Part sushi joint, part barbecue spot and part sake bar, Iza promises much. For starters the lush décor is more akin to a high end nightclub lounge than your normal spit and sawdust izakaya: sleek sofas, backlit walls filled with ceramic sake jars, lots of glass and metal and an impressive spiral staircase leading up to the second floor yakitori dining room. The comprehensive menu is supported by the options in the drinks department, from high end sakes to some less well-known Japanese beers like Yebisu Black. The highlight, however, has to be the tantalizing photo menu detailing their choice of fusion-focused sushi. Yet Iza also manages to disappoint, most notably with the service. It’s surprising considering the sheer number of staff on hand, but they all seem to be working independently of each other, asking the same questions or offering to get you another drink, two minutes after you’ve ordered. Still, the food shows a definite commitment to using fresh ingredients: the tenderloin beef in the gyu tataki (B180) is divine, even if the original dipping sauces that come with it tend to be a little too salty. The chef’s selection kushikatsu (B50-60 per piece) is also impressive—a crunchy batter covering moist chicken, fresh pumpkin and more. The real problem is the hit or miss fusion dishes. The drunken dragon (B380) while pricy is a decent combo of cool asparagus and avocado and spicy maguro, and the crazy tuna (B250) is inventive in its use of traditional Thai ingredients like lemongrass. But spicier options like the crispy maguro (B160) can be unbalanced. It has a nice crunch but the dollops of spicy mayonnaise on top overpower everything else, as they do with the baked seafood in the recommended Mount Fuji (B280). That slightly heavy hand and the service aside, Iza is certainly a pleasant addition to the growing army of contemporary Japanese options in this town.
