Everybody knows that Sao Paulo is the best city to eat great Japanese food outside Japan. I always…read morehad great experiences eating at Izakaya Issa, one of the best Japanese food I have already had (different from te sushi-sashimi we are use to). I have never been in Japan, but I heard that Izakaya Issa is very authentic and traditional. The ladies working there are always very friendly, and Dona Margarida Haraguchi, the owner, is so sweet and conversationist! The star dishes from the place is the octopus balls (really creamy and well-flavored) and the ramen!

An Izakaya is first and foremost a neighborhood bar that serves drinks and bar food. This place did…read morea great job making me feel welcome, offering me a menu in English as we greeted. There were certainly plenty of Japanese speaking customers mixed in with Portuguese. And I, the odd tourist, felt right at home. The bamboo shoot and shitake mushroom appetizers were delectable. The chicken broth ramen was insipid. The Gyukatsu Kare (breaded fried beef with curry sauce over rice) was better, but not the ultra crispy panko planks I've had in some places. Maybe it was because I ordered it at the end of the night. The Brazilian brewed cold sake was really good. Could hardly tell the difference from Japanese sake. But, the highlight of the dinner of Sanma Shio--grilled pike mackerel with sea salt. Inexpensive for Sanma, uber fresh, grilled crispy so that you could crunch up the head and tail! The service was prompt, efficient and very warm. Even the owner came by to chat several times. Arigato gozaimasu! Obrigado! Thank you.

The mini tekkadon was surprisingly good--I am not a fan of mayonnaise drizzled on raw fish, but the…read moreearthy toasted sesame seeds underneath the creamy sweet mayo balanced each other. The ramen... broth was too salty and the noodles too squishy and starchy. Very pretty set up, but this is not the ramen shop I am looking for.

Serviço rápido e eficiente, ambiente agradável e a comida excelente! Drinks incríveis também…read more Recomendo!

We had an incredible experience at this restaurant. Their tasting menu was fantastic, you could…read morefeel the ingredients were very fresh. Service was also excellent, everybody was polite and explained each dish in detail. It was pricy but worth it.

Amazing service and REAL food. Cozy atmosphere with very attentive staff. Totally recommended!read more

I'm visiting a friend who lives in Sao Paulo, and she took me here as a must-try! The ambience is…read morean authentic Izakaya Experience, which made it really fun and special to dine here. (We don't have a place like this in DC, at least not yet). We ate in private area shared with another party. We didn't mind as it still felt separate from each other. Around the restaurant there are a lot of photos of Japan, and there was a displayed video of those Walk-tours of Japan on the tv screen. Overall a fun vibe! The food itself was very good. We enjoyed the katsu sando! Very crispy fried bread on the outside, juicy chicken inside. The sara udon was not your typical large noodle but rather pan fried noodle in sauce, so once submerged in the sauce the noodles turn from crispy to soft. It had a lot of good veggies and the squid and pork was tasty too. My favorite dish was the tempura udon. It was a classic dish, and it hit the spot for me. The sashimi bowl was good too, but I've had better. The pieces I had were bit dry and chewy, so it didn't taste very fresh; to be honest, it was not the best sashimi I've had. Good service as well! We got our drink orders and food rather quickly, aside from the tempura udon which came last. It is really busy - you sign up on the waitlist outside. But the line goes fast!

As far as to-go options go, this Izakaya has pared down its menu to have items that travel well…read moreeither for pick up at their window or delivery by numerous options. I got the Karaage Bento--tasty well seasoned boneless fried chicken pieces with finely shredded cabbage, garlic chives with egg, thinly slice marinated bamboo shoot, 2 pieces of tempura roll, kimchi, and sushi rice with a sour plum . I tried to order another bento next evening via food delivery but the restaurant had closed

This is one of my favorite Japanese spots in Sao Paulo. A Japanese bar where you can find an…read moreawesome thematic and simple decoration. Most of the dishes are finger foods as it's a bar and they're delicious, do not leave the place without having an furikaki oniguiri. The beer is always as cold as it can get and you can find Brazilian, international and Japanese beers/liquor. Both owners are always there seeing if everything is running smoothly and they also have a karaoke room where you can reserve and sing a lot with your friends. A must visit in Sao Paulo.

Very small and good traditional Japanese restaurant. The place is specialized in kushiyaki and have…read morea huge sake menu.

OMG. I had lived in Sao Paul for some years in the past but never knew this great izakaya exists…read moreright next to the ramen shop I used to go. Well I do not have to talk about menu because everything they have on the day is in the display. Only some 10 seats are available so you might have to wait. But foods are really great and so homemade and you can talk forever with other people in the counter.