My stomach was full but I felt like having a little more to drink, so I wandered around and found Isomaru Suisan for the second round. I had been curious about it before but had passed by. However, the sashimi was fresh and the eel was splendid! It was fun to watch it being grilled right in front of me. I couldn't eat much this time, but I would like to come back again.

Salmon ikura bowl for 830 yen. The salmon was thinly sliced, which is understandable for this price. The freshness was not great. The ikura was small and seemed artificial. It was a Saturday at 12:30, and the restaurant was about one-third full. I used GoTo for this meal. It's rare to find places that offer lunch reservations for solo diners, so that was a valuable aspect.

I didn't feel like drinking, so I decided to go to another place for my second round! It had been a while since I last visited Isomaru Suisan, and I was surprised to see that the ordering system had changed to touch panel. I started with a fresh lemon sour since I had already had plenty of beer. The appetizer consisted of two types of fish and processed foods, which we grilled on the table burner. We ordered a salad with whitebait and leeks, fried blowfish, grilled yellowtail collar, grilled crab miso in the shell, and octopus balls. I always order the crab miso in the shell when I come to this restaurant. It's a bit pricier than I expected, though (^_^;) The crab miso starts bubbling on the grill, and you eat it straight from the shell. It's delicious on its own, but also great when dipped with fries. The restaurant was quiet, probably due to the pandemic, so we were able to relax. I was happy to see that it had become non-smoking. There is a smoking room available for those who smoke.

Today's lunch was in Ikebukuro. I went to Isomaru Suisan, a little away from the west exit. I sat at the counter and ordered the seafood chirashi bowl from the lunch menu, along with a small udon dish with grated yuzu pepper. The udon arrived shortly, and I tried it first. The broth was refreshing with the grated daikon and yuzu pepper adding great flavor. The regular udon was also delicious and easy to eat. Then came the main dish, the seafood chirashi bowl. It had tuna, amberjack, shrimp, salmon, negitoro, crab meat, flying fish roe, and tamago, with simmered anago in the middle. Starting from the anago in the middle, it was soft and the sweet sauce was delicious. Next, I had sashimi with wasabi soy sauce, which was undeniably delicious. It was a slightly luxurious lunch than usual, but I was satisfied.

I used it for a date after work. I actually wanted to go to the same store's No. 1, but it was under inspection, so... I didn't have high expectations for the No. 2 store, but it was okay. It's nice that it's open 24 hours though. I chose Heineken! This beer is light and good. For those who don't like heavy beer, definitely try it. The sashimi assortment was decent for the price, and I thought the presentation was good. It's fun to eat when it looks luxurious. I also had some shellfish, sea grapes, and ochazuke before leaving. Personally, it's a common place, but the green juice mixed drink was good. Thank you for the meal.

I tried the Crab Fried Rice with Crab Miso at a restaurant recommended by a senior colleague. It was delicious! It's much tastier than eating each separately. I recommend trying it if you're interested. The restaurant is perfect for a quick meal and drink.

My current favorite type of izakaya is a restaurant where there is a grill on the table, and you can cook your own food. Recently, there has been an increase in restaurants where you can grill seafood, in addition to the popular yakiniku places. Today, I visited one of those seafood grilling restaurants. Isomaru Suisan Ikebukuro Nishiguchi 2nd Branch Phone: 03-5928-2271 Address: 1-38-3 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo Located right by the west exit of Ikebukuro. I have only recently started going here, but it's quite popular so it can get crowded. I didn't make a reservation for this visit, so I arrived early. Turns out, this place is open 24 hours... First, I ordered the "Grilled Tuna Collar" for 899 yen. It was big and overflowing from the plate. Lots of meat to enjoy, very delicious. Next, the "Grilled Red Shrimp Skewers" for 699 yen. It's a dish that you grill on the table. I took charge of grilling, and it was fun. The shrimp were large and tasty. Lastly, the "Fried Small Shrimp". It had a good amount of salt, making it a perfect snack to go with drinks. The atmosphere also makes you feel like you're drinking at a seaside shack. It was a great experience. As of December 7, 2018, the restaurant has a Tabelog rating of 3.06.

The staff's consideration was too subtle. The taste is indeed delicious as expected from Isomaru-san!

Compared to the nearby Isomaru Suisan, the quality of the food and the service of the staff (especially the waitstaff) are lower. I give it a 2-star rating for the following reasons: had to wait for about 30 minutes for the food to come out, the udon broth had almost no flavor, the soy sauce needed for the sea bream bowl was not provided when serving, and the staff did not notice this. Even when calling the staff, they were ignored.

I ordered the large size, but the rice portion seemed a bit small. However, it was still delicious!

I always enjoy the lively atmosphere at Isomaru Suisan. It's fun to grill your own food, even though I only go occasionally.

One of the multiple branches of Isomaru located near the west exit of Ikebukuro. This restaurant is mainly used for lunch. The time between ordering and the food arriving is quite long, so you may feel like you are kept waiting. However, it is a good place for reasonably priced and long drinking sessions in the evening.

Average

The order arrived quickly.

