Review: Hachiban Izakaya Japanese Restaurant Penang
Opening its doors in June 2020, Hachiban Izakaya has been making headlines for its delicious food and unique Izakaya dining experience. Traditionally, Izakaya are a type of Japanese bar in which a variety of small, typically inexpensive, dishes and snacks are served to accompany the alcoholic drinks. It is not too different from Spanish tapas bars, English taverns or Italian Aperitivo experience, where people head over to these places to chill out and relax at the end of the day.
Hachiban Izakaya is part of the Edo Ichi Group with a wealth of experience in Japanese cuisine as evidence by their growing presence of restaurants across Penang and Malaysia. Amongst their other restaurant line ups in Penang are Azuma in Queensbay Mall, Edo Ichi at Island Plaza and Sushi Zento at Precinct 10 and Seberang Jaya.
Hachiban Izakaya is located at Kelawai Road adjacent to Shell petrol station. It offers a wide spread of menu from their signature fresh sashimi, kushiyaki skewers, sushi rolls, agemono and others to be paired with their premium Suntory beer and sake.
As soon as you enter the premise, you will be greeted with a casual yet cozy space with many wooden elements, Japanese mural and wall decorations which gets you in the mood for an enjoyable evening. The place is lively and packed to the brim with a strict adherence to the SOP guidelines.
What we ordered
Saito Junmai 720ml – RM128 
Salmon Sashimi – RM28 
Nankotsu Iri Tori Tsukun (Homemade Chicken Meatball with Soft Bone) – RM10 
Assorted Kushiyaki 
Asparagus To Kaori Bako – RM15 
Kushiyaki Omakase Gohon 5 – RM28 
The Verdict
We thoroughly enjoyed the overall dining experience; the food was delicious and the service was excellent. We especially liked the wide selection of Kushiyaki (Skewered meat and vegetables) and the ultra-fresh sashimi which was perfectly sliced. We also appreciated that they provide Nama Wasabi (upon request) at no additional charge.
Hachiban Izakaya may be new, but they know what they are doing and they do it well, leveraging from the group’s years of experience in Japanese culinary. Would definitely return to try more of their delicacies and I highly recommend you to check them out!
TP’s rating:
Hachiban Izakaya
Address: Level 1, 32, Jalan Kelawai, Georgetown, 10250 George Town, Penang
Tel: 016-617 8228
Web: https://www.facebook.com/hachibanizakaya
Menu: https://www.facebook.com/hachibanizakaya/menu
