There’s so much more to the Japanese kitchen than sushi

Mariya TAKEUCHI is no stranger to the food scene.

Alongside founding her new izakaya restaurant at Bison Beer in Church Road, Hove, with her partner Bertie van der Beek, she’s also long-term manager of Brighton’s Boho Gelato.

“I’ve known the Bison guys since they first opened their bottle shop on East Street,” she said. “Bertie and I were also regulars at their Hove bar and always thought the atmosphere there felt like an izakaya so when they approached us about building a kitchen we jumped at the chance.

“We knew that by working with Bison, we could focus on the food because the bar was taken care of with an amazing selection of drinks, great service and an established customer base.”

Izakaya is an after-work institution in Japan. In every town and city in the country, once the office doors close, workers flood to bustling back streets packed with tiny bars for beer, saké and accompanying snacks.

Much like in Spain and Italy, alcohol is always served with food in Japanese culture.

“It’s kind of a mix between a British pub and a Spanish tapas bar,” said Mariya. “Mogu Mogu at Bison Beer pretty much is an izakaya – that’s what it’s designed to be. If you want to experience a taste of Tokyo just come along and try a plate with a beer.”

Japanese food ingredients and produce are a lot harder to find than those of other Asian cuisines. With so many ingredients unique to the nation, Mariya says sourcing can be a struggle: “The last time I visited Japan, just before we opened, I came back with two suitcases filled with dried goods bought from the giant Tokyo markets and food districts.

“We have now managed to find several good suppliers but the difficulty in sourcing goods has had a positive effect in that we were forced to make a lot of sauces ourselves straight away rather than gradually.

“One of the best finds has been Namayasi, a Japanese farm in Lewes, where they grow fruit and vegetables essential to Japanese cuisine such as yuzu, wasabina and daikon.”

In Japan it can be hard to find restaurant food that is truly meat-free as seafood is regularly used to give flavour to base stocks. However with so many people in Brighton and Hove looking for vegetarian and vegan options, Mariya was keen to cater for everyone.

She said: “We wanted the vegan options to be just as exciting as any meat on the menu so people could come as a group easily and not have to worry. In fact, anything that is not meat on the menu is completely vegan. We spent a long time with our head chef Milan getting the umami flavours right with a good range of options.”

With dishes such as katsu curry, pan fried gyoza, sweet potato and kale tempura – all from £3 to £6 per plate – Mogu Mogu is a good introduction to the Japanese kitchen.