Itacho Sushi - Grand Indonesia

When I came across the Sky Bridge at Grand Indonesia a few weeks ago, I saw a space which was still under construction that time. I took a glance and it was written 'Itacho Sushi'. Itacho Sushi would open the first outlet in Jakarta soon enough. I don't know why but I was really excited and couldn't wait for Itacho Sushi to start serving Sushi. I feel so grateful and honored to be included on their invited guest for the Opening Party. A crowded night in Itacho Sushi, we all enjoyed the very first sushi made by Itacho Sushi in Jakarta.

Itacho Sushi, a member of Taste of Japan Group, is a well-known restaurant in Asia, particularly in Singapore, Hong Kong and China. And now, they finally expand their market in Asia to Indonesia, whose people are also crazy and hyped about sushi. They chose one of the most high-class malls in Jakarta, Grand Indonesia, at the heart of Jakarta to begin to indulge the people here with wide range of sushi. There are more than 100 options of Sushi that can be tried.

When I first saw Itacho Sushi afar, the restaurant is like a big wooden cage. Yep, the restaurant is surrounded with polished wooden pillars and people can actually see what's inside through the gap between pillars. The space here is 'wide or stretched' as from the entrance it goes straight to the left and right with another space at the back near outside windows of the mall.
I noticed that there are many lighting, the restaurant looks bright. Overall, this restaurant is pretty clean and looking good, but none from the design stole my heart. And oh, there were many flowers here around the restaurant to congratulate the opening, it was nice to see many beautiful flowers around.

Here in Itacho Sushi, there is also a Sushi Bar, where the sushi are made live and fresh. Behind the Sushi Bar, all the staffs (sushi makers) were very busy yet full of spirit on the opening night. Such a hectic time in that relatively small space. Then the sushi would be placed in front of the display ready to be served.
As far as I noticed, there was no conveyor belt for customers to freely pick sushi. All should be done by ordering to the waiter/waitress.

Have you done it the authentic way?

In Itacho Sushi, the waiter/waitress told us to order by saying the product code instead of the name of the menu, like "Can I have 111 for 2, please?" Sounds weird, but that's how the system goes there.
The menu that Itacho Sushi has are quite varied, the sushi are also varied. They have sashimi set, sushi set, rice box set, udon set, roll set and many more. I just couldn't try all! I like the freshness from each dish. Another aspects that I like are, the simplicity and the authenticity of the dish.

Salmon Sushi (IDR 10k)
The first one to be ordered! For me, salmon sushi is a must. The salmon slices was slick and warm pink. The salmon was just overlapping the rice and covered the rice. Thankfully, it gave a good first impression. The salmon was delicate and fresh.

Egg Sushi (IDR 7k)
Nothing too fancy with this as I wasn't expecting that either. But, this is just amazing! The egg was soft and the combination between the sweet and salty taste was just terrific! And the authentic nori-belted display never does any harm.

Roasted Eel (IDR 28k)
Eel also known as Unagi in Japanese is also one of classic sushi menu. The eel was roasted quite nicely, the juiciness really went out. Overall, the eel was rather sweet but a bit too mushy and contained a tiny bone, which was a let off.

Spicy Salmon Roll (IDR 11k)
Simple sushi roll topped with cooked spicy salmon and wrapped with nori sheet. It was a delicious and soft salmon and the spiciness level was like teasing my tongue, it was barely there but still could be tasted.
There was a little drop of mayonnaise to give a complimentary taste to this Spicy Salmon Roll sushi.

Salmon Sashimi (IDR 30k)
This is also my favorite when I'm visiting a sushi restaurant. Just like the Salmon Sushi, the salmon was fresh and really soft. Love that warm pink color from the salmon slices.

Salmon Sashimi!

Octopus Sashimi (IDR 30k)
Another sashimi to try. The octopus here was actually very nice and quite squishy. The meat was tender and easy to be consumed, which is a plus point. And of course, it was fresh at the time the octopus was served to the table.

