A yakiniku restaurant that doesn't grill meat

In 2018, Japan's largest wholesale fish market in Tokyo, the famous Tsukiji Market's inner sanctum, relocated to Toyosu. This is when an unusual restaurant was born.

Normally, 焼肉 yakiniku, Japan's favorite meat barbecue cuisine, is the last thing you would imagine associated with Tsukiji. However, 「肉を焼かない焼肉　焼うおいし川」(niku wo yakanai yakiniku yakiuo ishikawa | lit. "yakinku restaurant that doesn't grill meat: grilled fish Ishikawa") managed to challenge preconceived notions of the genre.

Founder of the 築地青空三代目 Tsukiji Aozora Sandaime group 石川太信 Motonobu Ishikawa spent seven years developing an innovative fish restaurant that he hoped would help assure the future of the Tsukiji Outer Market. For the first time in the Japanese restaurant industry, he applied the techniques and knowledge of Edomae-style sushi to yakinku, taking sashimi-grade fish and searing it for less than 30 seconds on a grill.

Where conventional yakiniku restaurants serve the choicest cuts of beef for their 特上 tokujō (premium) kalbi, Yakiuo Ishikawa serves extra fatty tuna, medium fatty tuna plays the role of jō (top-grade) kalbi and Tiger puffer does an amazing job replacing タン塩 tanshio beef tongue with salt. Without using any meat at all, they offer flavors that compare to yakiniku while also bringing out the freshness of the fish.

Opening in Nagoya

After experiencing success with two restaurants in Tsukiji and Roppongi, which are always fully booked at night and have lines out the door during the day, the Tsukiji Aozora Sandaime Group is now ready to take the chain outside of Tokyo. On November 19th, Yakiuo Ishikawa will open its third restaurant in Nagoya.

One of the popular features of Yakiuo Ishikawa when it first opened in Tsukiji was the care provided by Ishikawa who personally grilled fish for dinner customers at the table. The restaurant will reproduce this style, featuring a grill master offering personal attention to customers at every table at dinner time, including Ishikawa himself who will be in Nagoya every day during the opening phase.

Their specialty is 特上カルビ (tokujō karubi | premium kalbi) on red vinegared sushi rice. Served with pickles marinated in special soy sauce, it tastes just like beef kalbi.

Their 至福の三色丼 (shifuku no sanshokudon | "blissful three-flavor rice bowl") pairs sea urchin and salmon roe with thickly-cut tuna kalbi.

You can also order Premium Kalbi by itself for the purest expression of Yakiuo Ishikawa's "fish as yakiniku" concept.

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Nagoya branch information

Interior

Address

• Japanese: 3階 大名古屋ビルヂング〒450-6490愛知県名古屋市中村区名駅三丁目28番12号
• English: 3rd Floor, Dai Nagoya Bldg. 3-28-12 Meieki, Nakamura Ward, Nagoya, Aichi Pref. 450-6490
• Hours: 11:00 to 23:00

For updated information, see the official website of the Tsukiji Aozora Sandaime group.