Mr. Ian P. Lincoln

Isogen Restaurant is a welcome relief from the hustle & bustle of the busy metropolitan Tokyo life yet conveniently located less than 20 min. from Tokyo station toward the Yokohama direction. The Isogen neighborhood is sandwiched between the Keihintohoku Line (Omori Stn.) and KeihinKyuko Line (Omorikaigan Stn.) and the restaurant itself is a short walk from either station. Picture a cozy little local pub/sushi restaurant just around the corner with friendly regulars and family types stopping by for a refreshing stay before continuing on their way home.
Master chef [Mr. Nobuichiro Sato], his wife [Ms. Masako Sato] and their attentive staff [apprentice Takashi & others] make sure the customers feel comfortable and well taken care of. The large live fish tank behind the bar is always stocked with a wide selection of the freshest and liveliest seasonal catch of the day and assures both a visual and culinary treat! Fresh draft beer [Sapporo - my personal favorite], warm sake and other beverages of choice take the chill off the inclement weather outside.
Our all-to-short of a stay at Isogen included some very large, succulent and fresh oysters, a plate of [Kawahagi (Fille fish)] (a milky-clear flesh served sashimi style with a unique dipping sauce made from its liver), and a delicate monkfish liver poached to perfection. A deluxe chefs-special mixed plate [Osusume Sashimori] had quite a selection ranging from jumbo Shrimp to various robust sashimi cuts as well as [Tamago] all artfully arranged on a beautiful platter. And then there was the Toro...yes, everyone loves good Toro but lately I've been hesitant to order it since real good Toro is almost impossible to find. In fact I usually order the Hamachi since most Toro is so close to the Maguro that sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. However when a set of well marbled slabs were placed in front of me I first thought I had been given a cut of Kobe beef, served sashimi style. I thought "this can't be Toro.." and asked were they sure? Yes they assured me - it was the best Toro. Indeed, there is a term [Shimo-furi] loosely translated as "the granulated frost which grows on earthen ground" which typically is used to describe the best cuts of Kobe-type beef and which is also used for this grade of Toro. Rich & buttery this was truly a special treat for me - totemo oishii !
Throughout our gradual feast the staff of Isogen welcomed in many customers, serving the entire place many times without seeming to hurry or bother the patrons, but never missing a beat or leaving a request unfulfilled. Our group sat at the end of the bar and observed many groups of diners come & go during the time of our stay and all of them seemed happy and contented with the food and service. It's very easy to spend a part of an evening sitting in the warm atmosphere Isogen and sharing some laughs with friends - both old and new at Isogen. I'm genuinely looking forward to my next trip when I can visit my new favorite sushi bar in Tokyo! Hope to see you there soon!!!
Best Regards- Ian P. Lincoln