Sushi Tozaemon: Good-Value Sushi and Sashimi Lunches in Iwade

Overview

Sushi Tozaemon (すし藤左ヱ門) is a smart little sushi restaurant in Iwade, on the inland edge of the Wakayama City area, and it has earned a loyal lunchtime following for one simple reason: generous, genuinely good-value seafood sets. The dining room is more polished than the modest prices suggest, and a queue tends to form before the doors open, even on weekdays.

Two sets anchor the lunch menu. The Otsukuri (sashimi) Teishoku, at 1,650 yen, brings fresh sashimi with tempura, a small side, rice, pickles, a fish-scented red miso soup and dessert; the lighter Tozaemon Set, at 1,320 yen, is ten pieces of sushi — the day's catch, so the selection changes — with the scallop and eel singled out as highlights. A savoury chawanmushi custard can be added for 200 yen, and every lunch ends with a rich, almost crème-brûlée-like house pudding and drip coffee from a specialist roaster. There are tables, private rooms and a counter that suits solo diners, and because the shop opens on Sundays and keeps a children's plate, it works well for families too. It sits just north of the Bizen crossing — approach from the south, since the central median blocks entry from the north — with a large free car park. Lunch runs roughly 11:30–14:30 daily; phoning ahead to reserve is strongly advised.