[Visit] Afternoon [Arrival] Seated without waiting [Order] Grilled chicken bowl [Budget] 2200 yen [Occasion] With a junior colleague [Location] 3 minutes walk from Shinbashi Station [Meeting Minutes] It was my first business trip to Tokyo in a while, and I managed to make my way to Shinbashi despite feeling a bit overwhelmed by the crowds. We had 40 minutes before the meeting started, so we decided to visit a restaurant called "Isehiro" recommended by my junior colleague. The restaurant is located on the basement floor of the First Hotel, and has a quiet and pleasant atmosphere. I was impressed that my colleague knew about this place. Luckily, we were able to be seated without waiting in line. Since we were short on time, we quickly ordered the grilled chicken bowl. Shortly after ordering, the aroma of charcoal from the kitchen filled the restaurant. The bowl arrived in about 5 minutes, accompanied by chicken soup, salad, and pickles. And now, it's time to dig in. The flavors are refined, with just the right amount of sauce to bring out the taste of the ingredients. Each piece of grilled chicken is tender and pairs perfectly with the rice. The crunch of the green onions also adds to the overall experience. Although I regret not being able to savor the meal slowly, I will definitely make sure to do so next time. Thank you for the delicious meal!

When asked for a quiet place for a meeting near Shinbashi Station, I ended up at the basement of the First Hotel instead of Tsubakiya. The well-known yakitori restaurant in Yaesu is run by siblings. I ordered the yakitori bowl for 2300 yen. It took about 20 minutes to arrive, but the yakitori was delicious and juicy, as each skewer was grilled to perfection. The old-fashioned method of grilling each skewer individually really paid off. The service was a bit curt, with both the owner and the waitstaff being a bit brusque, but I thought the taste was even better than the main branch in Yaesu.

It was a last-minute reservation on a Friday, but I managed to secure a seat just in time. I ordered the yakitori full course for 8,500 yen. It doesn't come with rice, but with 10 substantial skewers, I was more than satisfied. Thank you for the delicious meal.

【Isehiro First Hotel Tokyo】*Tokyo, Japan / Uchisaiwaicho*3rd visit*Rating: 3.7 I occasionally visit this place when I want to have a stylish and delicious lunch with someone. On this day, I visited with a colleague who I am grateful for. The restaurant was bustling, and in the kitchen, a veteran staff member was carefully grilling yakitori over charcoal. (I think he might be the head chef, as he was the same person as last time I visited.) The menu we ordered is as follows: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ・Yakitori set meal (\2,970) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The service at the restaurant was quite relaxed, and after a while, we were served tea, daikon salad, pickles, soup, and rice. Then, the yakitori arrived, and the skewers were brought to us relatively quickly. We had ① chicken tenderloin, ② negima (chicken thigh with leek), ③ tsukune (chicken meatballs), ④ chicken thigh or breast, ⑤ leek-wrapped bacon in that order. I was captivated by the wonderful scent of the charcoal as I ate the chicken tenderloin, which was surprisingly delicious. The chicken tenderloin I usually have at home is not tasty at all, but why is yakitori chicken tenderloin so delicious? The tsukune was also delicious! As this is a long-established yakitori restaurant, the price is understandable, but for a quick lunch within an hour, a yakitori rice bowl might have been a better choice. (Especially for those in a hurry) Next time, I will visit for the "yakitori rice bowl"! (Although I always end up ordering the yakitori set meal, I never learn, haha) ********************************************************************** ◆Reservation method: Phone reservations accepted ◆Atmosphere: It has a traditional yakitori restaurant vibe, with a higher age demographic among the customers. There are also private rooms available, making it suitable for business meetings, family gatherings, couples, or friends. It's not ideal for a quick lunch due to the relaxed pace. ◆Cost performance: The cost performance for the yakitori set meal is average. ◆Revisit: I will visit again! **********************************************************************

