Shoya Izakaya & Dessert at Bakery Cafe Maum

Yakisoba Noodles with pork and picked ginger.

After hearing all the hype about Shoya Izakaya, I tried it last Friday. It's located behind BrandsMart USA in a new shopping center. In addition to the photographed dishes, we also tried the fried oysters, miso soup, some nigri sushi and some yakitori Japanese peppers (both delicious). I had not tasted yakisoba since I lived in Japan six years ago (I studied abroad as an undergraduate and lived with a family in Hirakata City, near Osaka). The one problem was the this single dish took about 20 to 25 minutes to arrive; it was the last thing we ordered. Hopefully the kitchen is getting these kind of kinks worked out as I am sure this place is bound to thrive, especially with the new SuperHMart opening in the same shopping center soon. The salmon sashimi tasted fresh and pure, really hitting the spot. We also tried sea bass sushi, which I don't remember much about and scallop nigri, which I always love. The miso soup was fantastic - I think they use red miso instead of white as the broth had a distinct color. This is a place I would definitely like to visit again as their menu is huge (100+ items); however, it was fairly expensive - we spent about $65 for two people.

After dinner we headed to Bakery Cafe Maum, which is further out Buford Hwy. than I have ever ventured before (it's actually in Gwinnett County). I did not take any photos but we sampled some delicious, fresh and not too sweet strawberry watermelon juice, some rosemary cookies (again not too sweet), a walnut tart and a cream bun. Yum! This place also has a really nice atmosphere, with a fireplace and plenty of seating. I will be back soon.

Out front.



Pickles.



Salmon sashimi.



Mushrooms sauteed in jalepeno butter.