With over 21 years of experience creating and innovating Japanese cuisine, Head Chef Emiliano is pushing the limit at Izanagi Restaurant in the heart of VI.

After searching for over a year for the ‘right’ chef, owner Boulos chose Emiliano after tasting his gastronomic expertise at the top Japanese restaurant in Beirut: Yabani Restaurant, over 3 years ago.

If you come to Izanagi, LIL reviewers have consistently said you will not be disappointed. One of only a few restaurants in Lagos that has received a steady 4 and a half stars out of five, this restaurant is definitely on the up and up.

Izanagi’s completely Japanese menu boasts a variety of dishes from noodles, soup noodles, tempura and dumplings, rice, salads and soups and of course sushi, maki and temaki.

Amongst these are the Chef’s specialties-all created and invented by Chef Emiliano himself.   When asked his favourite dish to showcase, Emiliano does not hesitate to introduce the Panko Salmon Salad- a hugely popular dish with Lagosians. A simple dish, the salmon speaks for itself, raw and mixed with bread crumbs and Emiliano’s special sauce.  Almost 99% of Izanagi’s ingredients are imported from all over the world- salmon from Scotland, tuna from Philippines. It doesn’t get much more world class than this. 

Next, he showcases perhaps his most interesting- the Izanagi Twins. Named after owner Boulos’ twin daughters the day they were born, this somewhat simple maki roll is topped with spicy salmon, eel sauce (specially prepared in house), spicy mayo sauce, tobiko fish eggs (imported from Japan, China and Thailand) and finally, crunchy peanuts and a secret crunchy ingredient- corn flakes! This amazing dish is packed with flavour and blends its sweet/ spicy combination to perfection.

You can round up your tasting experience with the Tataki Tuna Salad- another specialty of Chef Emiliano and a new addition to this year’s menu. It’s colourful, garnished with spring onions, soy beans, dim sauce and miso paste mixed with Japanese lime. It’s a perfectionist’s dish- perhaps a typical characteristic of some of the world’s finest chefs.

There’s no doubt Chef Emiliano loves experimenting with new ideas, birthing new creations in the process.  So what do we have to look forward to?  A consistently changing menu, reinvented to perfection. Fully booked almost every night, don’t let another month go by without visiting Izanagi- it’s worth the wait.

Enoy with a Reserve Mouton Cade - Saint Emilion

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