Hand Roll Soft Shell Crab (IDR 28k)
If I'm coming back to Itacho Sushi, then I'll definitely order this hand roll again. Fried soft shell crab with rice and lettuce beautifully wrapped with nori sheet. The crab was soft and crunchy and the taste wasn't too salty. The nori sheet couldn't be torn apart easily as it must keep the hand roll in shape. I like the presentation of this hand roll, they use some kind like a handler tray, that the hand rolls can fit to the slots nicely.

Creative Roll Avocado and Soft Shell Crab (IDR 44k)
This is one of the modern sushi roll that we usually eat. Trying to add some fruits to sushi and I picked this from Itacho Sushi's 'Creative Roll' list. Sushi roll with fried soft shell crab filling and each piece topped with three slices of avocado, drizzled with mayonnaise sauce and again topped with tobiko. The avocado slices were shaped like a half donut, making the roll looked like wearing a hat. The combination between the soft shell crab salty flavor, the sweet avocado and a bit of mayonnaise was delightful. Crunchy, soft and mushy in one bite.

Shrimp Tempura (IDR 55k)
The favorite original shrimp tempura. Each set contains 3 shrimp tempura and one vegetable tempura. Always looked pretty and tempting but not too special for me. The tempura was crunchy like we all always expect a tempura to be, and the shrimp was fresh and juicy.
Tempura sauce was pretty mild, simply a very authentic tempura dish.

Grilled Kagoshima Wagyu Beef (IDR 450k)
I will not ever regret my decision to order this Grilled Kagoshima Wagyu Beef from Itacho Sushi.
Kagoshima is actually the name of capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture at the South Western tip of the island of Kyushu in Japan. Kagoshima is also well known as one of the largest livestock industries in Japan and almost 20% of Japanese wagyu originating from here.
And here, Itacho Sushi brings one of the best wagyu from Japan. The grilled wagyu beef was absolutely succulent and tender. That golden brown grilled beef color was also perfect. When this arrived on my table, I was told to mix and stir the beef for a better wagyu taste. The flavor was not the strongest flavor that I've ever tried but the mild taste from the seasoning and the juiciness of the beef combined very well. The wagyu beef was served with mixed vegetables on a hotplate tray.
Can I say this has 10 out of 10 for drool-o-meter? :p

Gorgeous!

Steam Egg with Crab (IDR 28k)
Itacho must be good when it goes to creating egg dishes. Just look how good their Egg Sushi is, now this Steam Egg with Crab isn't much different. The steamed egg was ultimately soft and watery and they go with plain flavor for the egg, the crab meat was also cooked well. Besides crab, the egg also contained juicy and squishy mushroom.

Seasoned Octopus (IDR 36k)
The octopus (well, it's actually baby octopus) here great! Like Octopus Sashimi above, this Seasoned Octopus was also fresh, squishy and tender. The portion was at the level average. But the most important thing is the baby octopus was seasoned very well!

Flavored Tea (IDR 25k)
A simple refreshing and sweet flavored tea. I tried this Apple and Lemon flavored tea.

Overall, I'm quite satisfied with the hospitality that was shown by Itacho Sushi's crews on the Opening Night. Although there were some sloppiness and rough edges, but hey! They ran this new outlet quite well! I do also appreciate their constant standard of serving.
And yes, a good place for eating sushi in Jakarta has finally open and ready to hit to ground running.
Once again, congratulations and wish you the best of luck, Itacho Sushi!




Itacho Sushi
Unit FD1-10, Level 3A Sky Bridge
Grand Indonesia
Jl. MH Thamrin, Jakarta
Opening hours :
Mon - Thu : 10 AM - 10 PM
Fri - Sun : 10 AM - 11 PM
Phone : (62) 21-2358 1228



-- Albert Martono - albert.martono@gmail.com
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