Nexium
I made a reservation in advance and visited Sushi Ittoku in Fukuoka. It's located on the second floor of a building, and I initially thought the cute fish motif on the door was a sign for the place, but there was actually a visible sign outside. At the exact reservation time, the door was unlocked and I entered. The restaurant features an L-shaped counter with about 6-7 seats, where all cooking, including grilling and steaming, is done in a compact area. There was no drink menu, but they mentioned that besides wine, most things were available. However, when I ordered a draft beer, I was informed that they don't serve it. I mistakenly assumed that the phrase "most things" included draft beer. I shouldn't take for granted that draft beer is available everywhere; that was my fault. They did have small bottled beer, so I opted for that, deciding to enjoy it in a refined manner.
The compact layout led to a somewhat chaotic scene as hands reached in from various directions to serve dishes. At one point, the chef had to pause his knife work to provide drinks. It felt like watching a scene from an izakaya, contrary to the refined atmosphere I aimed for. The hierarchy in the restaurant seemed to place the drink server at the top, followed by the chef and then the assistants. The chef was constantly attentive to the surroundings, which made for a rather awkward situation when ordering drinks as I had to time my orders while he was cooking. This made the experience quite tiring and actually detracted from my enjoyment of the food, so I decided to stop drinking for a while.
The fish was sourced impeccably, with careful preparation and beautifully crafted nigiri that was delicious. The chef had a sense of humor and quietly announced "This is Kamasu" when serving me a fish that I noticed. At first, I thought I had misheard, but he smiled and confirmed it, which made me wish I had reacted. The course meal closely resembled what I had at Sushi Ikki in Setagaya, with a sesame sauce tofu that looked almost identical. A hand-rolled sushi style was presented at the end, featuring warm dried gourd on nori, and it was utterly delightful.
Additionally, I noticed that a fellow diner was impressed by the bathroom, which had a hand-washing tap designed like a pump for drawing well water—quite cute. Such surprises added to the charm. Overall, it was an affordable, delicious, and interesting place. For anyone wanting to enjoy sushi in a fun and tasty way, this restaurant is very accessible. Those who are price-conscious will find it particularly excellent; it’s hard to find a place that offers such quality at this price these days—almost impossible, really. Unless it’s a home and business in one, it’s unbelievable for a tenant-operated restaurant to offer these prices.
However, for those concerned about etiquette, the drink situation might create stress, so it may help to have a mindset that accommodates that. Since it can get crowded with people using it for gatherings, there might be issues like strong perfume or loud conversations, but we could consider that just part of the charm. It might be worth exploring the idea of moving drinks outside the counter area to improve overall service and allow easier movement within the counter. It’s a fun and delicious spot, and I would be happier if I could concentrate more on my meal. Thank you for the meal!