Hawthorn is not the first place I think of when I am in need of a place to dine, but even though it is out of the way for me, it is undeniable that Glenferrie Road and Hawthorn in general has a diverse culinary scene which is worth the effort to visit.
Izakaya style dining has always been something I look forward to. The flavour imparted to the meat from the charcoal grill is a lot more desirable than the smell it leaves on your clothes though.
In the heart of Hawthorn
Tasteful decor
Butabara $4.00 & Gyu kushi $4.50
Although we were set on having the BBQ set menu, we decided to try out some of the skewers, as they are one of the main items izakaya style restaurants are known for. This was a great decision as the skewers were simply divine. Both the pork and the beef skewers were cooked to perfection, the beef was especially good as it was juicy and full of flavour as well as seasoned perfectly.
Charcoal grill
Kimchi
Wakame soup
Assorted vegetables
Assorted seafood
Chicken thigh, pork and cheese sausage & pork belly
Ox tongue
Rostbiff & scotch fillet
Wagyu sirloin & wagyu flap
There were two BBQ sets available at Izakaya Jiro so we decided to order both of them.
Set A $35
Kimchi, rostbiff, scotch, ox tongue, chicken thigh, pork belly, pork and cheese sausage, assorted vegetables, rice and wakame soup.
Set B $50
Kimchi, wagyu sirloin, wagyu flap, ox tongue, chicken thigh, pork belly, assorted seafood, pork and cheese sausage, assorted vegetables, rice and wakame soup.
Most of the food for the BBQ was pretty standard, the meats were marinated well and tender. However I found the seafood a bit hard to grill as they stuck to the grill very easily and broke apart when I tried to move them.
The service we received that night was also pretty standard. While the staff were friendly we found getting a hold of them difficult as we were seated on the second level for the BBQ. Overall a good experience, I would definitely come back if only just for the amazing skewers.
Food Rating 8.5/10
Overall Rating 8/10