Gubei Find: Xiao's Izakaya, Open Until 2am

Gubei is a treasure trove of dining gems, particularly those of Japanese or Korean cuisine. I'm not a frequent enough visitor to neither fully comprehend nor suggest any restaurants of note, except for this one izakaya through a recommendation of a friend.

Xiao's Izakaya or 晓あかつき海鲜居酒屋 on Dianping is a quirkly little restaurant tucked away on the second floor of a mall complex. Walking past the parking lot through a seemingly deserted mall made me think we didn't find the right place. But around the corner revealed a lit cresent of eateries and bars, including one specializing in okonomiyaki and another for soba (Monbei).

This izakaya has been around since 2014. You can tell it's frequented by regulars from the scribblings and well wishes on the walls and fraying posters. Casual is the vibe. Tables (not just ours) often see an unabating flow of highballs, sake and shochu. That must be why their listed average check on Dianping is above ¥400.

On The Menu

The Food

The food is standard izakaya fare plus a board of daily specials and a handwritten specials page in the menu. They have English menus, but the specials are listed in Chinese only. Specials range from fresh catch sashimi to mentaiko fries and whole fish to duck cured in yuzu vinegar.

Deciphering that menu might prove daunting, but the staples are plentiful enough. Without further ado, the staples, plus a few specials (of which I lost track of in the flurry of dishes), in photos below. (Some have prices listed, others don't—sorry about that, didn't jot down those down!)

Cuttlefish with yuzu kosho (¥38)

Kimchi conch (¥35)

Cabbage with vinegar dressing (¥30)

Edamame (¥28)

Monkfish liver (¥58)

Grilled rice cake(¥48)

Mackerel (¥45)

Beef tongue (¥78)

Sea urchin

Chicken meatballs with raw yolks and house soy (¥38/two, I believe)

Chicken karaage(¥45)

Huadiao shrimp (¥68)

Oniigiri (¥20/piece)

Potstickers

Beef donburi

Saury sashimi (¥138)

Chicken wings (¥30)

Eel maki (¥68)

Sukiyakiu (¥138)

Sukiyaki cooked :)

For drinks, beer starts at ¥15 for a Tsingdao and its ¥40 for highballs. Sake starts at ¥55 a bottle, and shochu from ¥280 a bottle.

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Xiao's Izakaya 晓あかつき海鲜居酒屋

Address: 2/F, C Block, 48 Xinyi Lu, near Loushanguan Lu 心义路48号新世纪广场C栋2楼, 近娄山关路
Tel: [phone]

Hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm, 6pm-2am, Sat-Sun 6pm-2am

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