Book excerpt: Bring the party home with this Japanese pub-inspired cookbook Izakaya cooking is all about enjoying hearty and flavorful Japanese food with drinks and friends at your local hole-in-the-wall hangout. Similar to tapas or pub food,izakaya fare ranges from tasty bar snacks to substantial salads, stews, grilled meats and seafood dishes--all made fresh with minimal fuss and maximum flavor--and served alongside a chilled glass of beer or sake. The Real Japanese Izakaya Cookbook allows you to recreate over 120 of these classicizakaya dishes in your own kitchen at home. These include standards like Yakitori Chicken Skewers, Crispy Gyoza, and Grilled Wagyu Beef with Shiso. Vegans and vegetarians are also well catered to with dishes like Daikon Salad with Yuzu Dressing, Chargrilled Fava Beans and Baked Tofu with Ginger Sauce. Chef and author Wataru Yokota adds his own unique twists to signature Japanese recipes, like Miso-Simmered Pork and Grilled Mackerel with Plum Sauce. Yokota's recipes are simple and quick, aimed at working folks who don't have a lot of time to cook but love trying new and interesting flavors. This book provides clear step-by-step photos and instructions for each dish. The introduction gives guidelines for selecting, pouring and mixing drinks to complement the recipes--and even how to quickly grill and smoke meat to give it that authenticizakaya taste!