Have you noticed something lately? Izakayas -- the Japanese equivalent to the gastro-pub, tapas house, and neighborhood bar all wrapped up into one -- are popping up all over O.C.
So many izakayas have opened lately, in fact, that the trend is obvious: Izakaya is the new sushi.
Last year, Takashi Abe of Bluefin fame debuted his Izakaya Zero in Huntington Beach. Then the Wasa Sushi people introduced their Izakaya Wasa at the Irvine Spectrum. And a mere two blocks away from Honda Ya -- arguab
Edwin Goei
I saw the "Available" signs as I drove by on First Street, and I nearly slammed my brakes right there in the middle of the road. Haru Izakaya -- the new Korean izakaya restaurant, which I reviewed on these pages exactly one month ago -- has closed. Not just closed but abandoned.
Edwin Goei
I peeked inside and it looked like the place had been ransacked. Toppled shelves. Half-filled moving boxes. Chairs in disarray. No one in sight.
An eviction notice from the O
This week in Stick A Fork In It:
There were deaths. Well, one, but it was huge, in many ways: Dom DeLuise went to the big pie shop in the sky.
There were evictions. Okay, again, just one, Haru Izakaya, but it was much lamented by Edwin, who'd only raved about it one month earlier. (Hey, Edwin, maybe it was your ranting about the Kogi truck, including the news that it's in OC this week, that killed off Haru? Betcha didn't think about that!)
Meanwhile, Gustavo seemed to think
Edwin GoeiI can't say I'm surprised. The spot previously occupied by Haru Izakaya -- the Korean izakaya I reviewed for OC Weekly and chronicled when it folded -- is being reworked into a sushi joint.
