Ichikawa. Sushi. Azabu-Juban. First visit after relocation. Located on the ground floor of a building between Azabu-Juban and Shirokane-Takanawa, off Azabu Street. No signboard, giving it a hidden gem vibe. The interior is simple and clean, typical of Ichikawa-san. Since the move, the quality of the ingredients has improved, and the sushi has become even simpler, to my liking. The slices are thicker, the rice is well-balanced, and the overall quality has increased. It was delicious. The price has more than doubled to 42,000 yen. <Appetizers> Flounder, bonito, steamed abalone, belt fish, bamboo shoots and clam <Sushi> Lean tuna, medium fatty tuna x2, fatty tuna x2, horse mackerel, young barracuda, white squid, ark shell, medium fatty tuna with sauce, sea urchin roll, conger eel, egg, miso soup Almost no misses. The sushi is slightly larger, which I like. The slices are thick and well-prepared. The rice has a good balance of red vinegar. A bit more melting in the mouth would make it even better. The tuna varieties are all excellent, especially the delicate fat of the fatty tuna. The horse mackerel, young barracuda, and white squid were also good. If I had to nitpick, the bamboo shoots had a strong bitterness, the sea urchin's nori stuck to the mouth, and the ark shell had a slightly fishy smell. The owner is still reserved, but has become more friendly and has a pleasant rustic charm. The pace is slow, but better than before, making the overall experience good.

Had a relaxing weekend lunch at Ichikawa in Minami-Azabu. Enjoyed a variety of dishes including tilefish, bonito, abalone, conger eel, and nigiri sushi with lean tuna, medium fatty tuna, fatty tuna, squid, golden eye snapper, shirako, red sea urchin, marinated fatty tuna, simmered conger eel claw, tamagoyaki, and red miso soup. Although the price was quite high, the deliciousness definitely matched it! Already made a reservation for next time and looking forward to it!

Abalone is one of the three dream ingredients for Chinese people. I came here seeking abalone with 2 or more heads! I made a reservation for omakase over 2 months ago and visited. The course was 42,000 yen, including 2 types of sashimi, 1 soup, steamed abalone, 10 pieces of sushi, and egg and miso soup, quite a volume! The moment I saw the size of the abalone, I was truly amazed, there must be at least 2 heads in this abalone, it's the first time I've seen such an abalone! Because it's fresh abalone, you can feel the texture and flavor of the abalone itself in the steamed dish! It's amazing! Both the sushi and sashimi are fresh and well-prepared, the rice is not too sour, just the right firmness. The tuna is from Yamakoh, so you can rest assured, having both medium fatty tuna and fatty tuna is luxurious! Thank you for the meal! I think it's a restaurant that I definitely want to invite my friends from China to!

I am traveling across the country in search of truly delicious food. I love all kinds of delicious food, from high-end cuisine to casual fare. 【Area】Tokyo, Shirokanedai area 【Genre】Sushi 【Awards】Tabelog Bronze Award 2023, Tabelog Sushi Tokyo Top 100 2022 【Number of Visits】First visit 【Crowdedness】Reservations required 【Comment】This sushi restaurant, with no signboard and a strict policy towards first-time visitors, was a delightful experience. Every dish and sushi was incredibly delicious. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

On a Sunday in May, I had lunch at the sushi restaurant "Ichikawa" in Minami-Azabu. The appetizers included grilled tilefish, grilled nodoguro, turban shell, abalone, and sea bream soup. The nigiri sushi featured lean tuna, medium fatty tuna, fatty tuna, firefly squid, golden horse mackerel, scallop, kohada, sea urchin, marinated fatty tuna, conger eel (with claw), conger eel and gourd roll, and tamagoyaki. The meal ended with red miso soup. Among these, the tuna was the best. The lean tuna, medium fatty tuna, and fatty tuna from Yamazuki were excellent. The chef mentioned that the sea was rough and there were no good fish, but the appetizers and sushi were still delicious as always. Looking forward to the next visit in July!

