The first time I went to Raku, it was still Yakitori Yakiyudori, and I was pregnant. It had the vibe of the tiny izakayas from my years in Japan - minus the cigarette smoke and the drunken old Japanese men (it is, after all, in Hillcrest) - and I vowed to return as soon as I was able to partake in the drinking. But then I forgot all about it. Until recently.

Last week, S agreed to meet met me at Raku for dinner. Although the dingy, casual atmosphere of the establishment's former life was gone, the Japanese tapas-style menu still fed my inner nostalgia-monster. I love the drink-up-and-order-as-we-go-along that this kind of menu makes possible. And because S is always game for anything, she was the perfect companion.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/mar/27/21693/

No, we did not order the deep-fried chicken cartilage or grilled liver that my be-polite gene forced me partake of as a foreigner living abroad, but I was happy to see them on the menu.

Grilled beef ($5.00) and grilled shitake mushrooms ($4.50). Two Sapporos ($4.00 each, on draft). Then two more Sapporos. Roast duck with teriyaki sauce ($12.00) and brown rice Parmesan cheese risotto ($9.00).

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/mar/27/21690/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/mar/27/21691/

We stuffed ourselves.

Then when we ordered the mochi, we thought we'd ask for one mango, one strawberry ($4.50 for two), though we ended up with two of each.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/mar/27/21694/

Next time, I’ll ask for my mochi without the whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

And next time, too, maybe I’ll test S’s Be-Polite gene and order something a little more...adventurous.