Volumes of manga and books on Japanese tattoos and cocktail recipes line the standing shelf hiding Philadelphia’s newest omakase counter, set in a speakeasy-style side room at Northern Liberties’ recently opened Yanaga Kappo Izakaya.
It’s a long-awaited addition to the Japanese dive bar-“ish” spot opened by chef Kevin Yanaga and partner Michael Ego as a BYOB in April, followed by a grand opening last month after obtaining their liquor license.
While most of the space is dedicated to a casual izakaya, or “neighborhood watering hole” vibe, Ego explained, the eight-seat omakase room — reservations for which are now open, open slots to be released a month in advance — aims to offer a more exclusive experience, with 20-22 courses at $180 per person, plus wine and sake pairings.
For the izakaya side, menu options are drawn from “comfort food, like what I grew up with,” said Yanaga, who was raised in Kawasaki, 10 miles south of Tokyo. For him, that means dishes like Napolitan spaghetti, a Japanese staple “in every mom’s kitchen, every café,” served with a traditional caramelized ketchup sauce, green pepper, onion, mushrooms, and wagyu sausage.
Beyond that, selections include ground pork baked curry, a duo of donburi, pork or vegetable mazemen (brothless ramen), and YKI’s signature dish, hamburg steak, consisting of fried egg over a beef-and-pork patty, with a side of cubed bacon and spring onion potato salad.
Otsumami, or starters, come cold (Hamachi spicy ponzu with coconut milk, heirloom tomato, and watermelon salad) or hot (shrimp nachos, gyozas, a pair of palm-sized fried chicken sandos). There’s also an array of nigiri, sashimi, maki rolls, and poke bowls. For dessert, there is a weekly rotation of 1-900-Ice-Cream varieties.
The menu will continue to evolve, Yanaga said, “once we’re not so new.” He’s already planning on adding ramen options for the winter months.
For the 53-year-old chef, the freedom to make his own menu and business decisions comes after a long road of kitchen stints and unfulfilling partnerships.
After years of cooking professionally in Japan, Yanaga left for the U.S. in 1999, landing in Salt Lake City, where he found work as an assistant sushi chef.
“It was kind of a culture shock,” he recalled. “It was my first time seeing that rainbow roll kind of stuff.”
Jobs in New Orleans and Los Angeles followed, driven by a desire to “enhance skills and knowledge,” before an offer at Morimoto brought Yanaga to Philly. From there, he joined the opening team at Zama, on to head chef roles that took him to Atlantic City’s Borgata hotel for Izakaya by Michael Schulson, and back for Double Knot, then Pod. On the cusp of the pandemic, he returned as executive chef to Zama, where he met general manager Ego, a then-25-year-old Temple grad who had gotten his start in the industry with “a job bartending in Old City at 18, which was kind of unheard of at the time, and it was great.”
Working daily against the pressures of the pandemic, the two developed a strong professional relationship; When Yanaga was offered an opportunity by GLU Hospitality to partner on a namesake endeavor — Izakaya by Yanaga in Fishtown — he recruited Ego as manager.
Ultimately, the relationship with the restaurant group fizzled. “I thought it was a real partnership,” Yanaga said, “But I had no right to make decisions … I didn’t see any incentive.” He left after two years, in March 2023, with Ego following some months later. The Fishtown restaurant has since rebranded as Izakaya Fishtown.
“We had always talked about our own location,” Ego said. “We’d always had the conversation of, in an ideal world, we could find a way to make it work.”
They found what they were searching for — “a second-generation space we can make small changes to,” Ego said — at 637 N. 3rd Street, a corner spot that for 21 years had been home to neighborhood bar The Abbaye before it closed in January. Much of the furnishings were upcycled; refurbishments to the space were DIY: “We were like, we’re gonna throw paint on the walls and end up very upset with it,” said Ego. “But we’re really happy with how it turned out.”
There’s outdoor seating for 30, indoor for 44, and an additional 18 at the bar where Ego, who also sets the beverage program, can usually be found crafting cocktails with names inspired by Modest Mouse songs and Kevin Smith movies — Japanese beer options include Kirin Ichiban on tap, and bottled Asahi, Sapporo, and Hitachino Nest White. Wall art throughout features Godzilla and Star Wars characters, manga collages, and prints by Japanese artists Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara. On three mounted TVs, a rotation of anime and older cartoons play, with an exception made at the bar for local sports games.
With the omakase room now up and running, Yanaga and Ego are looking ahead to bolstering YKI’s communal vibe, with events like karaoke and industry nights.
“[I’m] still very nervous. Every day is like a roller coaster,” Yanaga said. “But it’s been great, and hopefully it’s going to be even better.”
HOURS:
Wednesday-Saturday: 4 to 11 p.m., kitchen closes 10 p.m.
Sunday (Okonomi—larger portion tasting menus, $45 pp): 2 to 10 p.m., kitchen closes at 9 p.m.
Monday (Neighborhood Night—all-day happy hour): 5 p.m. to 12 a.m., kitchen closes at 11 p.m.
Happy hour: 4 to 6 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday
Late night happy hour: 10 p.m. to 12 a.m., Friday-Saturday
Omakase: 8:15, last seating at 10:15; Thursday-Saturday
637 N. 3rd Street | $3-$21 | (215) 305-4130 | ykisushi.com | @yanaga_kappo_izakaya
