Tabelog ratingIsuke (いすけ) is a classic Edo-mae sushi counter in Naha. Its Hokkaido-born chef has worked in Okinawa for nearly 30 years. Know one thing before you book: the fish is not local. It is flown in daily from Sapporo, Toyosu and Fukuoka, so this is mainland-style sushi served in Okinawa. The omakase runs to about 16 items and alternates small cooked dishes with nigiri. You eat at a single-plank white-wood counter or in a tatami private room.
Reviewers keep coming back to the freshness and to precise, unshowy technique. The most often named dishes are kohada (marinated gizzard shad), zuke tuna (soy-marinated), Matsumae-style grilled cod shirako, kegani or kōbako crab mixed with rice in the shell, seared kazunoko (herring roe) and an inverted tamagoyaki. Diners also praise the red-vinegar rice, a sake list that includes Juyondai, and a friendly, attentive chef. Several English-speaking diners say the dishes were explained in basic English.
The firm rice divides opinion, and some guests found the portions small. Single reviewers mentioned inconsistent explanations, underwhelming uni, over-salted ikura and sinewy tuna. One December 2025 review from a Taiwanese diner was scathing. It reported a compulsory drink order, no water, dull fish, a rushed 75-minute meal, and a half portion of tamago while earlier guests received full ones.
The reviews quote no individual dish prices, so per-dish costs are not documented. Dinner typically costs ¥20,000–29,999 per person. Between 2019 and 2024, reviewers paid about ¥50,000 for two including several sake. A 2022 group paid about ¥25,000 each, with sake at ¥1,000 per gō (180 ml). There is no lunch service.
Most diners call it expensive but fair for the quality, and a few say it is reasonable compared with Tokyo. The value complaints are about quantity, not quality.
- Getting there: about 730 m from Miebashi Station, roughly a 10-minute walk (the listing allows up to 20 minutes). It is in the Wakasa district, in the GIBO Building, 1st floor.
- Booking: reservation only, so you cannot walk in. Foreign visitors must book through TableCheck, not Tabelog. The restaurant confirms each booking by SMS or phone, and an unconfirmed booking is cancelled. Cancelling the day before or on the day costs the full course price. Same-day seats are occasionally available. Phone: 098-868-2040 or 050-5457-4833.
- Children: the counter is only for guests who can eat the full adult course. Infants and younger children are welcome in the private rooms, booked in advance. There is no children's menu.
- Payment: cards accepted (VISA, Master, JCB, AMEX, Diners, UnionPay). QR payments are accepted (PayPay, d Barai, Rakuten Pay, au PAY, Alipay, WeChat Pay). Electronic money is not accepted.
- Menu: omakase only, with no printed menu. One review reports that each guest must order a drink.
- Seats: 12 in total. There are 8 at the counter and private rooms for 2 and 4, and the whole restaurant can be hired for up to 20 people.
- Other: no smoking. There is no parking, but several coin car parks are nearby. No dress code is listed.