Located just off the main street, I was really looking forward to visiting this place recommended by a highly respected reviewer. There are 9 seats at the counter, and the high ceiling gives a sense of openness. The counter is almost level with the cutting board, allowing a clear view of the chef's every move. The dishes include sweet-tasting Kue from Wakayama, delicious Bonito from Mie, Triggerfish liver from Kyoto Maizuru, amazing Abalone from Ishikawa Noto, and superb Salted Maguro from Miyagi Shiogama. The Toro, Chutoro, and Akami Maguro were all incredibly delicious, with the aged Toro from Shizuoka Shimoda being particularly outstanding. The Ainame from Aomori and Junna from Akita were warm and delicious, while the Aori Ika from Kanagawa Sajima was incredibly sweet and melt-in-your-mouth. The Isaki from Nagasaki Sasebo was rich in flavor, especially when lightly seared. The Kohada paired perfectly with red vinegar rice, and the Aji from Kagoshima Izumi was thick and tasty. The Uni from Kumamoto Amakusa was rich and flavorful, and the Zukemaguro was outstanding. The Anago was delicious, and the meal ended with miso soup and tamago. Overall, every dish was delicious, with the Akami being particularly exceptional. The meal was satisfying, and I also enjoyed two glasses of sweet potato shochu, bringing the total to 44,000 yen.

Ichikawa-san, first visit. A shop with no signboard or curtain. First, some appetizers. Sashimi of kue and ishidai. Enjoyed with salt or soy sauce. The salt was very good. Sashimi of isaki was lightly seared and had a wonderful aroma! Sashimi of bonito was also very flavorful and delicious! Simmered abalone was excellent. The liver was surprisingly tasty! Despite being large, it wasn't overpowering, and had a great oceanic aroma. Moving on to nigiri sushi. The rice was small and firm, while the fish was soft and the wasabi strong. The vinegar was mild. Starting with akami, chutoro, and otoro. Compared aged and non-aged otoro, and preferred the aged one. Took a break. Ainame and asparagus. Not the best. Aoriika was excellent, with precise knife cuts that made it tender. Aji was incredibly delicious! Kasugodai and torigai. Pickled dishes. Anago. Miso soup. Tamagoyaki. Tasted like castella cake! Enjoyed it very much☆

Visited for the first time in 3 months on May 6, 2023 (Saturday) from 18:00. The restaurant has a rating of 4.05 on Tabelog, won the BRONZE award in 2023, and is listed in the Top 100 Restaurants in 2023. Chef Ichikawa, who worked at the now-closed Michelin 3-star restaurant "Araki" in Ginza and Hong Kong, is in charge. The menu consists of a chef's choice course only. <Appetizers> 1. Alfonsino - Served with Wakayama salt and wasabi or soy sauce. Very delicious! 2. Sea Bream - Served with Akashi salt and wasabi or soy sauce. 3. Threeline Grunt - Skin seared with salt and wasabi or soy sauce. 4. Bonito - Served with Katsuura salt and wasabi or soy sauce. 5. Steamed Abalone - One piece served as is, the rest can be enjoyed with your choice of seasoning. The portions are generous, with a nice aroma and juicy texture. <Sushi> 6. Marinated Lean Tuna - Akami - From Shimoda, 145 kg longline-caught tuna, aged for 3 days. Incredibly tender! 7. Medium Fatty Tuna - Chutoro - From the same tuna as the lean tuna from Shimoda. A must-try! 8. Fatty Tuna - Otoro - Salted and Shimoda-produced fatty tuna from different parts of the same tuna. Incredibly tender and sweet. 9. Rockfish and Asparagus simmered together. 10. Spear Squid - Served with Sajima salt and vinegar. Sticky and sweet, with a delicious flavor. 11. Horse Mackerel - Exceptionally fatty and delicious. 12. Young Snapper. 13. Turban Shell - From Tomiura. 14. Sea Urchin Roll - From Amakusa. 15. Marinated Fatty Tuna - Otoro - Salted. Delicious! 16. Eel. 17. Miso Soup. 18. Tamagoyaki - Japanese rolled omelette. 19. Lean Tuna - Akami - From Shimoda (additional order). 20. Negitoro Roll - Fatty tuna with green onions (additional order). Every dish from start to finish was delicious as always.

