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As far as sushi and sashimi go, Izumi is tops. The staff is always super friendly and accommodating. And it's a BYOB, which makes it even better. They almost always have a rock shrimp tempura as a special. The first time I tried this dish, it was graciously comped by the chef because the waitstaff asked us to move tables. Now it the dish a staple, ordered every time I go. It is melt-in-your-mouth good. The tuna sashimi is always incredibly fresh.
The atmosphere is relaxed and casual. I like dining there in the summer when the windows are open and Passyunk Avenue is bustling. Izumi is consistently very good.
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Definitely a let down. The sushi here just isnt good. None of it. The beef negimaki was essentially overcooked steak-ums around over cooked scallions. The only redeeming factor here is that it is a BYOB.
If you dont trust my judgment and decide to check it out, make sure they dont seat you next to the open flames of the kitchen. I roasted for an hour and even the a/c vent on me could not cool me down.
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I'm stupid when it comes to sushi. I know absolutely nothing. I know I LOVE California rolls. That being said i informed the waiter that our party knew nothing about the menu. He very graciously informed us of the differences between "sushi, sashimi, and maki" I ordered the Maki (california roll of course) a friend got a salmon roll, another the avocado roll and my date got the duck special... everything was amazing. The Duck was a special it had a wasabi aoli (sp?) and sat on a bed of different types of mushrooms. The Mushrooms alone were to die for. Everything tasted very fresh and our waiter went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable. (water and wine refills every few minutes non intrusive and very gracious)
we sat until closing while finishing our wine and they did not for even a moment make us feel rushed. Upon leaving we apologized for making him wait and his statement was "think nothing of it it was our pleasure to have you" .. wow.. hospitality? in PHILLY!? I'm hooked.
The bill was $45 for 4 people all having their own meals (which were very shareable!) Overall a great bargain, and i'm told they have lunch specials that are very filling for $10-15/ person!
I will definitely return and tell everyone i know. Izumi is an AWESOME find!
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Like the other 96% of the population, I love sushi. Like really really love it. If I had the option of eating it for the rest of my life, I would. That being said, I'm always open to trying new sushi restaurants so I was pretty pumped to join my friend for a lovely dinner. Unfortunately, I just wasn't impressed at all.
Things just started off kind of bad. I got there first, and was welcomed by 3 servers who seemed annoyed that we hadn't made a reservation. That's fair, it was a Saturday night and I probably should've thought that through prior to going. They were able to give us a table, which I definitely appreciated, but they informed me that they needed the table for an 8:30 reservation. Uhm, excuse me? That was just so uncalled for because I spent the entire meal checking the time and feeling like I had to rush out. To be fair, that was the only bad part about the service. Every other aspect about that was superb. The servers were unobtrusive, were very prompt about refilling our water and wine glasses, and were really nice too.
For the prices that they were charging, I expected the food to be out of this world and frankly, it wasn't. The maki roll that I ordered (I think it was the Paradiso roll?) was extremely salty, which is saying a lot since I salt EVERYTHING. The seaweed salad was SUPER fishy, which makes sense since yeah, it's seaweed, but I guess I'm just partial to the regular, not fancy kind. The sushi and sashimi combination dish that we got was infinitely better, but I feel like I could've had that same quality of dish elsewhere for cheaper. The one dish that stood out the most was the rock shrimp tempura with a wasabi aioli. It was PHENOMENAL. It wasn't super greasy and the tempura remained crisp the entire time, despite being tossed in the aioli. I would be tempted to go back again for that alone.
Izumi, I really wanted to like you. It sucks living in South Philly because there isn't any sushi down here at all, and going to Vic's isn't always an option. But your food just isn't worth the price. Sorry :/
Oh, and as for all those reservations that made the servers tell us about needing the table for 8:30? The restaurant was half-empty when we left at 8:15.
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I suggested Izumi to my friend to see if we could disprove her theory that there isn't very good sushi in Center City. It was very easy to get to via SEPTA and she had no problem finding street parking near the restaurant (the one-way streets can be a little frustrating so bring a GPS if you have one!).
We came on a Thursday night at around 7 and found the place busy, but not full. There was no wait and we had our choice of being seated inside or out. Overall, we both really enjoyed everything we ordered and our server was friendly. My only complaint was that there were so many "specials" that night that it was pretty hard to keep track as our server rattled that off. Perhaps the good folks who run the restaurant might consider printing out the specials so patrons don't have to rely on their leaky memories. We definitely look forward to returning and trying some of the entrees next time.
