Biwa

Once upon a time, my blog bore the tagline “Cultivating Convivial Consumption.” It ended up getting scrapped because after surveying a random sampling of everyone I knew or met in line at St. Cupcake, it became apparent that no one knew what it meant. What I was trying to say was that the blog promoted amicable, collaborative, social eating experiences. Convivial Consumption. My point? Well, Convivial Consumption as I intended it is alive and well at Biwa. Everyone eating there is sharing their food with friends, their chatter creating a low hum that fills the restaurant, and everyone is happy. How is it that Biwa has found the elusive and sought after Secret of Happiness?

How is it that Biwa has found the elusive and sought after Secret of Happiness?

It could be the grilled skewers dripping with savory juices, deep bowls of handmade crab miso soup that floods your mouth with umami, crisp daikon radish salad with black sesame dressing, tangy sour kimchi and vegetable-studded griddle cakes— each dish pops with new flavors just when you thought they simply had to be out of new fresh flavors.

Or, it might be the painstakingly-assembled and most excellent wine and sake selection, or maybe it’s the all-night-at-the-bar happy hour, or maybe it’s that when you get your bill, even if you’ve convivially consumed so much food you feel your barstool sinking in the middle, your bill is $30.

“Happiness, how’d you get to be happiness?” Goldfrapp wants to know. Biwa, that’s how!

Details

Cuisine: Japanese

Executive Chef: Will Harper and
Gabe Rosen

Atmosphere: Industrial décor with exposed ceiling and concrete floor, big street level windows, happy buzz filling the restaurant

Outdoor seating: A smattering of sidewalk tables outside the front door

Best Seat: At the bar, you can watch the food prepared and you get happy hour menu all night.

Noise Level: Boisterous a non-obnoxious way, because everyone at Biwa is happy

Dress Code: Casual hip

Bathrooms: Same as Simpatica, you have to get a key and head out into the hallway. Your key is attached to a masu (square wooden box used to measure rice in Japan during the feudal period—don’t EVER say this website isn’t educational). Head to your right and the multi-stall facilities (separate men’s and women’s) are on your left. Don’t forget the key when you leave or you’ll be put on a skewer and roasted.

Parking: Free, easy to find and plentiful on surrounding streets

Cocktails: Full bar, inventive cocktails $7-$10

Beer: Sapporo on draft + three bottled beers $4

Wine: Simple and precisely chosen, French-heavy, one $45 sparkly, several whites, reds and rosés, bottles $25-$90, glasses $7-$15

Sake: Extensive saké list by the 1/2 glass, glass and tokkuri (5 oz sake flask) $6-$43

Corkage: $12

Coffee: stumptown

Tea: Houji-cha (brand varies)

Ideal Meal: Green tea soba, Kimchi chijimi, (yakitori) skewers, crab miso, daikon salad

Vegetarian Friendly: See below

Vegan Friendly: Very, the menu pinpoints each dish that can be made vegetarian or vegan at your request, which is roughly half the dishes on the menu

Good for the following occasions: Casual Date, Out With Friends, Nightcap

Group/Private Party Details: There is a section of the dining room that can accommodate larger parties, call to make reservations or for more information, An 18% gratuity is added to parties over 6 and Biwa asks that a maximum of three credit cards be used to pay the bill.

Reservations: Yes, but only for parties of 6 or more

Take-Out: No

Delivery: No

Deals: Check the Biwa blog for updated event information