Chef Junzo Miyajima, the Father of the Izakaya in the DMV: Where His Izakayas Are and the Best Dish to Order at Each

Chef Junzo Miyajima is IVEA's Executive Master Chef and the chef behind the menu at Genki Wagyu House. Before shabu-shabu, he built izakayas, so many of them that we call him the father of the izakaya in the DMV. He was born in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, and Genki Izakaya writes that he "honed his skills in the kitchens of Tokyo's bustling izakayas."

What an izakaya is. The Japan National Tourism Organization describes it as "a casual Japanese pub serving drinks and a variety of food," adding that izakaya "are informal, inexpensive and a lot of fun." Food is meant to be shared: each guest gets a small plate, a torizara, to take a portion from the main plate.

Genki Izakaya, Fairfax, VA. Our sister restaurant at 9508 Fairfax Boulevard, open since February 2023, and the most complete of his izakaya menus: binchotan skewers, torched sushi and highballs over clear ice. The Washingtonian wrote of "some of the most stunning highballs around." Best dish: the Tornado Omelet Fried Rice, the dish the restaurant says guests mention most.

Izakaya Nana, Chantilly, VA. At 13882 Metrotech Drive, open since early 2025. Northern Virginia Magazine called it "an almost-theme-park-perfect representation of a Tokyo street," with themed rooms and a long bar. Best dish: the Mentaiko Cream Udon, which the magazine said "combines the European-style satisfaction of a creamy pasta dish with pollock roe."

Izakaya 68, Hunt Valley, MD. In Hunt Valley Towne Centre at 100 Shawan Road, it grills "authentic kushiyaki" over binchotan charcoal, and cat-themed robots bring the plates to your table. Best dish: the spicy salmon inari, which one Maryland food blogger called "the one thing I'd drive back to Hunt Valley for."

Where it started in DC: Kaiju Ramen. On Barracks Row, Junzo ran the kitchen at Kaiju Ramen, which the Washingtonian put on its 2022 list of favorite new cheap-eats restaurants and called "this monster-themed izakaya," with a squid-ink ramen finished with Parmesan and noodles and broths made in house. Kaiju has since closed, as has Sakaki Izakaya in Clarendon, which closed in August 2026.

From the izakaya to the shabu pot. The same ideas run through Genki Wagyu House: plates to share, the best Japanese beef at prices made for a group, and a table that stays a little longer than it planned. If you have eaten here, the izakayas are the best next stop, starting with Genki Izakaya, our sister in Fairfax.