Izuu

Restaurant Details

Izuu was founded in 1781, riding a wave of saba sushi fandom in the ancient capital. At the time, mackerel from Wakasa traveled to Kyoto, a landlocked city with limited access to fresh fish. The fish was preserved with vinegar and lightly fermented. Coupled with rice and kombu seaweed, saba sushi was born.

Because saba sushi was mostly eaten at festivals and parties attended by Kyoto’s famous geisha, the original owner, Izumiya Uhe established his business with gift-giving in mind. An in-store dining space was installed to allow guests to try its specialty immediately while waiting for takeaway gifts — also called “omiyage in Japanese — to be prepared. The in-store dining space features an extended menu including other rare, traditional varieties of pickled sushi.

Now headed by the eighth-generation owner, Izuu’s mackerel sushi continues to delight. Its particular method of preparing saba sushi is lengthened to saba sugata sushi, where the entire mackerel fillet is used in a single roll. The resulting shape of compressed, pickled fish and rice resembles a crouching rabbit, a charming shape that has continued to win Izuu fans throughout the years. While the product ages, its texture and flavor evolve, peaking the next day.

As a traveler’s souvenir, this Kyoto-specialty sushi expresses uniquely West-coast tradition of fermentation and an appreciation for the passage of time.

Michelin Guide:

2019 - Bib Gourmand

2024 - Bib Gourmand