Hot on the heels of the successful Feast comes another culinary showcase, this one focused on the somewhat recent explosion of Izakaya, the Japanese pub food that hotspots like Biwa and Tanuki have helped make a regular on the rotation of local restaurant eating. Izakaya: A NW Celebration of Japanese Pub Culture is set to take place at the Jupiter on the evening of November 16 (5-9:30 pm) with an "expansive" selection of sake, shochu, beer, and Japanese-inspired cuisine from hometown favorites like the aforementioned Biwa, Masu, Miho, Ping, Wafu Yakuza, Zilla Sake House, Momokawa, and SakeOne.

Reaching a bit beyond the basic small-plates tasting and booze tippling, they'll also have DJ Satoshi, whose past credits include soundtracking a Christian Dior fashion show, the live completion of an art installation from Vancouver, B.C. artist Taka Sudo, light installations, and a curious sounding "color-coded floor plan that mimics the rail system in Japan." Tickets are $40 (jumping to $45 after November 2), with profits going to the Japan-America Society of Oregon, which among other things promotes cultural exchange between our state and their country. I love cultural exchange, especially when I can eat it.