Finally! Rich Japanese men have a place to chill in Coco Park. Onikita has opened its single wooden sliding door. Marketing itself as an izakaya joint, a type of restaurant popular in Japan for ordering snacks over the course of an after-work drinking session, the presentation is Japanese from the get-go, from the geisha parasol lampshades, down to the clean shoes-off seating area, all the way up to Nippon-level menu prices.
Anglophones may need some help ordering, as the menu has few pictures and is written in Japanese and Chinese – although an English-speaking waitress helped us settle on the lamb steak (RMB65) and fried pumpkin (RMB48).
Shochu served by the glass (RMB45) comes with ice and the peach-infused sake (RMB45) goes down easy. However, it seems Onikita wants you to buy by the bottle: several pages of the menu are dedicated to bottles that hover around the RMB600 mark for 1.8 liters.
The lamb steak arrived in timely fashion, but was a single piece of meat about the size of a KFC drumstick. Cooked well, seasoned perfectly and difficult to share among three people.
The five small pieces of fried pumpkin had a strangely melon taste and again didn’t quite match the price tag.
For lovers – or friends who are really, really comfortable with each other – each Friday, an on-camera smooch will earn a free drink and a Polaroid of the embrace hung on the wall.
Onikita isn’t the place you duck in for a few snacks before heading to the clubs; it’s a vacation to Japan that will hit you in the pocket.
Price: At least RMB200
Who’s going: Businessmen with expense accounts
Good for: Smooching for booze, Japanese spirits
> For address see listing.
0 User Comments