I had been planning to visit Isehiro in Kyobashi after reading a reviewer's information that they had relocated to the opposite side. However, on this day, I happened to be in Shinbashi for work, so I casually decided to visit Isehiro in the basement of Shinbashi Daiichi Hotel. Upon entering, I realized that unlike Kyobashi Isehiro which offers a lighter course, this one only had a full course option. Furthermore, it was a 10-skewer course, one skewer more than Kyobashi. The yakitori at Isehiro is quite substantial, starting with lighter skewers and ending with heavier ones, so I always end up feeling really full. It seems that this Isehiro is like a sibling of the one in Kyobashi, but only the Kyobashi branches have the Kyobashi name. Due to the state of emergency declaration, alcohol was not being served, so I ordered a non-alcoholic beer, which I don't usually drink. The menu didn't have prices listed, which made me a bit nervous. The non-alcoholic beer came with a small appetizer (daikon and shiso salad) which was delicious. The course content was mostly the same as Kyobashi, with the addition of quail eggs. Mixing salt and sauce, and placing the skewers on one plate, was the same style as Kyobashi. The yakitori here is a bit different from the average yakitori you find around, and it's delicious, but... I couldn't help but compare it to my memories of Kyobashi, and I felt like there was some inconsistency in the flavors. Sometimes, the salt was too strong, which was disappointing. The chicken soup was light and delicious. Also, the pace of serving the yakitori was too fast, with one skewer coming out after another. As expected, the duck and chicken wings came out last, and it felt like a bit of a struggle to eat them all. You can take home what you can't finish. However, I later realized that my impression might have been influenced by the non-alcoholic beer. Yakitori without beer... Also, there was a sugar daddy couple next to me, and I couldn't help but overhear their conversation, which may have added to my experience. One more thing, I thought I knew the price of Isehiro's full course, but I had forgotten that this was a restaurant in a hotel. A service charge of 10% was added on top. This might have been the most expensive Isehiro I've been to, including the chain stores in Kyobashi. Oh, the non-alcoholic beer was 726 yen including tax. It made me think about a lot of things, but thank you for the meal.

I thought there was a restaurant in the first hotel, so I headed to the basement. There was a yakitori restaurant operating there. If you want lunch, you can use the hotel restaurant. The yakitori bowl for 1980 yen is a bit expensive but not too expensive to eat. The minced chicken bowl is also the same price, but the yakitori bowl seems better. The counter seat was a special seat where you could watch the chef grilling the yakitori. I watched the meat being grilled without the smoke being cleared. The salad and pickles arrived, followed by soup and a bowl. The smell of charcoal was nice. The slightly burnt taste was good. The firm texture of the tsukune was irresistible. The leeks were delicious, and there were times when leeks appeared in the chicken. The chicken soup had a refined and gentle taste. It wasn't a high-class yakitori bowl, but watching them grill it carefully made it taste different. It would have been even more delicious with a half-cooked egg. The salad had a hint of flavor. I can't afford to dine at a high-end hotel in the evening, but I felt the deliciousness was enough for lunch.

I made a reservation and visited the restaurant for lunch. Due to the influence of the coronavirus, the hotel was quiet, with even the first-floor restroom being off-limits. The restaurant is located underground, and it felt lonely with few people around. I hadn't visited in two years, which is unusual. When I was working, I used to come here about once every two months. Back then, it was usually packed and lively, but this time there was only one reservation before us. In total, there were only three groups, which is unheard of compared to before. Damn you, coronavirus! The menu I usually order is the "Minced Chicken Oju (1980 yen including tax)" with an additional side of "Dango (Chicken Meatballs - 536 yen including tax)." This time, I also added coffee (500 yen) after the meal. It's a bit pricey, but the chicken meatballs have a delicious crunchy texture with bones, a taste I first experienced about 30 years ago at the Isehiro Group (although this place is not part of the group) in Kyobashi or Teigeki. The Oju contains "minced chicken," "chicken tenderloin," "chicken thigh, leek, shishito pepper." Ordering the meatballs separately is a trick I learned from experience, as adding them to the Oju would reduce the space for the minced chicken. My style is to sprinkle plenty of red pepper and enjoy a slightly spicy flavor. The chicken soup is also delicious, especially when sprinkled with sansho pepper. The meal also includes "Daikon Radish Salad" and "Turnip and Pickled Radish" as a palate cleanser between bites of the Oju. This time, the meatballs and chicken were slightly tough, and the flavor seemed a bit lacking. I heard from another yakitori restaurant that due to the coronavirus, it has become difficult to get good chicken meat. Perhaps this place is also affected by that. Despite being a bit pricey for lunch, it's a comfortable and delicious place to eat, so it remains a convenient choice.

In March 2021, due to the nearby companies recommending remote work because of the coronavirus, the restaurant floor at the First Hotel was quiet during lunchtime. It was almost empty, and we were the only customers besides one other group. We tried Isehiro for the first time, and we had high expectations. I ordered the Yakitori Don lunch set for 1980 yen. It came with daikon salad, pickles, and chicken soup. The chicken soup had a wonderful aroma as soon as it was brought to the table. Even though it didn't look very rich, it had a strong and delicious flavor. I wondered how many chickens were used to make it. The main dish, the yakitori, was juicy and tasty. It lived up to its reputation as a famous restaurant. The tsukune (chicken meatballs) could have been juicier, but the chicken thigh was excellent. I thought they could have added a bit more sauce, but I guess that's the Isehiro style. The daikon salad was also delicious. It was a happy experience to enjoy delicious yakitori for lunch. Thank you for the meal.

