Izumi Japanese Cuisine — Restaurant in Kokomo

First time visit for a group of us. A buddy and I decided to share five appetizers, so I will run through them one by one. Our server was outstanding.

From the best to the worst.

Easily, the best was the rock shrimp, tempura fried w/ spicy Mayo - superb!

Next was the takoyaki, fried dough balls with octopus bits inside. A bit smaller than I’ve had before, but with good flavor. I’m not sure they included the “tako” pieces, or they were fairly small.

Next were the gyoza, aka potstickers. A bit smaller than average, with OK flavor, but nothing to write home about.

Then there was the chicken wonton. Again, rather small, overcooked and dry. I did not finish them. I would suggest using pork filling in a larger wrap and charging more. Dropping them would be fine also since wontons aren’t Japanese. I really hoped they would be good. They were not.

Finally the chicken karaage, had a nice level of spiciness, but they were way overcooked and dry. I would strongly suggest removing them from the menu because it is very difficult to cook small pieces of chicken without drying them out. Perhaps using thigh meat and with brining they might work, but I doubt it.

Overall I was satisfied with my first experience with Izumi and I intend to come back to try the ramen and sushi.

I went ahead and visited the same day for takeout for me and my wife for dinner. This time I ordered the sashimi dinner, the spicy crunchy salmon roll and spicy crunchy tuna roll, and I also ordered the chasu ramen. The sashimi dinner was a generous amount of four different fish species, tuna, salmon, white tuna/escolar and some form of sea bass/bream. All were fresh and excellent. The side salad was excellent. The miso soup was typical of many average sushi shops here, mediocre.

Finishing the dinner was a chasu ramen. I’m not a huge ramen fan so I can’t claim to be a fair critic, but I thought it was only so so. I’ve had better chasu judging by tenderness and sweetness. Finally the broth was better than the miso soup in quality but it was also just so so.

On a final note, I would put Izumi in the same ballpark as the two oldest Japanese style restaurants in Kokomo, Taku and Tokyo, although probably not quite as good. Izumi is probably a bit better than Uchi Ramen. None of them are as good as Sakura in...

This was our first visit to this establishment. I ordered the Crab Jalapeno appetizer, the Angry Dragon Sushi Roll and a Dalgona Coffee Bulba. This was also my first time having fresh (not store bought) sushi. Everything was excellent. I was quite impressed with the overall experience of the fresh made sushi roll. Service was fast and friendly going above and beyond expectations. Our server checked on us just frequently enough to not be intrusive yet always be available. He cleared our table of debris and used dishes without us even noticing. My meal and drink choices broke the $20 mark by a few dollars but, on average, a single person could get a satisfying meal (maybe even having a take home container) for around $20. Great food and service for the value. I highly recommend Izumi to even the budget conscious diner. If you enjoy Asian cuisine (specifically Japanese) , you definitely should give Izumi a try if you...

I would totally recommend trying this restaurant. But I will say, it’s because of the service. Honestly, the food was okay. Potato croquettes appetizer was DELICIOUS. The Las Vegas roll was just okay. The Thai tea with boba was not very good to my taste, but someone else might like it more!

Now as for service?! The best! Our waiter was so nice and funny from the start of the meal to the end. When he found out my sister could not have gluten, he recommended new sushi for her to get instead of the one she ordered with gluten on accident. He brought gluten free soy sauce and ensured she got a new fully gluten free roll. He also did not mind my opinions of my drink and sushi not being the best lol because he noticed I did not drink much of the tea. I did not catch his name, but I just know he was the best!! Thanks for a great time at this restaurant. :D

I will for sure be back to...