SUMIBI ＆ ITAMESHI - AOYAMA - Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City

Wanted to eat crab pasta in HCMC but didn’t want to go to 4Ps since their pasta was mediocre. I managed to make a reservation today and was seated at the counter near the window, facing the cooks. Ordered the crab pasta and the crab cream croquette and they were both delicious! The crab pasta was creamy with plenty of crab meat, tomatoes and the tagliatelle pasta was al dente. It reminded me of the crab pasta at A Votre Sante Endo in Ginza, which has my favorite crab cream pasta. The crab cream croquette was juicy and crispy…but the crab pasta was super oishi and yes, way better than 4Ps and just as good as the one in Ginza. One thing I liked was that the chef greeted his patrons and also asked me whether everything was okay. I told him the pasta was very oishi! I’m glad I managed to visit this restaurant and will visit when I come back to HCMC.

The food and vibe were decent, but the indoor temperature was uncomfortably hot. The omelet had far too little sauce, and I was taken aback when they charged 68,000 VND just for an extra serving of sauce. 🫢 It's disappointing, and I won't be returning.🤯

I was craving Japanese-style pasta after trying it a few times in a recent trip to Japan, and the carbonara here really hit the spot. The spaghetti was perfectly al dente, and the assembly of the dish was very well executed with a nicely seasoned foamed Parmesan cream sauce, a raw egg yolk and lots of crispy lardons underneath. After mixing everything the sauce becomes soupy while still coating the noodles well, resembling the style I remembered from the famous ‘IVO home’s’ pastas and carbonara udon dishes I had in Japan. The sirloin tataki was good too (although it was more similar to roast-beef in terms of doneness and texture), overall I recommend this restaurant if you’re looking for a Yōshoku spot in the area.

Food is so good that I already went twice. First of all, it's a small space especially if you sit on the first floor next to the kitchen. It's hot, but cozy. Reminds me of every izakaya visit in Japan and consistent with the experience. Service is good, staff takes your order, brings you food, and leaves you to your dining experience. Also one of the wait staff is Japanese for reference :D Food was delicious. My favorite is the omurice, the steak, and Italian style sashimi. My friend said the pasta was just okay, so i still think the omurice is the highlight at this location. The portion is reasonable for the price and the meal is fulfilling. Overall, I highly recommend this place and will be coming back again. P.S. Reading some of the reviews on here clearly shows people don't do their research on the menu and have no idea what the small shops/izakaya experience is like from Japan :)) don't go anywhere if you expect every restaurant to adhere to ONLY your personal preferences...

Delicious Italian & Japanese food. I loved the seafood pasta & hagashi omu rice