Izumi

27157297

Lynn Rinaldi creates some of the finest cucina in the city. When she opened Paradiso on Passyunk Avenue four years ago, I was itching to dine there. I was not a bit disappointed. I still dream of her heavenly rich rabbit ragu over homemade pappardelle.

South Philly is home to dozens of Italian restaurants. Rinaldi has scored a first; she opened Izumi (Japanese for "fountain") a few doors from Paradiso. It is the only Japanese eatery in an area where Mexican has been making inroads.

Two years ago, I wrote the sushi craze had jumped the shark. It seemed the city was saturated with such joints. Then came the lull. Fickle Philadelphians fell in love with tapas and everything Spanish. But Rinaldi hit the mark with Izumi. Apparently, city-dwellers still want their sushi fix.

Edward and I enjoyed a tasty dinner on a blustery cold evening. We slid on to comfortable chairs at the granite-topped sushi bar and chatted with the chefs and servers. Pretty white china and chopsticks were set before us.

Izumi has another plus: it’s BYOB. We brought a rich Malbac that warmed us up during our meal.

We began with a light seaweed salad ($7) that also included crisp lettuce and vegetables.

Japanese menus can be overwhelming because there are so many items. Our server helped us decide which maki to select. The remy roll ($12) was a triumph of tastes and textures. Prepared with eel, a mild whitefish, real crabmeat and a bit of scallion, they arrived with eel sauce, a spicy mayo, bonito flakes and seaweed powder. Eel is one of my favorite Japanese ingredients — and the roll was a knockout at Izumi.

The Passyunk Avenue roll ($12) was a twist on tempura with delicate shrimp blended with spicy crabmeat. This was a first for me; I had never sampled tempura prepared maki-style. The batter was light and crispy. I didn’t need soy sauce at all, as these rolls tasted fine on their own.

Japanese fare is known for teriyaki, sushi, sashimi and tempura. Izumi serves a lobster version of the latter ($24) and it was one of the finest in the city. When our server placed the plate in front of me, I marveled at the mountain of food. The batter was perfect and did not detract from the lobster’s flavor. Although we associate shellfish with the summertime, the colder months produce tastier meat. My dinner included tempura-style sweet potatoes, carrots, shiitakes and long beans. (Long beans are Asian string beans, thinner than the run-of-the mill variety and filled with flavor.)

Soy-glazed baby back ribs ($18) were a welcome change from all the fish Edward and I were enjoying. They were meaty, braised long and slow so the meat melted in our mouths. Edward found them a bit too salty, but this is a matter of personal taste. What goes with ribs? Coleslaw, of course. The Asian slaw packed crunch and was a refreshing partner.

Service was first-rate. The staff brought fresh side dishes with each course, poured our wine and filled our water glasses whenever needed.

I did some online research and was not a bit surprised Philadelphians felt the need for a Japanese restaurant in South Philly. Passyunk is brimming with fine places like Paradiso, Il Virtu and Tre Scalini. Now I can add Izumi to the list.

Three tips of the toque to Izumi.

Izumi
1601 E. Passyunk Ave.
215-271-1222
Credit cards accepted