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What’s a kappou restaurant?

May 19th, 2011

The word kappou ( 割烹 ) came up today as we were discussing Mizuki’s high school job at a sushi restaurant… or rather “sushi kappou” as she put it. When I asked her what it meant, she couldn’t really define it. A Google search in English brought up “casual restaurant“, but that didn’t really sound right to her either.

So what’s a kappou?

Apparently, the kappou is a traditional Japanese establishment where the owner/cook is visible from the counter or tables, and can interact with the customers. A sushi kappou is pretty much what we call a sushi bar in the west. While this is indeed more casual than the fancy ryoutei (料亭) restaurants for example, we are still a step above the izakaya drinking establishments or “family restaurants”, which I consider to be casual.

I was also surprised to learn that sushi restaurants (or kappou) also serve nabe or tempura, especially for large parties such as an enkai (office party). I guess I never bothered to read past the sushi section of the menu!

 

 

 

One Response to “What’s a kappou restaurant?”

  1. Jeff Carbine says:

    I appreciate that you explained in the west, a sushi kappou is essentially the same as a sushi bar. My best friend is looking for some info about the taste of sushi, maybe we should try it to know the taste well. I appreciate that you helped me learn more about Japanese restaurants.

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