feels like home, japanese-style, delicious, well thought-through food. decor, vibe, and hospitality takes me back to the couple of weeks i spent bumming around japan, and the food gets it just right--artful presentation, exquisite flavors, warm hospitality, and agoodvalue.
had a mixture of sashimi ($24.95 combo plate, two pieces of salmon roe, and a spider roll) and hot dishes (beef udon for $8.95), and can say that the fish was fresh and buttery (the scallop melted in my mouth), and that the udon provided a complex mix of vinegar, sweet, and savory flavors. oh, and the green tea brought us by the senior hostess was a knockout. and just to take it a step further, the staff were as professional as they were gracious and welcoming. (is it too much to say we felt cared for?)
one could, of course, envision an experience of japanese haute cuisine that surpasses what one finds in syun izakaya. but that comparison misses the point. having enjoyed for myself mid-level japanese cooking and culture in hiroshima, kyoto, and tokyo, i can't imagine a more note-perfect slice of it than one finds at syun izakaya. my wife and i spent $50 including tip and left fed, gratified, and planning our return.