Two streets away from his big brother IPPUDO ParisKitchen 32 offers typical Japanese izakaya cuisine, or rather « neo taishu izakaya ». Behind the stoves is chef Mitsuoka Chikara, president of the IPPUDO Europe group.
The izakaya: a cuisine for sharing
Traditionally, an izakaya is an establishment where colleagues go after work in Japan. The cuisine is designed to be shared, and is often accompanied by a host of alcoholic beverages. In the Land of the Rising Sun, the drinks menu is often much larger than the food menu. At Kitchen 32, the food and beverage offer is in this spirit: several small starters and dishes to share (in the manner of Spanish tapas) with friends. Of course, it’s also possible to order individual dishes, to which we’ll return later in this article.
On the menu, small plants indicate vegetarian dishes. The chef’s specialties and suggestions are also marked with the establishment’s logo.
This Parisian izakaya offers a warm welcome and invites its customers to enjoy a gourmet moment together. The cuisine is seasonal, depending on the produce available.
On our plates
Without further ado, here’s a non-exhaustive overview of Kitchen 32’s cuisine, with what we were able to taste (2 people).
- Squid with yuzu and miso
- Spicy menma : spicy bamboo shoots + coriander
- Pote Sala and soft-boiled egg : a potato + pork salad topped with a soft-boiled egg.
- Tako wasabi: octopus and wasabin leaves with lemon and shiso
- Takoyaki : octopus dumplings (warning: very hot when delivered to the table)
- Aburi organic salmon and hikura: braised salmon with salmon roe
- Age ebi shumai: fried shrimp ravioli
One of the most popular dishes typical of Japanese izakayas is kara-age: fried chicken marinated in homemade dashi. Available as an individual dish, the generous plate can also be shared. Take the opportunity to accompany it with a tall glass of Kinmiya shochu lemon sour (dry or sweet). Our preference is for the sweet version, which is very close to lemonade.
Chicken is also served breaded and simmered with egg and onion in chicken katsu toji.
The establishment also offers a range of Japanese curries and donburis (a large bowl of rice on which all sorts of toppings are placed).
Finally, if you want to end your meal on a sweet note, you can indulge in sweets with an Asian twist. For example, enjoy a cheesecake with saikyo miso at its heart.
And what about drinks?
The restaurant offers traditional Japanese cuisine, so don’t hesitate to indulge in Japanese sake. We recommend tasting 3 varieties of sake. Our preference is for the « sea food » on the left in the image below, a very fruity, easy-drinking beverage.
Kitchen 32
32 rue Tiquetonne
75002 Paris
The restaurant is open for lunch from Tuesday to Saturday and for dinner from Wednesday to Saturday. It can accommodate up to 22 customers simultaneously.