17 Aug Horse Bazaar, Melbourne CBD

Horse Bazaar is an casual izakaya on Little Lonsdale St, and it’s just celebrated its 10th birthday. Only one door down from the Hardware Street junction, it offers cocktails, beers, ciders, wines, spirits and special Japanese imports. In terms of food, there’s Japanese tapas to go along with the drinks, though there’s mains to feast on too.

It doubles as a small event space, hosting things such as live music, hip hop open mic nights and storytelling. Every weeknight there’s a food special on. You might come in for Dumpling and Massage Night on Tuesdays, or 2 for 1 Spicy Wings on Thursdays.

There’s plenty of character to be found here, with quirky figurines lining the shelves and counters, and a long white wall at the back, used to project a variety of things like local artwork and music videos.

It’s a small team at work, with Taka Enomoto in the kitchen as head chef (helped by a second chef) and Fumi Tamura manning the bar and front of house.

Espresso Martini (Vodka, Kahlua, Frangelico, Espresso $18), Citrus Highball (Vodka, Yuzu Juice, Lime, Lemonade $10)

We began our night with some drinks. I had the espresso martini, with Kahlua, espresso, vodka and frangelico added for a special nuttiness. Strong and satisfying. A2 had the refreshing Citrus Highball, which had lemonade, lime and Yuzu juice imported from Kochi prefecture, a region of Japan famous for its yuzu.

Half Serve Sweet Potato Chips ($5)

They’ve just started a gluten-free menu, which is currently being integrated into the main menu. Some gluten-free items are completely new offerings, whilst others are gluten-free versions of other menu favourites. We decided to order mostly half-serves of the tapas so we could try more dishes. I love sweet potato and couldn’t resist the allure of them in chip form. They were moist and were accompanied by tasty mayo and honey on the side.

Half Serve Agedashi Tofu ($5)

The agedashi tofu was coated in something that was more like panko than the starch that’s typically used, giving it a crunchier exterior. The insides were still scrumptiously soft and I wouldn’t have minded a full serve of it.

Full Serve Miso Eggplant with Negi Miso Sauce ($10)

We ordered a full serve of the miso eggplant. Some pieces had a bit too much sauce, so the saltiness was a bit overpowering, but when proportioned well, the flavours of the eggplant and onion miso sauce together were delicious.

Half Serve Grilled Salted Edamame ($5)

Half Serve Japanese Fried Chicken with Japanese Sauce ($5)

Both crunchy and juicy, the JFC came with a savoury sauce at the bottom of the bowl. Unfortunately, by the time we reached the bottom pieces, some of them had lost their crunchiness, but they were still very yummy.

Tofu Skewer with Coriander Pesto, Chicken Gyoza, Prawn Gyoza

Coriander injected some freshness into the tofu skewer and the gyoza were cooked nicely. I was particularly impressed by the freshness of the prawn filling.

Salmon Steak with Potato, Eggplant and Miso Butter Sauce and Rice ($18)

The salmon steak with potato, eggplant and miso butter sauce was hearty and so satisfying – almost like comfort food. The salmon was cooked well and the flavours were punchy. It wrapped up our dinner perfectly.

Horse Bazaar is a great place for casual hangouts in a groovy location. The atmosphere was warm and friendly and the food was good – I found myself happy to linger a little longer.

Disclaimer: I was invited to dine at Horse Bazaar as a guest, however, opinions expressed here are purely my own and not influenced by them in any way

Horse Bazaar
397 Little Lonsdale St
Melbourne, VIC, 3000
(03) 9670 2329
www.horsebazaar.com.au