The fish quality is high, and I am happy to be able to eat so much tuna. It was delicious. - Kumano-nada, Wakayama: Kué - Katsuura, Chiba: Bonito, Striped Jack - Noto, Ishikawa: Steamed abalone - Shiogama, Miyagi: Yamako tuna, Akami, Chutoro, Otoro - Yamasiro, Kyoto: Bamboo shoots - Kujukuri, Chiba: Clams, Squid - Izumi, Kagoshima: Horse mackerel, Kasugo - Aichi: Carabineros - Omura Bay, Nagasaki: Sea urchin, Pickled - Anago

It was my first visit to this restaurant. The 10 seats were all occupied, and the atmosphere was mostly older regular customers. The chef was very friendly and seemed to enjoy chatting, but he was too busy handling everything alone to have a leisurely conversation. However, his good personality was immediately apparent. There were a total of 17 dishes on the menu. The appetizers started with sea bream and continued with bonito and abalone. The abalone was steamed and sliced right away, and it had a wonderful aroma, tenderness, and flavor. The sushi included four types of tuna, squid, shrimp, horse mackerel, sea urchin, eel, and conger eel, following the classic course. The sushi was exquisite, melting in your mouth the moment you tasted it. The only downside was that there were too many dishes with sauces, making it difficult to fully appreciate the natural flavors and aromas of the ingredients. As mentioned earlier, due to being understaffed, there were a few instances of neglecting the preparation of the ingredients while attending to other tasks.

《Tabelog Bronze Ranking》Rating: 4.05《2023 Tabelog Bronze Award》It's been a few years since I visited this restaurant in Shirokanetakanawa. When it first opened a few years ago, it was very popular, with the head chef having trained at a highly renowned restaurant in Kyoto before opening his own in 2012. The interior has changed a bit since my last visit, now having a more sophisticated and modern atmosphere. Last time, I may have had a bit too much to drink (laughs). There are 11 counter seats, and today I opted for the chef's course menu, which included 3 appetizers and about 12 pieces of nigiri, costing around 42,000 yen per person. This place is famous for serving 2 pieces each of chutoro and otoro. I personally prefer to eat my tuna nigiri one piece at a time, so eating 2 at once felt a bit rushed. The quality of the ingredients is very high, with the chef being very meticulous in selecting his sources, resulting in a good balance between the fish and rice. Overall, I felt that the experience was better a few years ago.

The Omakase course (42,000 yen including tax) is amazing! The bamboo shoot and clam dashi are incredibly delicious! The abalone is chewy and rich, even the liver is delicious! For nigiri, they serve 6 pieces of tuna - akami zuke, chutoro, otoro kobashiri, aged otoro for 5 days, and otoro zuke, all of which are fantastic! The sweet shrimp and horse mackerel are also outstanding! You'll want to keep eating the nigiri forever. Reservations are only available for the Omakase course starting at 6 pm. Located in Minami-Azabu, Ichikawa is a great place to enjoy delicious sake along with your meal. The abundance of tuna makes it a blissful dining experience! Of course, the non-tuna nigiri are also top-notch. #sushi #omakase #dinner #tokyo #tokyosushi #maguro #tuna #toro #japanesefood #Japanese cuisine #Minami-Azabu #gourmet #wine #sake #champagne #foodie #Tokyo gourmet #Minato-ku gourmet #Minami-Azabu gourmet #Edo-style sushi #sweet shrimp

I was invited to a sushi restaurant that is hard to get a reservation at. It's located on the first floor of an apartment building in a residential area with no sign. The interior is spacious and clean. Everything was delicious, but the standout for me was the two pieces of medium fatty tuna. The freshness of the fish was amazing! I love medium fatty tuna, so I had been wanting to eat another piece. The one on the left had a glossy texture and a strong sweetness without being too fatty. The one on the right had a different cut, so it offered a new texture to enjoy. The squid was finely sliced with a delicate touch of the chef's knife, and it melted in my mouth. The texture was irresistible! Just the right amount of firmness. The marinated fatty tuna had a strong dashi flavor and a subtle acidity, which I loved! The fat of the fatty tuna was perfectly balanced by the marinade, making it incredibly delicious. The appetizers were all generously sized, which was great. Sake was also served to match the sushi, and it was a perfect pairing! The dining experience lasted about 3 hours, and I prefer a slightly faster pace, but I understand that there is only one chef. I would love to visit again if I can get a reservation.

