As a single girl looking for a stellar izakaya close to home without having to brave the drive to Chinatown, Ginza Izakaya completely blew me away. From the moment I walked in, Naomi at the host stand gave me the warmest welcome and kept checking in on me throughout the night, making me feel right at home.
I sat at the bar and was lucky enough to have Lynette as my bartender. She is a rockstar—she completely understood my palate and guided me perfectly to the Dassai 45 Junmai Daiginjo sake, which paired beautifully with everything. Sitting at the bar also came with a killer perk: a complimentary bowl of spicy edamame that I’m still thinking about.
For the food, Lynette’s a la carte recommendations were spot-on:
The Skewers: The wagyu beef tongue skewers literally melted in my mouth, the unagi yaki was deeply savory, and the quail eggs had the perfect kiss of smokiness.
The Starters: The hamachi jalapeño crudo was incredibly fresh, and I became instantly addicted to the texture of the dried chili strands on top.
The Sushi: The Land and Sea roll and the wagyu/uni nigiri were pure luxury. I felt totally spoiled.
The Finale: I wrapped up the savory side with two incredibly fluffy pork chashu bao buns, then dove into the honey toast tower with green tea ice cream for dessert.
Outstanding food, incredible service from Lynette and Naomi, and a cozy local atmosphere. This is officially my new go-to spot!
J.D. West-MilesLocal Guide
This wonderful restaurant is rapidly becoming our go-to for any special occasion, but it's priced so that we also end up going on days when we just want to! Absolutely stunning food with with gorgeous presentation, the freshest seafood imaginable, and extremely creative and fresh sushi rolls. My particular favorite is the sakana roll with fresh buttery salmon combined with shiso leaf and radish sprouts. Not only is it absolutely splendid visually, but the flavor combinations are so gorgeous on the palette. Is the kind of thing you could eat all day and still want more!
We have also tried out their Omakase, which was absolutely incredible. I've never had a fixed menu experience in which I absolutely loved each and every dish. Not only that, but the overall value for the meal was absolutely staggering. Each and every dish was so perfectly prepared, so beautiful, so delicious, that I would come back for each one alone.
It was also extremely enjoyable to have true Japanese culinary staples like mushi and Okonomiyaki that I've never gotten to enjoy outside of Japan. And, having enjoyed them in Tokyo Japan, I actually think the mushi at Ginza is better.
The ambiance is also exceptional. Beautiful lighting in a very traditional, but very clean and modern appearing Japanese style. I absolutely love the semi-private booths, the slanting roofs, clean geometric lines, and everything about dining in the area. Sometimes I'm more minimal. Approach can appear cold or uncomfortable, but this really just feels like a very nice, tidy, and lovely Japanese home. Of It's overall extremely relaxing, very calming, and a lovely place to go if you would like to have a conversation.
The staff are lovely, friendly, attentive and extremely knowledgeable about the menu. We have now gotten to have about three different servers and every single person has been a delight. I have come on a date, and my server was attentive, friendly, and inobtrusive. I have come with my little kids that, and our server was friendly, open with them, and made it a great experience. I have come with my elderly parents, and our server spoke loudly and clearly and answered all questions easily. Truly special!
Every time we have come to ginza we have tried a completely different set of dishes, and have been completely wowed by the quality, the delicious flavor, and the gorgeous presentation. This is the kind of restaurant that I would fly across the country to have a meal at, even if I had no other reason to come!
Divaholic_LifestyleLocal Guide
What a cool place! I tried the Omakase Menu! It was definitely worth the price as everything was super fresh but you have to keep an open mind🤣. The seafood custard isnt something i would ever order so im glad i got to try it!
Not pictured but my favorite dish was the Salmon Skin Roll! It was freshly fried and delicious! Also their fish to rice ratio was perfect! Not too much rice! Loved it!