I really like Izumi. The service is really nice. I like the outdoor seating -- it IS different from all the other places with outdoor seating because of the little seating area in the middle of the intersection (maybe you have to see it to know what I mean) I really enjoy the rock shrimp tempura appetizer (not at all what I expected) and they did the Dragon Roll justice.
I found the prices to be reasonable, all things considered ...
Good place I will definitely visit again.
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Izumi is marginally better than the rest of the sushi you will find in Philadelphia. Local Japanese cuisine enthusiasts will be pleasantly surprised to find something slightly better than mediocre in their backyards. The lunch menu was pretty basic and concise by most standards. Service was a bit staggered as there was a 10 minute wait in between entree's being served at our table.. thankfully I ordered a cold plate. For being the most expensive and highest grade tuna, the chewed toro was just meh. More taste, texture and volume would have sufficed. Chewed toro is not supposed to need much ginger, wasabi or soy sauce if at all. However, I was content with the unagi and tako. I would have liked to try the okonomiyaki and katsu don but my stomach said no. =(
I will definitely go back and try a bit more of the menu before writing the place off entirely. Nevertheless, venturing into Center City for average sushi was getting old and now a more local South Philly option is available.
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I Live directly across the street from Izumi and, because I had to suffer through the early morning construction for what seemed to be an eternity, I expected to hate it. It's true, what can I say, 8 am buzzsaws make me very cantankerous. I was even more concerned when I read about their plans to put tables around the fountain in the intersection in the warm weather months, as P'unk ave drinkers sometimes tend to forget that people do, in fact, live here and can be a little over boisterous at 2am. In light of all that, I agreed to try the place out very reluctantly. I'm really glad I did.
My boyfriend, one of my friends and I decided to give Izumi a whirl on a warm Friday night about a month ago or so. They had not yet gotten clearance from the neighborhood association to expand their outside seating to the fountain and the place was packed. The server who met us at the door cheerfully informed us that there would be an hour wait for seating and that they are a BYOB, but that Paradiso has take out if we wanted to grab a six pack to bring back with us. She also listed all of the bars along the Ave that would be good places to hang out while we waited and offered to call our cell phones when our table was ready. Needless to say, Izumi had me at "Hello". Where else can you get such VIP service without actually having to throw money around like you're a high roller?
We returned home to have a beer and wait for the call, which came pretty quickly with an offer to sit at the counter if we wanted, or to wait the full hour for a table. We elected to sit at the counter and within mere minutes, we were happily seated with full wine glasses and were enjoying the show of sushi chefs adeptly carving through jewel like pieces of fish.
Now, I have to admit here that I am not the most adventurous of sushi eaters and I typically stick to California rolls and veggie rolls. However, the boyfriend was very excited that they had sea urchin on the menu and he went to town ordering a ton of ala cart sashimi and a few pieces of sushi. I stuck to my old standby of California roll and tried Izumi's Passyunk Ave Roll, which is shrimp tempura with some kind of spicy crab salad. What truly impressed me was this, the California roll was less expensive than any of the take out and fast service sushi places throughout the city and it contained REAL CRAB. With a C, and not a K! An hour later we were all happily stuffed to the gills and ready for a nap. I will return to Izumi for sure. And, now that they do have those fountain side tables set up, I have been happily reassured that they are not creating a neighborhood nuisance, but a charmingly local place that seems to bring a lot of relaxed smiles to the Ave!
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This place continues to be the best sushi in town. The service is still great. The outside seating and the open windows make it great for summer. And they have added a waiter with quite the singing voice!
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The first time I was here, it was a little crowded and I was the first to arrive for a party of 6.… Read more »
Few people in the area could have been as excited as I was for the opening of a Japanese restaurant on East Passyunk. After learning that it was going to be manned by the same people behind Paradiso down the block and not Japanese owners, I have to admit I was a little skeptical (no offense to Paradiso, I've never been there). It's just that Japanese cuisine is about as opposite as you can get from Italian/Mediterranean.
