Ishinomaki is a grill & sake dining concept offering both authentic robatayaki/ Izakaya dishes and Japanese cuisine pairing with premium sake & shochu in the house.
Ishinomaki was once a lively city that flourished as a fishing centre. It was ranked as one of the top three fishing grounds in the world, overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Miyagi Prefecture. However on March 11, 2011, it underwent a drastic change, struck by a 8-meter-high tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake, more than 5 percent of the population was killed and missing, nearly all seafood produce was destroyed, leaving the whole town drenched in a deep, painful experience.
Ishinomaki Grill & Sake’s story began with a mission trip in 2013, when chef-owner, Chi Pin Han, witnessed the lasting damage the natural disaster had on the city. He listened to firsthand accounts of survivors who lost their fortunes and family members, yet continue to exhibit remarkable resilience and a love for the region. The experiences and stories filled him with courage to start his own business at the age of 50. He left his position as a Group General manager and founded Ishinomaki Grill & Sake in 2014. Together with his wife, Janice, who runs the business alongside him, and two of his good friends, who are now his business partners.
With his 38 years of Experience in Japanese Cuisine and the help of his talented team of culinary staff, they crafted creative dishes and experiences that are distinctively Japanese in essence and truly believe in the authentic gifts of the four seasons.
Ishinomaki Grill & Sake endeavours to play a part in reviving and preserving the city of Ishinomaki by working closely with local Japanese produce purveyors to deliver high quality and fresh seafood and ingredients from Ishinomaki and other parts of Japan.
Come experience a feast of the bounties made with a plethora of prime seasonal ingredients. Complementing the dining experience is our carefully curated sake menu, which is prefecture focused and selected to match the taste profile of our dishes. Our wide range of alcoholic drinks are sourced professionally by our own team of Sake Sommeliers lead by Janice herself. We actively visit the sake breweries in the different prefectures of Japan to have a first-hand taste before bringing it home to serve our best to our distinguished customers. Our team is able to assist with pairing sake to the meal so that everyone can have a full dining experience.
We hope you will enjoy the colourfulness of our dishes that changes as the seasons come and go. Over a good cup of sake, we will continue to stay true to traditional flavours, without any compromise.