Tokyo Restaurants: Isomaru Suisan (磯丸水産) - Izakaya Seafood Restaurant

Isomaru Suisan (磯丸水産), or Isomaru Fisheries, is one of my favorite Japanese style restaurants in Tokyo. The izakaya chain's interior design resembles that of a charming Japanese beach-hut, and the walls will immediately catch your eyes with their vivid colors. This is a place where you can find fresh and cheap seafood served 24/7, so you can never be too late for a little visit.

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When you arrive at the restaurant you get a small otooshi side dish which you can grill by yourself at the table and which is included in your table charge. This style is called hamayaki, (浜焼き), which literarily means to "cook at the beach". The expression comes from the fisherman's lifestyle in the old days where they would grill the freshly caught seafood right after arrival on the shore.

Left: The otooshi side disk grilled hamayaki style. Right: Menu in English, Chinese and Korean.

Left: The jaw of a tuna. Right: Fresh scallops ready to be eaten.

A delicious donburi served in an elegant Japanese bowl

The pictures in this post is from the Isomaru Fisheries in the west part of Ikebukuro, but the restaurant is part of a big chain; you can find over 80 Isomaru Suisan restaurants spread out throughout Tokyo. Although the rest of their restaurants mainly are concentrated within the Kanto area they also have some restaurants in Osaka.

The only negative thing about this restaurant that I should mention is that smoking is allowed inside the restaurant, so prepare to get smelly.. Despite this rather large minus point this restaurant is still worth a visit if you're looking for an authentic Japanese dining experience.

Basic information

Name of Restaurant	Isomaru Suisan (磯丸水産)
Address	〒171-0021 Tōkyō-to, Toshima-ku, Nishiikebukuro, 1 Chome−42
Access	A couple of minutes' walk from the West Exit of Ikebukuro Station
Opening hours	24/7
Price-range	Around 2000 - 3000 yen for dinner
Website	http://www.isomaru.jp/ - Main Page -Japanese Only http://www.isomaru.jp/shoplist/ - Shoplist - Japanese Only