Enjoyed a precious moment with old friends at a traditional yakitori restaurant in Shinbashi. The restaurant was spacious and had a calm atmosphere. Despite making a last-minute reservation just 10 minutes before, we were able to secure a table. When we arrived, all tables and private rooms were fully booked except for the counter seats. We decided to order the yakitori full course menu (7260 yen including tax) that was displayed on the restaurant's signboard. For drinks, we had sake - Yoshinogawa (1210 yen including tax for one cup) and All Free (726 yen including tax for one bottle). The prices were not listed on the menu, so we were a bit worried at first. The course started with a radish salad, followed by various skewers such as chicken breast with wasabi, liver with sauce, gizzard with salt, quail egg with sauce, chicken meatball with shishito pepper and shiitake mushroom with sauce, etc. Each skewer was served one by one. After 10 skewers, we took a short break with soup and cucumber. The yakitori was delicious and cooked to perfection. Although it was a bit pricey at around 700 yen per skewer, it was a luxurious dining experience. We declined the offer for ochazuke as we were planning to visit another restaurant afterwards. Overall, it was a delightful experience and worth visiting a few times a year for a special occasion.

A guest came from Setouchi and visited this restaurant after a long time. You can make a reservation, the food is consistently delicious, and everyone you bring along will be happy. I occasionally change up my order, but I have been using this restaurant for over 20 years and almost 90% of the time I order the "Minced Chicken Bento (tax included 1944 yen)" with an additional side of "Dango = Chicken Meatball (tax included 536 yen)" on a separate plate. It's a bit pricey, but the chicken meatball with bones is a must-try delicacy. The bento box includes "minced chicken," "chicken tenderloin," "chicken thigh, green onions, and green peppers." Ordering the meatball on a separate plate is a trick to avoid reducing the minced chicken in the bento box. My style is to sprinkle plenty of red pepper flakes on top, adding a slightly spicy kick that enhances the flavor. The chicken soup is also delicious, especially when sprinkled with sansho pepper. The meal also includes "shredded radish salad" and "turnip and pickled radish" as a side dish. These serve as nice palate cleansers in between bites of the bento box. The total cost, including tax, is 2480 yen. It may seem expensive for lunch, but considering the delicious food, the calm atmosphere within the hotel, and overall convenience, this restaurant is definitely worth it. Once again, the meal was absolutely delicious. *This visit was in September, so the prices mentioned are pre-consumption tax increase.

I have been there at night before, but I don't have any photos. The yakitori was a bit overcooked and tough, but it was still delicious in its own way.

Grandpa went out for dinner alone, craving for food, he first satisfied his hunger with a parent-child bowl at a silver bar, then headed towards Shimbashi. As he wandered around Yurakucho, he thought about having some oysters, but as he got closer to Shimbashi, he noticed a restaurant inside the First Hotel Tokyo. A few months ago, he had visited this area and found most restaurants and bars closed, except for a yakitori restaurant called Isehiro. He decided to have a drink there. The restaurant had an elegant atmosphere, and he was promptly seated. It wasn't too crowded, probably due to the influence of the pandemic. He ordered a beer and a recommended course for about 7000 yen, along with a refill of highball. He enjoyed a refreshing daikon salad, followed by various yakitori skewers like chicken breast, gizzard, quail, and skin, along with chicken soup and cucumber. The meal ended with chicken wings. Although the restaurant was located inside a hotel and had a different atmosphere from local yakitori shops, it was a convenient place near Shimbashi Station to enjoy yakitori in a relaxed setting. It might be popular among inbound tourists rather than local businessmen for Shimbashi drinking. The meal was delicious. Thank you for the feast.

There are no carbohydrates in the menu, so I often visit when I want to eat yakitori. It's usually not crowded here, so it's easy to get in. The food is not particularly delicious, it's actually a bit tough. But I feel satisfied and it's easy to use, so it's okay.

This is a famous yakitori restaurant!

The yakitori grilled by the master of this restaurant, who has decades of experience, is the best in Tokyo. The lunch prices are reasonable.

Yakitori don - Grilled chicken skewers rice bowl