Tabelog ratingIzutsu is a tiny tempura counter run by a husband and wife, and its appeal is the seafood. Fish and shellfish are shown to you alive, then cleaned and fried in front of you. The star is live anago (sea eel), including small local Koshiba eel, served with its backbone fried as crisp as a cracker. In season there is also rare live ginpō (gunnel fish). The husband buys at Toyosu market himself, so the sashimi is a reason to come as well. The restaurant was selected for the Tabelog Tempura 100 in 2025.
The batter draws praise in almost every review. It is light enough that several diners say they felt no heaviness even the next day. Other dishes reviewers single out are the live anago, scallops left rare in the centre, and the closing kakiage-don, a fritter of small prawns over rice. The warm, attentive service from the couple also comes up again and again.
The criticism is minor. One reviewer found the vegetables greasy and a little rushed, and a couple thought the kakiage-don sauce salty or heavy. One felt the nine-slice sashimi set at ¥2,750 was poor value. Another regretted ordering the tendon, because its prawns are frozen.
Reviewers in 2024–2026 paid about the same at lunch and dinner. The basic lunch set cost around ¥2,530, made with frozen prawns. The tempura teishoku at about ¥3,850 includes live prawn and anago, and tendon was around ¥1,870. Courses with sashimi ran ¥7,700–10,000, and two people spent just over ¥20,000 with drinks. Typical spend is ¥3,000–3,999 at lunch and ¥10,000–14,999 at dinner.
Reviewers consistently call it good value for live, market-fresh tempura, and the portions are filling. The ¥3,850 teishoku is the sweet spot, so order that rather than the cheaper sets with frozen prawns.
- Getting there: 5 minutes' walk from the west exit of Isogo Station on the JR Negishi Line, behind Morihigashi Elementary School.
- Booking: Reserve by phone (045-752-2220). Lunch fills at opening and walk-ins are often turned away, so do not count on just showing up.
- Payment: Credit cards accepted (VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners). Electronic money and QR code payments are not accepted.
- Seating: Roughly 9 counter seats, plus a tatami room. Private rooms for 10–20 people and private hire are available.
- Smoking: Non-smoking.
- Parking: Available.
- Language: Staff do not speak English. Asking for 'tempura teishoku' gets you the recommended set.
- Good to know: The frying smell clings to clothes.
