Ippuku

Once you get past our cultural taboo against raw chicken (remember the time, not so long ago, when "raw fish" was considered a health hazard) this dish is really not so out of the ordinary. Slivered raw chix breast, quail egg (for extra slimy-ness), soy sauce, lots of chili and a sprinkle of micro greens on top. Pure, simple, tasty. Great with a shot of sochu too! REPLY (37 Replies) (by flavorenhancer, created October 12, 2010)

I went to Ippuku on Saturday with a group of about 15 Tokyo natives. What a great restaurant!

The grilled stuff was out of this world, particularly heart, knuckle and shiso maki. I agree with Soyo that the grilling technique was particularly awesome. Also had the raw chicken with wasabi sprouts, which I'd never seen outside of Japan. It was quite tasty, with a sashimi-like texture and a very...+READ I went to Ippuku on Saturday with a group of about 15 Tokyo natives. What a great restaurant!

The grilled stuff was out of this world, particularly heart, knuckle and shiso maki. I agree with Soyo that the grilling technique was particularly awesome. Also had the raw chicken with wasabi sprouts, which I'd never seen outside of Japan. It was quite tasty, with a sashimi-like texture and a very clean flavor. Definitely not for the squeamish though. The goya tempura was also really well done, that's another one I'd not seen in the US. I had goya champuru in New York last month and was really bummed out at the crappy bitter melon they used, so this was a particular pleasure.

Prices were reasonable, between $5 and $12. It adds up, but that's kind of the way it works in this kind of place. Anyways, we went on to consume an ungodly quantity of shochu, including some varieties I'd never heard of - two shochus made from soba and one from carrots! The restaurant design and service were both terrific, and the location is a block from BART. Definitely a new favorite for Japanese food in the Bay.

I've not been to Nombe because of my dislike for the original Sozai but if it's in the same league as Ippuku I will eat my hat.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (37 Replies) (by isaac1972, created August 2, 2010)

We checked out Ippuku on Monday night. Not at all crowded. We sat on the no-shoes side of the room, tried a few of the Sochu cocktails, a dozen of the robata skewers and a few of the other items too. Everything was delicious. Agedashi tofu was nicely done. Nihama (chicken and green onion skewer) was both crispy and juicy. Bacon/mochi skewer was chewy/fatty/fabulous. Grilled squid was one large...+READ We checked out Ippuku on Monday night. Not at all crowded. We sat on the no-shoes side of the room, tried a few of the Sochu cocktails, a dozen of the robata skewers and a few of the other items too. Everything was delicious. Agedashi tofu was nicely done. Nihama (chicken and green onion skewer) was both crispy and juicy. Bacon/mochi skewer was chewy/fatty/fabulous. Grilled squid was one large cephalopod, artfully sliced and reassembled on the plate. A small pitcher of dry sake, poured from a larger bottle was refreshing and perfect with the meal. The bare wood and slate decor created a nice atmosphere. The staff was as friendly as could be. Food came out in a steady, unhurried stream. At one point the whole place filled up with smoke from the grill but it soon cleared up as quickly as it had arrived. We ate and drank with abandon and ended up paying $50 per person. It was a bit of a splurge but we all loved it. Hard to find a down side here other than wanting to abandon all our other local favorites so we can hurry back to try more stuff. Natto, fried cartilage, raw chicken salad will have to wait for next time.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (37 Replies) (by flavorenhancer, created July 24, 2010)

»Ippuku - First try

We had dinner at Ippuku today. An enjoyable experience. We had: whole squid; chicken skin; pork belly; beef tongue; chicken livers; shishito peppers; mochi w bacon; eggplant with bonito flakes. Most dishes were quite good. The only weak one imho was the eggplant one. A couple of dishes would have been nicer if a little bit crispier (in particular the chicken skin skewers). Overall enjoyable as I...+READ We had dinner at Ippuku today. An enjoyable experience. We had: whole squid; chicken skin; pork belly; beef tongue; chicken livers; shishito peppers; mochi w bacon; eggplant with bonito flakes. Most dishes were quite good. The only weak one imho was the eggplant one. A couple of dishes would have been nicer if a little bit crispier (in particular the chicken skin skewers). Overall enjoyable as I said. Extra thanks to Zen, our super nice waiter, who was very endearing. We will be back.-COLLAPSE (by D Hound, created July 12, 2010)