it was a bad experience. I would like to try out more izakayas in the future if I get the chance. 

Oden

After leaving, we once again entered the chilly weather outside. We walked over to Broadway Bites at Greeley Square. They are food stands set up for hungry people who want just a quick bite. There was a lot of people and a lot of good smells going on. We went over to the takoyaki stand and ordered a classic takoyaki for $8. We split the six pieces we had. As you can see, they are battered octopus balls cooked in a pan that is then drizzled with teriyaki sauce, mayonnaise and topped with bonito shavings. The teriyaki sauce was good and I wish they drizzled more of it on the takoyaki. The takoyaki is creamy on the inside and has one piece of chewy octopus. I thought takoyaki was more of a solid kind of food as opposed to a creamy hot center. Then again, it's my first time having it. The bonito shavings certainly added an interesting texture.

We ended out night by enjoying a dessert at Food Gallery 32. There's a stand called Spot Dessert that has a selection of cakes, hot drinks, and desserts located at this food court. My friend and I split a chocolate lava cake with matcha ice cream. I went ahead and ordered a Thai milk tea. I would have gotten a milk coffee instead, but I didn't want to stay up that night. The lava cake wasn't all that sweet. I fact it was more on the bitter dark chocolate side making it a perfect companion for the sweet ice cream. I heard that Thai milk tea is pretty sweet because it is sweetened with condensed milk. It turns out I was right. It has that fragrance from condensed milk. Even though it was night, there was a lot of people up and about. Manhattan is busier than I thought it was. There are places to enjoy at night too.