Izakaya Ku – Fountain Valley, CA. If you have gone down Bristol and are in the know about Japanese Izakaya restaurants; It is well known that Kappo Honda and Shin Sen Gumi are the two heavy hitters in the area. Well a new Izakaya has now popped up: Izakaya Ku and it looks like it could be the David to these Goliaths. An Izakaya is a Japanese restaurant offering a wide selection of alcohol (sake, beer and cocktails) and small plates ranging from multiple cooking methods and styles including grilled yakitori and robata, sushi, noodles, shabu shabu, salad as well as boiled, fried and some fusion dishes. These restaurants give you a chance to try a little bit of everything and encourage sharing and eating family style, a great place to grab dinner and drinks with friends after work. Their prices and portions actually beat most Izakayas and the quality of food is rather high. One of their signature dishes is the seared mackerel. The waiter will bring the mackerel on a plate and sear it with a torch table side. You can see the blue flames dance as it crisps the skin of the mackerel, a sight to behold. Other tasty treats are smoked quail eggs, renkon (chicken mousse sandwiched between two lotus roots), beef tongue with guacamole and a curry cheese gratin. I would highly recommend checking this place out to grab some drinks and good food for a reasonable price. Love, peace and seared mackerel grease!