Onibaba by Tsukushinbo
Japanese restaurant · International District ·
Onigiri, ochazuke, ramen, and sushi rolls served.
Onigiri, ochazuke, ramen, and sushi rolls served.
"This very special Japanese restaurant in the ID specializes in onigiri, and with ties to the late Tsukushinbo, it’s not surprising that this place rules. The long list of fillings covers a lot of ground, like marinated egg, shrimp tempura with honey-laced mayo, and spicy cod roe. And sure, the rice parcels are so good that you could end up perfectly happy by flipping a coin to decide your order. But don’t leave it all to chance—the yaki onigiri is non-negotiable, whether grilled in sweet soy sauce until crackly and topped with a pat of melted butter or covered in torched cheese. Don't forget some textbook pan-seared gyoza, brothy salmon and roe ochazuke, and silky curry udon noodles." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley
"If it weren't for the long line of eager customers seen wrapped around the building around lunchtime on Fridays, you might be unaware a restaurant lay hidden behind a simple red door in Japantown. Great sushi, but known for their daily ramen specials (Friday's sought-after shoyu variety), Tsukushinbo is one of our new favorites." - Shore
"This International District spot specializes in onigiri, though you'll also want to nab what we consider to be the platonic ideal of gyoza, with a delicate wrapper, plump filling that drips with pork juices, and a golden lacy pan-seared crust. They shine among a spread full of fish-stuffed rice parcels and soothing soup." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley
"This very special restaurant in the CID specializes in onigiri, with fillings that cover a lot of ground, like marinated egg, shrimp tempura with honey-laced mayo, and spicy cod roe. The rice parcels are so good that you could end up flipping a coin and be happy. But don’t leave it all to chance—the yaki onigiri is non-negotiable, whether grilled in sweet soy sauce until crackly and topped with a pat of melted butter or covered in torched cheese. Don't forget some textbook pan-seared gyoza, or their silky curry udon noodles, either." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley, gabe guarente
"Onibaba specializes in onigiri, and it's terrific. The long list of fillings covers a lot of ground, like marinated egg, shrimp tempura with honey-laced mayo, and spicy cod roe. These rice parcels are so good that you could end up perfectly happy by flipping a coin to decide your order, but don’t leave it all to chance—the yaki onigiri is non-negotiable, whether grilled in sweet soy sauce until crackly and topped with a pat of butter or covered in gooey torched cheese. Schedule a long "meeting" on your calendar and have a special solo lunch." - aimee rizzo, carlo mantuano, kayla sager riley