In the salaryman enclave of Shinbashi – think cheap and cheerful izakaya sandwiched between ramen joints and casual standing eateries – lies a new sushi restaurant that looks more suited for the glitz of neighbouring Ginza. While Sushi Restaurant Issekisancho may have the polish of a classy, upmarket sushi counter, its prices are friendlier on the wallet.
The restaurant is one of a trio of sushi businesses under its namesake Issekisancho group, which established its own wholesale venture to procure most of its seafood directly from fishermen, thus driving down the cost. Plus, Issekisancho’s close connection with Yamayuki, one of Toyosu Market’s biggest tuna brokers, means it has access to some of the best tuna around.
At Issekisancho you can enjoy an omakase sushi meal for just ¥9,800, which gets you eight pieces of nigiri as well as eight dishes including a light and jiggly sea cucumber chawanmushi that tastes of the ocean, and a buttery, foie gras-like monkfish liver that’s been stewed in a sweet-savoury mixture of soy sauce, sake and mirin. There’s also the more sumptuous Issekisancho full-course dinner at ¥13,000, where you get five extra pieces of nigiri sushi in addition to the aforementioned dishes.
The offerings at Issekisancho are classic Edo-mae, or exemplary of Tokyo-style sushi. The shari (sushi rice) is made up of two strains of Niigata rice: the sushi-grade emi no kizuna is folded with shinnosuke, which brings some stickiness and a hint of sweetness to the mixture. This is then seasoned with a blend of pure rice vinegar plus an exclusive sake lees vinegar from Ehime that’s born of a 27-year fermentation process.
While the fish and seafood selection here varies according to the season, you can always count on having prime tuna in various levels of fattiness. More importantly, the chefs incorporate subtle creative touches to elevate the sushi without straying too far from authenticity. For instance, the pressed mackerel sushi that’s inspired by Osaka is wrapped with a sheet of crisp nori seaweed for added texture as well as ease of eating. The creamy shiro ebi (white shrimp), on the other hand, is dehydrated slightly to enhance its sweetness.
All this is complemented by a free-flow of the restaurant’s signature clam soup that works as a palate cleanser, and helps balance out the alcohol for those who choose to indulge in sake or wine with their sushi. Also, the house-made pickled ginger is delectably moreish; the chef uses a special natural sugar in the recipe to remove the ginger’s bite without eliminating its freshness.
Bookings are recommended and can be made online. There are three seatings a day at 4.30pm, 6.45pm and 9pm. Several staff members speak some English.