It turns out my skepticism was slightly unwarranted. The miso soup was excellent; it's easily one of the best I've had in Philly. The fish in our sushi tasted fresh and had a nice texture. We ordered one special maki (the Izumi) and three regular ones (Salmon and Avocado, Yellowtail and Scallions, Spicy Tuna). Vic's is now my bellwether for maki, and for this first eating experience at least, Izumi just doesn't stack up. Surprisingly, the best roll of the four turned out to be the Salmon and Avocado. Both the Spicy Tuna and Izumi roll didn't stand out, though they tasted fine. The Yellowtail and Scallions roll was the biggest disappointment. There were definitely too many scallions; it was like eating a roll of onions with just a hint of fish. There were some impressive looking non-sushi dishes coming out of the kitchen, so perhaps their hot entrees hold more promise.
Izumi (Japanese for "fountain") is aptly named since it sits across the singing fountain. It makes for a nice view, particularly when the windows are closed. The music was on the loud side, but I think it may have been due in part to the place being nearly empty when we went. Or perhaps they were training themselves for when they'll have to combat the singing fountain next spring. The service was attentive and friendly. The place itself is intimate and nicely designed. I especially like the sushi bar, which is mesmerizing with its mother-of-pearl tiles and changing lights.
It's definitely nice to have a different and decent dining option in the area. I would go back and give Izumi a second chance but I'm not in a rush to do so.
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I'm delighted to have a sushi restaurant so close to home. It seems I'm usually crossing a bridge or going on an interstate of some kind to get my sushi fix of late.
This is a beautiful spot first of all. Very sleek and elegant, but small and not even a bit pretentious. I would easily roll up here in jeans and a coffee-stained t-shirt or a dress without anyone batting an eye.
We started with a seaweed salad which was different than what I'm used to. They give you three different types of seaweed, none of which were the typical green spaghetti-shaped variety. They wouldn't get a second try from me but I'm glad they offered me something different.
On to the main event. The sushi was extremely fresh and a good portion for the price. My only complaint was the sushi construction. Each piece immediately fell apart when I picked it up. Not a biggie, but not a mark of a top-notch, hallelujah kind of sushi experience either.
I will be back to Izumi for sure. Can't wait for the summer when the front of the restaurant will be open to the breeze off Passyunk Square's fountain. But I don't think Izumi will scratch my top-5 list of sushi spots either.
Izumi is pretty new so I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt. I had my usual sushi pieces, which tasted fine, albeit small. I also had the Izumi Maki and the Spicy Tuna Maki, and like Marisa said, they're ok.
The Miso soup is in fact very good. You get a good sized bowl too. While the sushi is mediocre, it does the job for when I don't want to venture out to Blue Fin or Sagami. Also, I'm a big fan of East Passyunk in general, so that's a bonus.
I'll most likely give it another shot, even if only because it's close to home.
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I like it here a lot, it has become a weekly ritual! Good sushi, service and ambiance all within walking distance, what else could I ask for. It can get a little pricey though when compared to other Japanese/sushi places. But I have not been disappointed in anything that I have ordered over a course of the past six months. This place is becoming an asset to the neighborhood.
I finally got a chance to try this place out, i was pleasantly surprised. I had the sushi & sashimi sampler it was amazing! So good in fact I had to order another spicy tuna roll. Everything was fresh and the service was great. I definitely found a good alternative to blue fin. Major plus is that it is only 2 blocks from my house ;-). Hopefully they will stick around its a good change from all the mexican places that have popped up over the past few years.
They are only open for dinner atm (opens at 4pm) but they assured me that they will start doing lunch in a few months as well.
Definitely a must try if you in the area.
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Since sushi options in Philly are usually limited to center city, it was interesting to see Yelp spit out Izumi in the middle of South Philly. The location is sort of out of place, but we decided to give Izumi a try. They have outdoor seating near open archways, which makes me think of Europe or something. The food is expensive, if not too expensive. I mean, I know sushi/Japanese places tend to carry higher-than-average prices, but really some of the prices were just ridiculous. Five dollars for tea? No thank you. Nine for a roll that usually costs me five? It was off-putting for sure, but the food itself was very good. I think next time I'll skip sushi in S. Philly and just take the journey to center city, where my options are wider and considerably cheaper, without sacrificing quality, and gaining more atmosphere. If you live in S. Philly, go ahead and try it out, but nothing worth traveling down there for.
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Don't listen to the haters. Best sushi I've had in years. Rolls are ridiculously tasty. Sashimi sampler is so fresh. Staff is super sweet. I am so happy this happened to South Philly.
