Furusato Izakaya is not the kind of Japanese eatery and bar that one would simply stumble upon while driving or on a leisure stroll in the evening. Lodged at the side of The Orient and away from the main road, Furusato’s hideaway quality adds an assuaging factor that amplifies its familiar and comforting Japanese dishes.
Headed by Chef Shinichiro Takada who hails from Kyoto, Furusato’s core principle is guided by the meaning of its name, which is equivalent to “home” and “native place” in English. On the menu, household dishes from agemono (deep-fried dishes), curry rice to sushi easily sate those looking for uncomplicated Japanese dinner executed with aplomb. First-timers at Furusato will likely benefit from visiting during lunch, whose menu—which features the classics like saba shio yaki (grilled mackerel with salt), tori kaarage (deep-fried chicken) and ebi furai (deep-fried tiger prawn with tartar sauce)—provides an unfussy entryway to the restaurant’s offerings that encourage multiple visits.
Unlike its trendier and flamboyant counterpart Caspar, which is also located within the compound of The Orient, Furusato’s calm ambience affords an insulated bubble that is ideal for a casual weekend meal to a private business dinner. The latter is easily done in one of their ten tatami rooms. Needless to say, it’s easy to lose track of time when in Furusato.
Come evening, if you’re staying put while waiting for Sudirman’s traffic gridlock to let up, indulge in a cocktail or two crafted by Taketo Utsunomiya. One of the highlights of his creations, Yukimuro is concocted with Japanese sake, vodka and egg white. The latter is employed to create a snowy appearance to reminisce wintertime at Taketo-san’s hometown in Fukuoka, further tying back to the connotation of Furusato.
Conveying the essence of “home” and “native place” may have sounded easy in theory, but in fact is harder to emulate in reality. Furusato easily brings a level of comfort by nailing simple, quality dishes along with a relaxed ambience without being overly showy. Don’t be surprised to dine amongst familiar faces in this establishment time after time.