Japan: The language of the izakayas

IT’S GETTING DARK and I hear my stomach making demanding noises. I’ve been walking the cobblestone streets of Nara since arriving here by train this morning and the only food my stomach has sampled today is deer cookies — which are not entirely meant to be eaten by humans. Admittedly, I did attempt to sneak a bite off a bun I purchased earlier, but ended up being chased by a deer all over the city’s famous Deer Park instead. People pointed and laughed, but the hunger remained.

I have a plan, with the perfect izakaya spot picked out in advance, though it turns out to no longer exist. Plan B, based on a recommendation, is full and waiting is not allowed (the host politely exclaims: “Please, don’t wait”).

It’s okay though, modern technology will rescue me from this gnawing hunger.

Thanks to a quick Google search, I locate a well-reviewed izakaya restaurant with a Japanese name I can’t read, let alone pronounce (晴朗邸 勝手口 or Seiroutei Katteguchi, in English, as I later discover). Though, fin…