Ura Stand, Kyoto: Chicken sashimi and kushiage at hip retro izakaya

Chicken sashimi (raw chicken) sounds impossible to eat. So does it in Japan in general. But some know how to execute it professionally. Chicken sashimi is a local dish in Miyazaki Prefecture and Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Southern Japan. There’s a demand for chicken sashimi.

The storefront of Ura Stand.

Inside Ura Stand.

Past the entrance of Ura Stand.

Ura Stand (串揚げと煮込み裏スタンド / Kushiage to nikomi Ura Stand) in Kyoto is one of the cool progressive izakayas that take risks to bring greater food such as chicken sashimi to modern customers. In a traditional Kyoto-style Japanese townhouse (京町屋 / Kyomachiya) is an eclectic, retro hip space with handsome interior design. It’s so-called “neo taishu sakaba (ネオ大衆酒場)”.

Ura Stand’s menu.

As Ura Stand’s whole store name, Kushiage to nikomi Ura Stand (串揚げと煮込み裏スタンド), says, its focus is on kushiage (串揚げ / deep-fried skewers) and nikomi (煮込み / stew and oden). Ura Stand’s menu had an ever-so Reiwa era (令和 / 1 May 2019 – present) vibe as a reading material: pared-down design with bold font and minimal art.

Fruit chuhi (旬のフルーツ酎ハイ) / 600 yen ($4.60).

Kyoto’s Kamo nasu eggplant with dengaku miso (加茂茄子自家製田楽みそ) / 160 yen ($1.20). Lotus root curry meat with parmesan (蓮根カレーミンチパルメザンチーズ) / 230 yen ($1.70).

Pork-rolled Kyoto’s Kujo leek (九条葱の豚巻き) / 200 yen ($1.50). Shrimp meatball and shiitake mushroom with macha salt (椎茸海老しんじょ) / 200 yen ($1.50).

Tofu (揚げ豆腐) / 180 yen ($1.30).

Torotaku – tuna paste with takuan daikon radish pickles (とろたく) / 680 yen ($5.20). Piping hot potato salad (あつあつポテトサラダ) / 680 yen ($5.20).

Chicken sashimi / chicken tataki (鶏のたたき). 680 yen ($5.20).

Ura Stand’s dishes I ate were all flawless. Kushiages were phenomenal. They managed to entrap all the delicious elements of ingredients in an ethereal crispy coating where I savored professional engineering. That totally convinced me to order chicken sashimi/chicken tataki (鶏のたたき). The surface of the chicken sashimi was seared, thus tataki (たたき). It was like the chicken version of roast beef. Nothing upset my stomach.