It is a 10-minute walk from Niigata Station. Restaurant ISO, a one-star French restaurant, is located in a quiet area a short distance from the bustling streets. Fuyuto Isobe, who is extremely fond of his hometown of Niigata, is the chef.
Chef Isobe hails from Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture. After graduating from the Musashino Cooking College, he trained at the Hotel Metropolitan Edmont in Iidabashi, Tokyo, before moving to France. After honing his skills at starred restaurants such as Restaurant Alain Chapel, La Pyramide and Hôtel Martinez, he returned to Japan and became the Head Chef at Tokyo Grinzing in Kojimachi. He then worked as the head chef at Hakuba Resort Hotel La Neige Higashi-kan in Nagano Prefecture and Ryokan Urashima Restaurant La Plage in Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, before opening Restaurant ISO in 2016.
Chef Isobe's cuisine is a new take on the classic French cuisine he learned in France, mixed with a sensibility unique to the Japanese and of Niigata. As Niigata is strongly associated with the sea, many seafood delights are used in the course dishes. The seafood comes from Sado Island and the vegetables from contracted farmers in Tsubame City.
The roasted abalone, a specialty of the restaurant, is made by steaming abalone for five hours with Japanese sake from Niigata and then roasting it with butter. Served with an abalone liver sauce, French truffles, risotto made with special Uonuma-grown risotto rice, and seasonal vegetables, this dish is a true expression of Restaurant ISO's theme of France plus Japan and Niigata. We hope you will enjoy the marriage with Niigata sake.
Pairings are recommended for the drink menu. Chef Isobe's wife, the service sommelier, provides one drink per plate, interweaving wine and Niigata sake. There is also a wide range of non-alcoholic beverages such as organic grape juice, tea made in Murakami City, and snow-aged coffee.
Formerly a soba shop, this purely Japanese-style building has an inner garden and a cozy space with a modern Japanese feel. The original tableware ordered from OHASHI in Niigata will add color to your meal. The main seating is at the counter (7 seats), which is unusual for a French restaurant, so as to serve hot food while it is still warm and the aroma is at its best. We hope that families, friends, colleagues, and couples will visit Restaurant ISO, which embraces the charm of Niigata in French cuisine, and enjoy the aspirations of Chef Isobe.
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* The availability of this webpage does not guarantee that the restaurant presented provides services in English, unless otherwise stated. Please be aware that English services may also depend on staff availability at the restaurant.
Access
A 10-minutes walk from JR Niigata Station