I came here with a bunch of friends for my girlfriends birthday on a fun Saturday night. Our server was really nice and adorable and the food was so bangin. I had the Izumi roll and a little piece of salmon sushi and it was soooo good! I also had a bite of the Paradiso roll and the Remy roll and it was all so sensational. The fish was wondi-ful, and the most important part was that my friend started her birthday partying off right. She had a blast so I did too. I can't wait to go back, I really did enjoy the food.
I was hoping to try some new kinds of rolls or something exotic, but it is pretty standard when it comes to sushi. I did not try any of the non-sushi dishes, but I can say that some of those sounded interesting. The serice was ok. The waiter forgot my green tea, and we had to ask twice for water. The staff was nice, and the atmoshphere was very nice. We sat at the sushi bar. We went without a resevation on a Saturday night, but they were accoomidating. I liked that it is byob, and I liked they they provded the japanese and english translation for the maki. Over all, not very excited. Nothing new or special about the place.
I dont know what the other people are talking about, this place is as good as or maybe even better than Sagami (plus no tolls).
I went with three other people and two bottles of wine (Its BYOB).
We ordered about 20 pieces of sushi and sashimi, plus miso, seaweed salad, a few appetizers and an entree, I believe.
The Sashimi Sampler was so fabulous! The lime tofu sauce with the tuna and the octopus (or squid, cant remember) was so delicious. Miso was a hit. Salad was ok. Beef Negamaki and its accompanying side was yummy. The Live Scallop app was superb.
After two bottles and the first round of food, we wanted more.
We ran out for two more bottles of wine and reordered the sashimi sampler and few other favorites and added on the Paridisio Roll, and it was spectacular!!
All in all, in was wonderful and our faux-Japanese server was adorable.
Too expensive to go every week, but we will definitely be back, within the month
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I am a die-hard fan of Sagami.. and found that most sushi restaurants in Philly & NJ pale in comparison. Well.. I finally experienced Izumi. WOW! The spicy tuna roll was out of this world. The soft shell crab roll was one of the best that I have ever had between here and Asia. The salmon avocado roll was so flavorful. As far as peices..the fatty tuna was the stuff you dream about. Hand's down. When making comparisons.. the Eal, Yellow Tail, & Tamago will always be the BEST at Sagami. The service was a bit slow at Izumi, and I had to ask the waiter on more then one occasion for refill of my water. At most authentic Japanese restaurants, service is exceptional, and water is re-filled every time you put down your glass. Over all, this was a such a pleasant surprise.. and I am excited that I live so close to such amazing sushi! Bring a bottle.. and enjoy!
The sushi was very good, but both my roommate and I felt that they were charging higher prices for their food because of their location (there is no good sushi in south Philly). Based on this principal alone we vowed not to come back unless there was a sushi emergency. I would come back if they lowered their prices or made their rolls bigger for the money.
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Rolled in with the girlfriend and a bottle of white on a Tuesday night at 6:30 to an empty place (only 1 other table occupied). The place was soon full much to my suprise and delight (great to see E. Passyunk supporting itself). Service was good, the fish and dessert were good and I enjoyed the atmosphere. I plan to return for my next sushi craving.
oh how i wish for half stars on yelp, because really, izumi would get 3 and a 1/2 from me. my main complaint is THE RICE! come on! you're a sushi place, your chef is from morimoto and yet i have yet to have a visit where my rice dosen't fall apart when i pick up my sushi! the fish is always fresh, though at times lacks in flavor, but not all fish are created equal. I LOVE the wasabi tabiko! the miso soup is nice, but as with alot of things on the menu, on the pricy side. their prices for sushi are right up there with sagami, but they lack the always excellentness that is sagami to justify them. if they're trying to garnish more business, the prices need to come down across the board. the seaweed salad IS NOT what you expect it to be and i find the flavors in it to be horrible. don't try to order the tilefish, even though its on the menu, they never have it and i always want it. i enjoy the addition to passyunk ave and it allows me to stop crossing the bridge everytime i want sushi. the service is always friendly and attentive. i keep going back because its in my neighborhood, but i hope that they start to up their game. at the very least, FIX THE RICE!
Neighborhood: South Street District
Category: Restaurants
Collingswood, NJ
Category: Japanese
Narberth, PA
Category: Grocery
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Spanish
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Sushi Bars
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