Ippongi Ishibashi

Chef Ishibashi spent ten years in culinary training — split evenly between a top Kyoto kaiseki and a high-end Tokyo sushiya — before opening his own store in 2018. Now he combines the two styles from his days of study into one harmonious, utterly delicious whole. This usually means sushi served first, followed by a series of traditional Kyoto-style seasonal dishes. The personal touch is central to everything he does, so all of his producers are either customers or acquaintances of customers. This also means he makes a batch of fresh house-blend dashi stock for each and every guest, adjusting the mix according to the dishes for the evening. Crisp and clear varieties of sake are also paired with the dishes to help the flavors shine through. Six counter seats offer a great view of the multitalented chef at work, while an eight seat private tatami room offers a little more privacy. Wherever you choose to sit, just be sure to leave plenty of time for the meal — it can run up to three hours long! Perfection takes time, after all.