Ichikawa-san has been a regular customer since the days in Uenomae before moving to the current location! Their unique way of cutting squid and horse mackerel is outstanding, especially the tuna! Lately, they have been offering a lot of creative sushi, but when I want to eat classic "sushi" in the Edo style, I go there!!! Finally, the spring ingredients are starting to taste delicious.

I visited Ichikawa for the first time for a dinner course starting at 6 pm on Friday night. As I heard, all the tuna was incredibly delicious. I can still remember the nigiri sushi of all the tuna even after 3 days. The other sushi and appetizers were also delicious, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was nice. The pairing with sake was perfect, especially with the tuna. Thank you for the meal.

I had lunch at the famous restaurant "Ichikawa" in Minami-Azabu after a long time. It's quite pricey for a proletarian like me, but the taste is just too good to resist. The tuna is as delicious as ever, but the other dishes are also outstanding. Red snapper, steamed abalone, swordfish, bamboo shoots and clam simmered together, lean tuna, medium fatty tuna, fatty tuna, oval squid, horse mackerel, kasago fish, shrimp, sea urchin, marinated fatty tuna, conger eel (with claw and salt), dried gourd roll and half of tekka maki, rolled omelette, red miso soup. Each dish is truly flawless in taste, and I am already looking forward to my next visit.

The title was an expression of the moment when Ichikawa-san was praised by the master for the outstandingly delicious medium fatty tuna nigiri, saying "you can tell it's delicious just by holding it".＾＾￣￣￣＾＾I visited Ichikawa-san after a long time. The restaurant is located in a somewhat unusual place, as it is the only sushi restaurant on the first floor of an apartment building, which takes more than 10 minutes to walk from any station. There is no sign outside, making it a hidden gem. The seating consists of a 9-seat L-shaped counter. On this day, there were 4 pairs of customers and I was the only solo diner. Many customers seem to be regulars. The master is not the type to engage in chit-chat with customers, but he is not unfriendly either, maintaining a good distance in his interactions. I think the best thing about the master is his consistent attitude towards people. The spacious seating arrangement allows each pair of customers to maintain their own world, making it a great place for such use. As a result, the overall atmosphere of the restaurant is relatively quiet, which is a characteristic of this place. On the other hand, some solo diners may feel left out in this slightly tense atmosphere, but personally, I like this slightly neglected feeling and the master's consistent demeanor, which is why I keep coming back.＾＾￣￣￣＾＾The nigiri consisted mainly of tuna, with a total of 6 pieces starting with lean tuna, followed by 2 pieces of medium fatty tuna, 2 pieces of fatty tuna, and finally, a piece of marinated fatty tuna. This tuna-centric lineup tends to attract customers who order a bottle of red wine. While I consider pairing the tuna nigiri with a light Pinot Noir with low tannins, I always end up choosing sake. The rapid succession of tuna nigiri is an exclusive experience that can only be had at Ichikawa-san. Thank you once again for this wonderful experience.￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣ー Below is a memo ー✽ Appetizers◯ Flatfish (Akashi) - Tastes better with salt◉ Black dragon◯ Steamed abalone (Noto)◯ Squid with eggs - Includes tentacles and is delicious◉ Gikyou (Aichi)◯ Fugu milt and Seigoin turnip simmered together - Excellent taste with the broth. This is one of the charms of Ichikawa-san.◎✽ Nigiri - Tuna caught in Maizuru with a fixed net weighing 65.4 kilograms◯ Firefly squid - The vinegared rice makes a difference◯ Lean tuna◉ Matsumoto (Fushimi) - Originally made with Gohyakumangoku rice, but during this season, it's made with Yamadanishiki rice, as explained by the master◯ Medium fatty tuna - 2 pieces served together - Excellent harmony with the vinegared rice, as acknowledged by the master. He said it feels like holding a shaped cotton candy.◯ Fatty tuna - 2 pieces served together - It's not clear why, but the balance with the vinegared rice is not quite right. Maybe the perfect balance of medium fatty tuna and vinegared rice affected this.◯ Dart squid (Chiba Katsuyama)◯ Horse mackerel (Izumi)◯ Young sea bream◯ Carabinero prawn (Aichi)✽ The character of Ichikawa on the chest still feels small today◯ Marinated tuna◉ Isoshiman (Shizuoka) - Too rich, overshadowing the nigiri. This sake may not be a good match. The medium fatty tuna nigiri left the strongest impression.◯ Purple sea urchin (Nagasaki Omurawan) hand-rolled with Saga's Ariake seaweed◯ Simmered conger eel - The vinegared rice makes a difference✔︎ The wide spacing between seats ensures privacy, making it suitable for business entertainment purposesー End of Memo ー500 / 1 ===========

