Photo by Adrian Profumo
Chef Fuyuhiko Ito has worked in kitchens around the world, studying French and American culinary techniques, as well as his native Japanese. But he’s most known for his delicate, high-end sushi, as evidenced by his previous work as executive chef of Umi. Now he’s opening not one but three restaurants in Midtown: a 16-seat omakase spot called Ishin by Ito, a rooftop cocktail lounge named Celestia, and a modern Japanese eatery dubbed Sozou.
Ishin by Ito and Celestia are soft-open now; Sozou will follow early next year. Located in the new Ten Twenty Spring building at Spring Quarter, Ishin by Ito seats 16 guests around a chef’s counter, where they get a front-row seat to the action. Fish is flown in fresh from Japan five days a week.
“The way we preserve the fish is different,” Ito says. “A lot of chefs want to do dry-aged fish. We are more wet aged. Our goal is to preserve the freshness, texture, and moisture content.”
Diners are asked to arrive at 7 p.m. for a champagne toast (the bottle is opened theatrically with a saber) and snack (think scallop with Japanese bruschetta) on the patio overlooking the sunset. A maximum of 16 diners sit at the sushi bar and watch as chef Ito assembles each course and serves it personally. Dinner begins with an amuse bouche, such as a smoked brisket bite, followed by two appetizers like sashimi or crudo. Next comes five courses of nigiri, an intermezzo such as shrimp tempura, and five more nigiri, which may include seared Wagyu with truffles. The evening wraps up with dessert from pastry chef and Ito’s wife, Lisa Ito.
Photo by Adrian Profumo
“After a wonderful sushi meal, I want something refreshing and flavorful—a beautiful ending,” she says. “Japanese cuisine is all about seasonality, so I might do an apple basil sorbet with cheesecake or a traditional dessert made with sweet red bean paste and persimmons.”
Beverage director Andrew Mckie, formerly of Le Colonial, developed the drink list. Cocktails include Twilight Burn, a hojicha-infused Legent bourbon, and Shizuku, made with sake ono, pear liqueur, and vermouth. Sake, French wine, and Japanese beer are also available. The optional wine and sake pairing includes two of each paced throughout the meal.
Photo by Adrian Profumo
Accessed by a private elevator, the space features clean lines, natural oak, a sparkling chandelier, and a marble countertop. “The goal was very simple and clean,” Lisa Ito says.
Also reservation only, Celestia—which means a place between heaven and earth—is an indoor-outdoor space adjacent to Ishin. More lounge than restaurant, it features an international menu and a beverage program like that at Ishin, with upscale liquors and 70 to 80 varieties of wine and Champagne. On the food side, look for caviar, escargot, wagyu tataki, oysters Rockefeller, tomahawk ribeye, and sizzling lobster toban yaki. Libations include Pink Moon (sakura liqueur, sparkling wine, and soda), and Tokyo Skyline (Hibiki whisky, demerara, lemon, yuzu, and soda).
Photo by Adrian Profumo
“It’s the culmination of his 30-plus year career,” Lisa says of Fukuhiko.
The 4,000-square-foot space boasts soft seating such as couches and walnut wood decor. Expect a bar that can be accessed from inside as well as the patio, and table service throughout. A DJ will spin tunes on weekends.
On the ground floor of the building, Sozou will focus on sushi, plus fish and meat cooked on the robata grill. There will be crudo and crispy rice—“more mainstream food people want to eat,” Fukuhiko says.
Photo by Adrian Profumo
