Miyakodori - a Swedish Japanese Izakaya that sparks joy
in short…
in the middle of Stockholm's Norrmalm district - an Izakaya that has won our hearts
the delicious street food-style dishes bear the fine signature of star-rated cuisine
we love the great vibes here, between delicate paper fish and a smoking charcoal grill
Upplandsgatan runs straight and steadily uphill through charming Norrmalm to Gustaf Vasa Church with its imposing green dome.
Halfway up, simple wooden benches are screwed onto a classic Stockholm house, adapted to the sloping street.
The people sitting here are relaxed, in good moods and seem to know each other.
So, a cool Swedish bar in a hip neighbourhood? Almost!
Miyakodori is actually owned by three friends from Stockholm – Max Inazawa, Lars Brennwald and John Forsell.
The three used to work together at the famous Frantzén and have now put their experience from Michelin-starred cuisine into a super relaxed izakaya.
Through a vestibule inspired by Japanese shoji paper walls, we immerse ourselves in the wonderfully bustling yet cosy atmosphere of Miyakodori.
To the right is the bar, where the incredibly friendly bartender shortens the brief wait for our table with an ice-cold Asahi beer on tap.
To the left is the dining area and open kitchen, where the charcoal grill smokes and sizzles.
The daily specials are written in chalk on black boards.
Large red papier-mâché Daruma figures gaze down at the guests. Delicate paper koi carp dance under the ceiling. Astroboy action figures wave from above the bar.
We feel like we are in a wonderfully cheerful Japanese bubble.
I am sure that even the worst mood I could bring here would immediately disappear.
And if not, the fabulous food would finally dispel any grumpiness.
The grilled chicken and pork Meatball is meant to be dipped in an egg yolk sauce. Just like the Fried Chicken with Dashi-Majo and chilli, it goes perfectly with our Asahi.
To be honest, we can hardly recommend what should be tried first, because everything here is simply outstanding, from the sea bream tataki to the gratinated scallops to the "Not Papaya Salad" made from crunchy root vegetables.
But behind "Rossini caviar", which we almost overlooked because we too often dismiss caviar as overrated, lies our absolute favourite here.
A fluffy Hokkaido milk bun is served warm with melted kombu butter on top.
It is accompanied by smetana – a sour cream that reveals the Swedish roots of the chefs here in the Japanese menu.
At Miyakodori, it is mixed with wasabi and crowned with fine sturgeon caviar from the Copenhagen-based company Rossini.
Hardly anything could be more delicious!
If we falter a little when it comes to dessert, that shouldn't encourage imitation, because the sesame ice cream with vanilla mousse and kokuto caramel here is legendary.
But we also love to drink kokuto rum, which, like the caramel, is made from dark malty Japanese sugar. It's the perfect digestif for round bellies like ours.
