Ichiza, Las Vegas, NV

It seems like there are really no shortage of Japanese good eats in Vegas area. Newly added to my favorite off the strip dining list is this lovely Izakaya restaurant Ichiza.

The menu is fairly standard and not overwhelming. On top of the transitional izakaya small plates and yakitori skewers, you can also find some kitchen entree, ramen and sushi rolls. Bento style meals are offered during happy hour.

Price is very reasonable and the quality of the food is good. Honey toast is a must try if you never had it elsewhere. Imagine a loaf of soft bread, toasted, drenched in butter, honey and topped with two scoops of ice cream… THAT was sinfully gratifying.

Ippuku, Berkeley, CA

One of the best izakaya place in bay area.

Ippuku never disappoints. It is near impossible to dislike their perfectly char-grilled skewers. If you are not comfortable consuming inner organs or more ‘interesting’ parts of chicken, you will miss out a lot here. If you have decided to eat at Ippuku, you NEED to be slightly adventurous.

The good news is, everything tastes awesome. In fact, had they not told you what you are eating, you probably won’t think anything strange anyway. Chicken heart, gizzard, heart cartilage are must try. The neck meat is by far the favorite of most. Closely followed by momo (thigh meat).

The non yakitori winners are Ikasumi chahan (squid ink fried rice), rafute (stewed pork belly) and black sesame soft serve sundae for dessert. Chicken ramen was very skip-able.

Reservation is a must on weekends unless you are willing to wait for hours. Ippuku is a highly popular spot.

Fuki Sushi, Palo Alto, CA

Sadly, I could no longer endorse this restaurant. Fuki, once my go-to place for a slightly pricey but never disappointing sushi meal, had really went downhill. My most recent dinner here left me terribly dissatisfied and puzzled.

The fish used in even some of their pricier nigiri was of very average quality. It was quite apparent they didn’t get the freshest supply that day. I could excuse the restaurant for having a off day once in a while due to supply issue but I found no excuse for the ill prepared sushi rice. The rice on every single pieces I had that night was dry.

I am afraid it could be a really long while before I would consider returning to this restaurant.

Final Verdict

Food: 2/5. Average quality fish over dry rice.

Service: 3/5. Decent enough.

Ambiance: 4/5. Clean restaurant with elegant Japanese decor.

Price to Value: 3/5. Really overpriced for this quality.