After a New Lick of Paint, Ito Restaurant Adds Seasonal Dishes

We know that good izakaya is all about the details, from how they cook the rice, the freshness of the food, to the way they store sake, Ito Restaurant knows this and takes it to heart.

It's impossible to walk past this place without noticing the red lanterns

Opening in 2014, hidden in the quiet alley near Parkview Green, Ito just finished renovation a week ago, keeping the line of red lanterns outside the restaurant, adding a whole dining area with nine private rooms, 10 extra tables, and several seasonal dishes and a reasonably priced lunch menu.

The robatayaki area

Ito is famous for its robatayaki, which means fireside cooking, a method similar to barbecue. The food, especially seafood on skewers, are placed over hot charcoal, to maintain freshness, a style that gives a sense of ceremonial eating. When the food has finished its slow-grilling, chef Kalok Wong dutifully shouts out the name of the dish, and passes it to you on a wooden boat paddle. Of the options, we'd certainly recommend the Australian beef rib and the ox tongue seasoned with black pepper.

Deluxe unagi rice set, served with soup, a side dish, dessert, and tea

They also offer lunch menu sets, include a deluxe unagi (eel) rice set, chicken teppanyaki, sushi set, black cod teppanyaki, ramen, and kushiyaki with udon, ranging between RMB 65-120, making it a popular lunchtime (11.30am-2pm) spot among workers nearby. We loved the deluxe eel set, which comes topped with sesame, chopped scallion, and nori. The eel was well seasoned and comes spread over a layer of diced egg. The black truffle kamameshi (rice cooked in an iron pot, RMB 48), which comes with crab meat and a strong flavor of ground black truffle.

Seasonal snow crab pot (RMB 298 for two people)

They also offer the seasonal snow crab pot (RMB 298 for two people), the crab imported daily from Hokkaido, Japan. You may also want to opt for their saury sushi as “December is the best time for it," according to Wong.

The lovely hand-made ice-cream

To finish, we had a batch of handmade ice cream, seasoned with sea salt, and sliced almond. If we didn’t see a future of diabetes ahead, we would have ordered 10 more.

The private teppanyaki room

A long corridor connects the private dining areas, which are decorated with bamboo and Japanese paintings. Each room has a teppanyaki grill in the center so that you can watch the chef cook the food in front of you while not impeding the communal dining experience.

If you're going with a couple of friends, we'd suggest trying to grab a spot at the sushi bar or around the robatayaki, where you can enjoy watching every move of the chef in the kitchen. If you go with a group, choose a private teppanyaki room, where you can smoke, be loud, and even do KTV.

Ito Restaurant
Daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-10pm. A1 Fangcaodi Beixiang, Chaoyang Disctrict (8561 3757)
伊藤酒菜处: 朝阳区芳草地北巷甲1号

Photos courtesy of Ito Restaurant, Tracy Wang

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