The other day, I received a photo on LINE of a delicious-looking dish of grilled eel over rice from Nagoya, at Unafuji, priced at 4700 yen including tax. It may be expensive, but it was said to be worth every penny. Being frugal myself, I rarely indulge in such pricey items and instead opt for more affordable dining options. On this particular day, I decided to try a restaurant based on its storefront tapestry. Nearby at the Rosa Kaikan, there was a long line of customers waiting to watch "Don't Turn the Camera Off!" with many people crowding the arcade inside. It was truly impressive! The restaurant I visited this time was Isomaru Suisan Ikebukuro Nishiguchi 2nd branch, located right near the Rosa Kaikan. Upon entering, we were told to choose any seat we liked, so we sat at a table. Inside, groups of people were enjoying daytime drinking, which made me a bit envious. We had already decided on what to order: Grilled Eel Bowl for 971 yen. After a short wait, our meal was served with miso soup. The bowl contained half a grilled eel, finely sliced pickled radish, and ginger. I lifted the eel, which is a customary ritual, and immediately felt its tenderness. While it was slightly firm, it wasn't tough to chew. I then sprinkled S&B's Sansho pepper on the eel, which released a stimulating aroma that tickled my nose. The combination of the eel and the pepper was delicious, with the pepper acting as the perfect complement. The rice was cooked slightly firm, and while I wished the sauce had soaked in more, the portion size was standard. The yellow item on the bowl that I initially mistook for rolled omelette turned out to be pickled radish, which added a nice touch. The ginger also provided a good contrast. The miso soup was similar to the one from Nagatanien. Overall, I enjoyed the grilled eel bowl from Isomaru Suisan and it made for a pleasant memory. Eels from reputable sources may come at a higher price, but the skill of a restaurant lies in making even lower-quality eels appear appetizing. It's all part of the dining experience. Thank you for the meal.

■Visit Date: October 12, 2017■Items Received: Salad, Tuna Sashimi, Grilled Scallops, Clams, Rolled Omelette, Shellfish Sashimi, etc.■MEMOVisited on October 12, 2017. Stayed at a hotel in Ikebukuro this time. It was actually my first time staying in Ikebukuro in Tokyo. I usually stay in Shinjuku or Shinagawa... Checked into the hotel and went out with a colleague towards the station in light rain. After considering various options, we settled on a seafood izakaya and visited this place. It was still early, past 6 pm, so we were seated immediately. Cheers with beer. We enjoyed salad, tuna sashimi, grilled scallops, clams, rolled omelette, shellfish sashimi, etc. while relaxing after a long day. By the time we left the restaurant, it was fully packed.

I had been thinking of visiting the restaurant ever since I saw the feature on Iso Maru Suisan on the TV Tokyo program "Cambria Palace" in October. I always record and watch this show. When they featured Momoya, our fridge was always stocked with Momoya bottles, and when it comes to tea, we started buying Itoen from Kyoto's Fukujuen, and we order Kyushu Pancakes for our pancakes and have become repeat customers. And now, Iso Maru Suisan (*^^*) with 35 stores open year-round and still growing. A trendy seafood izakaya. I knew of its existence, but it wasn't on my radar until I saw it on TV. I wonder how it really is~? Looking forward to it (*^^*) So, since I can't go alone, I'll be going with my daughter Minako ❤️ Scallops grilled with butter and soy sauce, crab miso shell grilled, celery pickles, yellowtail with sesame soy sauce, salmon sushi, almond tofu, matcha white bean paste, and a toast with soft drinks~(*^o^)／＼(^-^*) Each table has a grill. You grill the scallops and crab miso yourself. For the appetizer, we got long fish and oden balls. Please refer to the photos f(^_^; The scallops peek out of the shell on the grill. The scallops stick to the top shell. When you flip them over, oh no, all the delicious juice spills out. Oh well, I'm not used to this. I use tongs to remove the top shell. Then I add butter and soy sauce. A delicious aroma fills the air~ It's been a while since I've eaten scallops like this! My excitement level is rising♪ I cut it in half with scissors and enjoy it. The scallop meat is big! I used to not like the black part of the scallop, but I tried it this time. It's not bitter at all, and it's totally fine♪ It goes well with butter soy sauce♪ I'll add one more! Crab miso shell grilled. This is also a popular menu item at the restaurant. I check the grilling process with chopsticks. This is also delicious (*^^*) I think it goes well with alcohol, but I'm having soft drinks today. And one more! Yellowtail with sesame soy sauce. The thick slices have a good texture. I eat them with shiso leaves and seaweed. The sesame soy sauce flavor is strong, so it might be better to eat the yellowtail sashimi-style to fully enjoy the flavor of the yellowtail. I've started to enjoy celery recently, so I ordered celery pickles. It's refreshing and makes for a nice break between dishes. I'll try to make it at home too~♪ Minako highly recommends the almond tofu. It doesn't feel like izakaya almond tofu at all. It's creamy, smooth, just the right sweetness, and goes down smoothly. We ordered a second one, but they were sold out. Oh well, that's too bad. Please make more next time♪ We enjoyed everything at a reasonable price. Don't underestimate chain restaurants these days. Iso Maru Suisan, which prides itself on being open 24 hours, I hope the employees are okay. I hope it's not a black SFP dining situation. Maybe I'm worrying too much? Thank you for the meal (^_^ゞ