HIRO izakaya | Grungy Japanese izakaya opened in Antwerp
HIRO - een grungy Japanse izakaya op het eilandje in Antwerpen
HIRO izakaya in Antwerpen - credits Kristof Duriex 
HIRO izakaya in Antwerpen - credits Kristof Duriex
HIRO izakaya in Antwerpen - credits Marjorie Romeijn
HIRO izakaya in Antwerpen - credits Marjorie Romeijn
sushi neta-doos door de Antwerpse fermentatiespecialist Quirien Heitzer
Opening – Antwerp is getting a new addition with the opening of Hiro izakaya. This brand new izakaya restaurant from chefs Bart Huybrechts and Thomas Van de Weyer opened its doors on the Napoleonkaai with a view at the MAS museum and brings Japanese izakaya, with an extensive sake menu.
2 minutes read
HIRO izakaya | Casual and accessible concept
While izakaya and sake were previously almost exclusively found in fine dining, Hiro izakaya brings a very casual and accessible concept, within an intimate but grungy setting, informal ambiance and solid music. You will even find Japanese porn in the toilets. With the name Hiro, meaning generosity and abundance in Japanese, each visit promises to offer a lot of flavours and impressions. Hiro opened recently.
Initiative of two enterprising ‘brothers’
Chefs and concept creators Bart Huybrechts and Thomas Van de Weyer are no strangers to the culinary world. With previous projects, both individually and as a team, they have already proven their successful entrepreneurship. Perhaps you remember these restaurants and pop-ups? Oklahoma (smoke barbecue), Sour Fish (cevicheria pop-up), Nashville (fried chicken & cocktails during the lockdown), Vinoteka (underground wine bar), Caracas (taqueria, mexican deli and mezcal shop), Oaxaca (mexican deli pop-up) and Sin City Grill in De Casino St-Niklaas. Thomas is also co-author of ‘Japanese grill, the magic of Yakiniku’ cookbooks.
Japanese izakaya is a sake bar where you can also grab a bite to eat
For their latest project, they venture into the world of Japanese izakaya, where in this case beer and wine also play a big part. Hiro izakaya shows how things can be done differently: the restaurant was built in no time from the initial sketches to the atmospheric hotspot that opened its doors on Wednesday March 20th.
During service, Thomas can be seen as the master of the yakiniku grill, on which unagi, wagyu and yakitori, among others, are prepared. In addition, you can sample Bolder beer brewed by Bart himself.
Japan in a grungy Rock&Roll jacket
In the interior, you can see traditional Japanese style elements eclectically clashing with grungy influences. Upon entering, you immediately notice the wooden bar embracing the kitchen. This allows guests to admire the careful preparation of each dish. The kitchen’s wooden walls were charred and varnished black. The bright blue fish by Joachim from Harbour City Tattoo on one of the walls immediately gives a Japanese vibe, but in a tattoo design way. In addition, the space has its own dry-aging cabinet in which fresh fish can be aged on site. The whole thing is accompanied and cheered by a loud playlist of the owners’ favourite rock songs.
The attention to detail in the interior is even reflected in the toilets. The real eye-catcher here is the white tiling with fluorescent pink joints, and in the toilet cubicles you are surprised with hentai or manga porn. The tableware also received special attention. Belgian ceramist Koen Ghesquière developed a unique glazed collection of plates, saucers and cups, among others, together with Bart in France.
The kitchen also features traditional Japanese materials. These include a custom-made sushi neta box by Antwerp fermentation specialist Quirien Heitzer. This cedar box is used to keep the fish at the right temperature and humidity during service in the traditional Japanese way.
Reminder of an Antwerp sushi gem
Hiro inherited a collection of wooden materials from the iconic sushi restaurant Yamayu Santatsu, which closed its doors in January this year. So the sushi geta, bamboo boards on which the sushi is served, and the hangiri, a wooden bowl to hold sushi rice, were lovingly adopted by Hiro.
A combination of sushi and bar food
In the à la carte menu, guests can choose from a combination of different sushi dishes and izakaya bar food. With talented sushi chef Prakash Lamishhane on board and fish of superior quality, each piece of sushi is made with care and expertise. The menu consists of various dishes ranging from toro sushi to a delicious oyster or chicken broth. More in the mood for something fried? You can choose tempura or karaage. For the sweet-toothed among us, there are also desserts available such as a home-made tiramiso.
Apart from wines and beers, Hiro also offers an extensive sake menu. Cocktails made with Japanese premium whiskies, such as The Chita by Suntory, can also be enjoyed.
Website: Hiro-antwerp
