Set in a tranquil neighborhood in Kagurazaka, known as the mecca for food lovers, Ichiu is a sushi restaurant opened in February 2020 by Chef Koichi Hamano, who had had a desire to have his own restaurant in this neighborhood during his apprenticeship.
Chef Hamano trained at Akasaka Kikunoi and Ginza Kojyu in Tokyo and then at Sushi Sempachi in Kumamoto, filling his résumé with two-star restaurants only. Bringing his culinary experience honed at renowned Japanese restaurants to Ichiu, he offers five courses, including soup, before the entrée course of sushi.
The following sushi course consists of 13 to 14 pieces. The sushi rice is made of Akita Komachi rice from Jindai, Akita, selected through trial and error. It is seasoned with a blend of two red vinegars and a plum vinegar for a touch of freshness. The fresh seafood ingredients for sushi toppings are mostly sourced from Toyosu Market but some ingredients are also delivered from Amakusa, such as red sea urchin, gizzard shad, conger pike, and swimming crabs featured at the restaurant in Kumamoto where the chef trained. Among them, small fish whose true value is really appreciated when the ingredients are used as sushi toppings, such as greeneye, small sea bream and yellow porgy, are also served as sushi toppings in Ichiu.
The drink menu offers 10 labels of monthly featured Japanese sake and 20 labels of wine, mostly from Burgundy, to cater to the different preferences of guests.
As implied by the restaurant’s name, Ichiu, which means a house, the restaurant has a roof-like ceiling so that guests can feel as if they live together under one roof. On the hinoki cypress countertop (seating up to eight guests), the food is served on the chef’s favorite plates crafted by Mr. Ryuta Fukumura, a second-generation ceramicist from Nichigetsu Gama (a chinaware shop and cafe) in Fukuoka.
Chef Hamano’s comforting dishes and sushi, as well as pleasant conversation with him, make Ichiu worth a visit with your family, partner, friends, and colleagues.
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* The availability of this webpage does not guarantee that the restaurant presented provides services in English, unless otherwise stated. Please be aware that English services may also depend on staff availability at the restaurant.
Access
A 2 minutes walk from Exit B3 of Iidabashi Station
