Genki Izakaya
“A perfect night out ends with Genki Izakaya.”
It was a brisk, cool evening towards the end of winter, and I was driving home after a wonderful night out on the town. Traffic was scarce as I made my way through the suburbs of Fairfax, Virginia. The car dashboard clock flashed as the hour turned to 10:00pm - the night was still young, and my brother and I were looking for a place still open for an intimate nightcap with good food and a quiet enough ambience to chat. Little did I know that the oriental-themed storefront that caught my attention would become one of my favorite all-time restaurants and hangout spots.
Right off the bat as you enter, Genki Izakaya’s decor embodies the simple, elegant feel of what it means to combine traditional Japanese woodworking with the modern minimalism. The intricate wooden interior of each matcha-colored booth gives a warm and welcoming glow brilliantly contrasted with the center bar area with its hanging glasses. Viewing the restaurant from the outside through its windows gives an impression of looking into a spyglass or a ship-in-a-bottle.
The service at Genki is top-notch, with attentive staff who are helpful in explaining the vast array of menu options. True to its name, the izakaya covers all the bases of what a cosmopolitan foodie might want to try from casual, Japanese street food to be shared with an alcoholic beverage. The drinks menu is expansive, with virtually every kind of middle to high end liquor option combination, as well as novelty concoctions like the “Anime Lover.” On my first visit, I splurged and got their signature bluefin tuna foie gras with uni (4 pc for $32), an assorted yakitori skewer platter consisting of beef skirt, pork belly, shishito peppers, chicken wings, and chicken thigh with leek (5 skewers for $20), and an order of the Anime Lover (Roku gin concoction for $17), miso old fashioned (Henessy V.S cognac for $16), and draft Kirin lager. (There was a surprise too, but more on that in a bit).
The drinks came out first, with the Anime Lover making the first incredible impression. It had a delightful appearance - a egg foam-printed face of Chihiro and No-Face from the fabled Studio Ghibli film “Spirited Away” on top of a light and sweet combination of gin, amaro, and simple syrup. The miso old fashioned didn’t disappoint either. The hint of fermented soybean made the first sip I took a surprisingly savory one, but it was perfectly chased away with sweet aftertastes of Henessey and angostura bitters. Kirin beer can be found virtually anywhere, but its light and satisfying profile is always made better on tap and it gave the real feel of being on a rainy Japanese side street somewhere in Tokyo.
Genki had a lot more to offer by way of entrees: ramen, nigiri and handrolls, and thickly sliced sashimi to name only a few. But on this occasion, our server brought out a 4 piece bluefin tuna sashimi comboed with foie gras and Hokkaido uni on top. For the cost, it was definitely on the pricier side of what I might order if I were to return, but since it was the special dish (I mean, our server hyped it up a lot) I figured why not give it a try, for the novelty? The uni couldn’t have been creamier, the foie gras more rich, or the tuna more succulent. Without hyperbole, our eyes widened when we took our first bites of this dish. While I wouldn’t recommend getting it every time (you need to try the other things too!) I would certainly suggest ordering it at least once. The yakitori platter was delicious as well, with a dab of miso paste on the plate that reminded me a bit of a whole grain mustard texture. Each skewer was roasted to perfection, some with marinade and some featured in its simplest, uncured form. My favorite of the ones we ordered was the beef skirt - the meat was tender and moist. The pork belly was cooked amazingly well too, and the natural flavors of the simple salted pork really shone through.
On this particular day that I was visiting Genki, it was my 27th birthday, and our waitress noticed that when I provided my I.D. for our drinks. She came by later to ask whether I liked ice cream, and I replied with restrained excitement, “Why, yes - of course. Why do you ask?” I got my answer not long after as she brought out Genki’s homemade matcha green tea ice cream and Japanese matcha cheesecake. A birthday dessert for me, on the house. (Annie, if you’re still working there and read this one day, you’re a true MVP!). Both desserts were phenomenal. The cheesecake was a bit hard, perhaps from being in the freezer for too long, but not overly sweet as is common in most American cheesecakes. But this matcha ice cream… It truly was the best green tea ice cream I've ever had. Immaculately creamy, striking that refreshing sweet/bitter profile that comes with authentic matcha. This is why the thumbnail for Genki Izakaya - a place named for beer, sake, and Japanese tapas- is a freaking picture of ice cream. It was THAT good, that the one thing I still remember vividly was how I felt when that wooden (yes, it was a cute wooden one!) spoon graced my palate.
In any case, Genki Izakaya would have gotten near 10/10 from me if it was based purely on decor aesthetic, service, and food quality. What knocks it down just a tad for me are its menu prices, which may bar some more cost-conscious diners and restauranteurs from frequenting it often. But if just for the ice cream or to give the quiet late night ambience a try, I implore you to stop by. I guarantee that you’ll have a great experience you won’t regret.
Fun fact: The word izakaya entered the English language by 1987. It is a compound word consisting of iru ("to stay") and sakaya ("sake shop"), indicating that izakaya originated from sake shops that allowed customers to sit on the premises to drink. Izakaya are sometimes called akachōchin ('red lantern') in daily conversation, as such paper lanterns are traditionally found in front of them.
Food Quality: 9.5/10
Meal Value: 8.0/10
Dining Experience: 10.0/10
Overall: 9.16/10