Visited for the first time on February 2, 2023 (Thursday) from 18:00. With a rating of 4.03 on Tabelog and a BRONZE in 2023, Hyakumeiten Ichikawa Taisho is a chef from the Michelin 3-star restaurant "Ara Kagayaki" in Ginza and Hong Kong (now closed). The menu consists of an omakase course only. <Tsumami> 1. Hirame (flounder) and Engawa (fluke fin) - choice of Akashi salt or soy sauce 2. Sawara (Spanish mackerel) - lightly seared skin side only. Choice of salt or soy sauce. Delicious and tender. 3. Steamed abalone with liver - served in a generous portion. Rich and delicious. 4. Grilled fugu (blowfish) Shirako (milt) with Seigoin kabu (turnip) dashi - incredibly delicious! <Nigiri> 5. Akami (lean tuna) zuke (marinated) - sourced from Yamako, weighing 166 kg and caught in Hachijojima, aged for 7 days. Tender and flavorful. 6. Chutoro (medium fatty tuna) - 2 pieces from Hachijojima. Same fish as Akami. Exceptionally tender with sweet fat. Extremely delicious! 7. Otoro (fatty tuna) with marbling - 2 pieces from Hachijojima. Extremely delicious! 8. Daruma ika (swordtip squid) with Katsuura salt and vinegar with yuzu 9. Aji (horse mackerel) - thick and delicious from Izumi 10. Kohada (gizzard shad) 11. Kuruma ebi (Japanese tiger prawn) 12. Uni (sea urchin) hand roll - plenty of uni! 13. Otoro zuke (marinated fatty tuna) - same fish as Akami from Hachijojima. Extremely delicious! 14. Anago (sea eel) 15. Tamago (sweet egg omelette) 16. Oshizushi with dashi - a total of 12 pieces, with 6 pieces of tuna! A must-visit for tuna lovers. The chef is modest but answers questions very politely. Everything was delicious. #Ichikawa #AraKagayaki #TokyoGourmet #Tokyo #TabelogTop100 #TabelogHighRating #HardToReserve #Sushi #SushiTime #SushiLovers #SushiLoversUnite #Gourmet #Foodie #FoodPorn #Foodstagram.

Ichikawa-san is known for its tuna. You can enjoy a variety of delicious tuna dishes, making it a must-visit for tuna lovers. In addition to tuna, the sushi and appetizers such as karasumi and abalone are also delicious. It's a wonderful restaurant that is particular about its ingredients.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant was quiet, and the head chef was reserved. Recently, I have been to a lot of lively sushi restaurants with a sports club vibe, so I felt a bit nervous. The restaurant was spacious and had a calm, adult atmosphere, making it suitable for a date. The most delicious items were the marinated mackerel, extra-large karasumi, and kabu dashi nigiri with otoro and chutoro. The saury was tasty, and the smaller-sized toppings were a pleasant surprise. Items like conger eel and tamagoyaki, which can easily be too heavy at some places, were not overly rich and had a mild flavor. Lastly, we had miso soup. Luckily, there were no other customers that day, so we ended up staying longer while enjoying some drinks. I made a reservation for three months later! Thank you for the wonderful meal!