The meal at Sushi Ito is entirely dependent on the morning’s catch. Ikuta and Ashiba discuss the menu every morning, shaping each course around the day's finest arrivals. Lunch features ten pieces of nigiri, while dinner offers a course of five tsumami, nine pieces of nigiri, a hand roll and miso soup.

A series of seasonal appetizers opens the meal including white-fleshed fish sashimi, simmered dishes and grilled seafood, followed by a chilled chawanmushi made with local corn and topped with Toyama Bay white shrimp. A small dish of meji-maguro, young bluefin tuna, is marinated in soy sauce until tender.

Presented on deep indigo Kutani ware by the young artist Terutada Miura, Ashiba's nigiri is defined by his unique handling of the shari, the vinegared sushi rice. He serves the rice slightly warm and shapes it with a light touch so that it gently falls apart in the mouth. A blend of four vinegars, including two varieties of red vinegar, gives the rice a rounded finish that complements rather than competes with the fish.

White fish is followed by local aori-ika (bigfin reef squid), aged for around three days before being scored into fine, thread-like incisions and served with shiso. The technique enhances the squid's creamy sweetness and delicate texture. Kanazawa ama-ebi (sweet shrimp) is large and firm with roe attached, its sweetness heightened by a light kombu cure.

Zuke akami, lean tuna, is dipped briefly in a soy marinade inherited from Sushi Ikuta, with a touch of yuzu adding freshness to its deep umami. The toro comes from Noto and is aged before serving, while the kohada from Nanao is cured more gently than at Sushi Ikuta, allowing the fish's natural flavour to come through.

The meal concludes with tamago made from shrimp paste and mountain yam, creating a texture reminiscent of castella sponge cake. The chef prepares it on days when children are expected, a small gesture that reflects the restaurant's welcoming approach to families.

INGREDIENTS
The menu is built around seasonal fish from Hokuriku, particularly from Kanazawa and the Noto Peninsula. Procurement is handled each morning by Ikuta, who selects the fish for both restaurants. Among the prized ingredients is Kanazawa Ama-ebi, a designation given to only a small fraction of sweet shrimp caught by Kanazawa fishermen. Only the largest shrimp carrying roe earn the name. The rice is a blend that includes Ishikawa-grown Koshihikari, while vegetables are sourced locally whenever possible. Wasabi comes from Shizuoka Prefecture, and kelp is harvested in southern Hokkaido. For the nikiri sweetened soy glaze, the restaurant deliberately uses soy sauce from Chiba rather than the sweeter style typical of Kanazawa, giving the sushi a cleaner, more balanced finish.