This is definitely the year of the craft-beer garden. Or, at least, the year that Tokyo offers us a choice about where we sip our microbrews al fresco.
The new Yonayona Beer Kitchen opened last week in the piazza behind Ark Hills. The space is more functional than pretty. And there's not a lot of garden to be seen – though the waterfall in the background is a nice touch. But there's nowhere else (that I'm aware of) in the city where you can choose from the whole selection of Yaho's beers on tap.
If you've ever tried the canned versions of Yonayona (American pale ale), Ao-oni (IPA), Tokyo Black (porter) or Suiyoubi no Neko (Belgian white/witbier) – or any of the seasonal beers – you'll know they're all good. On tap, they're even more so.
And if you think ¥600 is more than you want to pay for a medium-sized plastic cup of good craft beer, then buy a 5-for-the-price-of-4 kaisuken.
As for the food, well, it's pretty good, standard, beer garden fare. You can order everything a la carte, as you go. But if you phone in to reserve a table – as we did – you have to book a set meal (¥3,000 a head; there's also a simpler ¥2,500 option, but only for walk-in customers). This was what we got:
Eda-mame; crispy fried pasta; fries; a nice marinated tomato salad, and some charcuterie...
Skewered scallops, a kind of stuffed kofte, and kushi-age of potato...
And finally a nice, tasty "barbecue" plate of chicken and beef.
All in all, very decent for a beer garden, though I'd order a la carte next time.
And two major factors in its favor: a) it's all no-smoking; b) there's a roof, so there's no chance of getting caught in a guerrilla downpour.
Plenty more on their Facebook page here... including the full menu here…
And it augurs pretty well for when they (finally) open a permanent venue here in Tokyo. Yonayona Beer Kitchen – the brick and mortar version – is due to open in Yotsuya in October.
Stay tuned...
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