We first discovered Isogiya in 2015 (You can read about it here: http://www.foodlovergirl.com/isogiya/), we became a fan of this spot. It is located next to the fish market, and because of that, they get all sorts of super fresh seafood! The exterior, or rather, the signs and decoration on the outside had changed, to more bright and colorful look.
The inside looked pretty much the same. Table seating the middle, counter seats to the left and old-fashion floor seating to the right. We went during lunch hour on a weekday, so it was not as busy. About the time we left, it was empty. I think we picked the right time!
One thing that changed in the inside that I could see was the floor cushion. It used to be all blue, and now they are all red. They have a small wash station at the entrance so you can wash your hands before/after your meal. They do NOT have public restroom here, so it is a good thing to have if you just want to wash up your hands.
There were four of us, and we all ordered something different. The first one up was Seafood Donburi set (1,000yen). Yes, all these food plus super fresh seafood for about $10. Crazy!!! There is a sushi rice underneath the seafood, and it is just spectacular menu item that always gets the number one spot among the customers.
We ordered this during our first visit as well, and it looks quite different from that time, but that is because they give us whatever is the freshest on that day. I would prefer to get the most fresh seafood rather than some set seafood items that are not so fresh. On this day, one of the freshest thing they had was sardines. So, it became the center piece of the donburi. We all really like sardine, so that was great. And just look at the size of the sardine sashimi! Oh yeah!
The second item we ordered was Daily Three-Kinds Sashimi Donburi set (1,000 yen). On this day, it was tuna, salmon, and you guessed it, sardine! It seems like they always have fresh tuna and salmon. The rest can vary on a day-to-day bases.
They also had Japanese egg omelette in the back, and sushi rice on the bottom. The sardine sashimi was huge as you can see, and nice, thick slices of tuna and salmon. So fresh, so decadent, so incredible!!! I just can’t believe you can get this stuff for around $10!
My hubby went with Tuna & Salmon Roe set (1,200 yen). We got this one the last time we visited here, and it was magnificent. I mean, just look at it, a bowl full of shiny jewels… The price of this particular item went up just a bit since 2015, but frankly, I am surprised that most of the menu items didn’t change in price.
The amount of fresh tuna and salmon roe are out of this world! Mountain of them. Tuna sashimi was sliced thick, large, and they melt in your mouth… Salmon roe was great too. If we wanted to buy salmon roe at a supermarket, it will cost $10 or more just to get this much portion. Here, you get everything else with it. You see why we LOVE Isogiya?
Now, I wanted to order Salmon Three-Way Donburi, but then I was told they don’t have enough salmon roe… My hubby took the last of the salmon roe…!!! NOOOOO!!! That is what happens when you avoid the morning crowd and goes during late lunch time. They ran out of good stuff. So, I decide, I am going to order something interesting, something unusual, something even a bit strange…and then concluded on Karaage and Tuna Donburi set (1,000 yen). Karaage is a Japanese fried chicken. I have never seen or tried a fried chicken paired (?) with sashimi, so there you go!
And guess what? It was pretty darn good! This seafood place certainly can do other things like fried chicken really well too. And the combination of fresh tuna sashimi and fried chicken was surprisingly good. Not that you should eat them together in one bite though… But, they both get seasoned with soy sauce, and they both goes great with white rice. So, I say it totally worked! Even though I didn’t get my first choice, but it forced me to try something different and I was very happy with my strange choice number two.
The side dishes were nice too, I liked the corn and mashed potato in the fresh salad. The simmered chikuwa and burdock had nice deep flavor that was homey and comfy. The side dishes are nothing fancy but the kind that you get from your mother or grandmother’s home cooked meal.
The miso soup had clams in it. The flavor of the clams seeped into miso soup, which we enjoyed very much. Not as dramatic as the miso soup we received the last visit, but I can see that they use the freshest ingredients for miso soup that changes on daily bases as well.
Our second visit to Isogiya was another success. We loved the food, portion is great, price is even greater, and we just can’t get enough! I know we will be going back every time we visit Japan… The staffs are nice, they don’t bother you unless you need them. They always welcome you with a smile, and we are leaving with a bigger smile with happy tummy and taste buds that have seafood party for a while…
Isogiya – 69-1 Wakashiba, Kashiwa Chiba, Japan 277-0871
いそぎや – 千葉県柏市若柴 69-1