Tabelog ratingSushi Isao (鮨 功) opened in 2023 and was selected for the Tabelog Sushi EAST "Tabelog 100" in 2025. Chef Saotome serves a generous omakase that pairs well with sake. It runs to 20–30 small courses built largely on Aichi and Mikawa Bay seafood, such as Gamagori mehikari (greeneye) and wild eel. He asks how full you are before deciding how much more to serve, and the meal ends with a futomaki packed to bursting.
Nearly every review praises the warmth of the chef and his team. Foreign guests describe having the fish explained in English, through a translation app or with photos on an iPad, and say they felt welcome among the regulars. The uni (sea urchin) is singled out again and again for its heaped portions. Other recurring highlights are three grades of tuna, kohada (gizzard shad), nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch), wild eel and the add-on torotaku roll of fatty tuna with pickled radish. The sake list is broad and well chosen.
Criticism is minor. The cheaper Tabelog-only course is made by an apprentice, and reviewers who took it found it noticeably less impressive. A few found the rice portions small, and one diner felt underwhelmed for the price. One reviewer had an Ikyu booking cancelled without explanation.
Reviewers in 2024–2026 paid around ¥13,000 for the head chef's nigiri-focused lunch (¥14,200 with two ¥600 glasses of sake) and ¥15,000 for the snack-heavy lunch course. The dinner omakase came to about ¥23,000, or roughly ¥27,000 per person with drinks. One couple paid ¥46,000 for two, drinks included. Expect ¥13,000–15,000 at lunch and ¥20,000–30,000 at dinner.
Japanese and foreign reviewers alike call it a bargain for the volume and quality, especially at lunch. One Korean visitor rated it above a pricier sushi lunch at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto.
- Getting there: Towa Takaoka Building, basement (B1F), 45 m from Takaoka Station, Exit 1, about a minute's walk. The entrance is easy to miss from the street.
- Booking: do not count on walking in. Reserve ahead via Tabelog or Ikyu, or by phone on 050-5600-2061. Lunch fills early. Request the head chef's (大将) course: the Tabelog-limited course is made by an apprentice, and you cannot choose who serves you.
- Children: admitted only with the private course, up to two children. Request children's meals by phone in advance.
- Payment: cards accepted (VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners). Electronic money and QR code payments are not accepted.
- Seating: 16 seats at the counter (10 + 6), which is made from a single piece of hinoki. Private rooms seat 6 or 8, and the restaurant can be hired privately for up to 20. Private bookings are for the private course only.
- House rules: no perfume or cologne. Outside food and cakes are not allowed (if you have allergies, consult the restaurant). A celebratory roll can be requested when booking online.
- Smoking: non-smoking.
- Parking: none; coin parking nearby.
- Time: allow about two hours and come hungry. Closing days are irregular.
