Tsukiji Yaki Uo Ishikawa

If there was 1 meal I could put on repeat mode, it’s got to be the lunch I had at Yaki Uo Ishikawa without a doubt. The first time I knew about this restaurant was through one of the food bloggers’ posts, and it immediately caught my attention. As a non-beef eater, I was sad looking at all the reels sharing about the grilled Wagyu beef restaurants across Japan, so when I saw the video of this restaurant serving grilled fish, I knew I needed to visit

It was a difficult journey for me to get a table at this restaurant, as none of the usual booking platforms offered reservations to the restaurant. The only platform I found was Autoreserve, which was unknown to me and charged a booking fee. I only found out when I was in Japan, and it was too late to cancel. Unlike other platforms, the fee was not a deposit but an actual fee paid for the service of the reservation. After my return, there were other platforms like Tablecheck, which did not charge a fee, so it is easier to get a table now

Back to the restaurant itself, it is located in one of the alleys in Tsukiji Market and along rows of shops and vendors selling dried seafood, grilled seafood, as well as souvenirs. I was looking intently for the restaurant since there were no English signs, and Google Maps only showed the English name of the restaurant. After missing the restaurant and turning back, I was too early, and they were still preparing, so I walked around the market

When I came back to the restaurant, their doors were open and we were one of the first to walk through the doors. Most of the restaurant space was separated into booth seating, with 1 area for bigger groups and a shaded view of the Tsukiji Market crowd outside. Each booth seat has its privacy with white cloth blinds, although you can still see through to the next table as they don’t pull down the blind fully, especially when they are grilling the fish

They have a total of 4 set meals as well as à la carte orders. You can book your table and view the menu here. We ordered the most expensive set, which included items like the Ikura and Uni bowl and grilled tuna. Each table had a small grill in the centre where the staff would cook and serve you the dishes. The course meal started with serving us the different sauces to be eaten with the other courses, a jellied fish tofu, the overflowing Ikura and Uni bowl, as well as a thick slice of tuna belly

The staff will give you instructions in simple English on how to enjoy the course. Firstly, they start by grilling the thick tuna belly on the grill, which is quite smoky, but the smell is also mouth-watering

A close-up look at the fatty tuna, which was wonderfully marbled with fats well distributed throughout the meat itself. It was cut into a thick slice, which would have been too thick to eat raw. The small rice bowl was topped full with sea urchin and Ikura, which were perfect with one another, giving out an ultimate burst of umami flavours. Once the tuna was perfectly seared, the chef put it on top of the rice bowl for us to enjoy together. The surface of the tuna was seared well with a nice smoky flavour, while the juicy and creamy centre of the tuna melts in your mouth, giving you a decadent, oily yet enjoyable mouthful. It was very weird as the perfect marbling and searing gave the fish a meaty flavour and texture

The next course was a thinly sliced sea bass sashimi, which was subtly sweet and refreshing after the fatty tuna. The next few courses were different types of fish, which were also grilled in front of us. As each type of fish is being grilled, the Chef will try their best to explain to us in English and also the best way to enjoy them with the sauces provided. Some of the fish and seafood carried the charred flavour well and were drier compared with the fatty tuna, but they were equally enjoyable and would do well with alcohol

Next, to clear off the meat flavours to make way for the highlight of the meal, we were served somen in light broth and topped with shredded spring onions and egg. The noodle was chewy and refreshing for the palate, and it helped to fill up the stomach. The way the course was planned was very balanced for the palate to take a break before continuing. Lastly, they served us the grilled cho toro, which was in a thinner chunk compared to the Otoro. We were served the perfectly grilled fish with charred lines, and it resembled a piece of grilled meat. The flavour was also almost like meat with an oily taste.

Last but not least, we ended the meal with a green tea dessert, which was not too sweet and balanced the meal well. Overall, this was one of the most amazing meal I ever had in Japan and till date, I still think of it with my mouth watering. I will not think twice to visit them again if I am in Japan

Address: Japan, 〒104-0045 Tokyo, Chuo City, Tsukiji, 4 Chome−13−5 1F

Opening hours: 11 am to 2.30 pm and 5.30 pm to 9.30 pm Closed on Mon