Isomaru Suisan

Personal experience

In the evening, on a public holiday in June, we went to the Isomaru Suisan Kawaramachi Sanjo restaurant located near the Kawaramachi Sanjo crossroads in Kyoto. Although this restaurant is located along Sanjo-dori, its entrance isn’t very visible, so you could easily miss it if you walked past. The restaurant has two floors, allowing it to accommodate a large number of customers. We went there at around 8pm without a reservation, but were immediately shown to an upstairs table without having to wait. As soon as you enter on the first floor, a large aquarium catches your eye. The restaurant’s lively interior exudes a warm, energetic atmosphere. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner. At any time of day, it offers very affordable menus, making it possible to eat at lower cost. It can also be enjoyed as an izakaya, where you can enjoy alcohol while sharing a wide variety of dishes with friends and family.

We ordered sashimi, sushi, edamame (soy peas in pods), takoyaki (octopus fritters) and grilled scallops. Our child ordered a Japanese lemonade called “ramune”, often seen at Japanese festival stands (matsuri), and was delighted. The menu is illustrated with photos, making it easy to choose. You can place your order directly with the waiter, or scan the QR code on the table to order from your cell phone.

In an izakaya-style restaurant, it’s not necessary to order every dish from the start. You’ll usually start by ordering a few dishes and drinks, then gradually add to your order according to your appetite or the mood of the moment. It’s perfectly normal to place several successive orders, and there’s no problem with that. The menu is extremely varied: you’ll find sashimi, sushi, grilled fish, eel, a wide variety of seafood to grill yourself on the table, as well as salads, fried foods, noodle dishes and much more. There’s so much to choose from, it’s hard to decide!

Our daughter really enjoyed seeing the seafood grilled directly on the table, and she had a lot of fun. This is a highly recommended restaurant for those wishing to enjoy affordable seafood in a lively, friendly atmosphere. An important point to note is that in many izakaya (Japanese bistros), there is a system called “tsukidashi” (or sometimes “otoshi”), which is a small side dish automatically served at the start of the meal. This little dish, which varies from establishment to establishment, is usually charged extra (even without a specific order), so it may come as a surprise to foreign visitors unfamiliar with this custom. As izakaya (居酒屋) are generally inexpensive, this system doesn’t particularly bother the Japanese. However, for those who don’t know, it’s quite natural to be surprised when the bill shows a charge for a dish they didn’t order.