After a week of drizzly skies, Frankfurt is heating up again—and so is our craving for Japanese cuisine. Maybe you’re feeling the same way? When the weather shifts, nothing beats the fresh, delicate flavors of Japan: sunshine outside, sushi on the mind.
Today’s restaurant, IROHA, sits conveniently at Willy-Brandt-Platz. On days when I want to skip the crowds at the central station, I hop off one stop earlier — and there it is, right by the exit. Convenience at its best.
Restaurant Profile
🏷️ Name of the Restaurant: Restaurant IROHA
📍 Adress: Friedensstraße 6-10, 60311 Frankfurt am Main
🍜 Style: Japanese Cuisine – Japanese tapas, grills, cold dishes, rice bowls, sushi, sashimi, noodle dishes, soup, fried foods, noodle dishes, vegetarian options etc.
💰 Price: around 25 – 55 EUR per Person (incl. Drinks and Tips)
Step inside, and you’ll find an intimate space with warm, soft lighting. There’s a quiet table tucked into a private corner, and even a private room for those special occasions. The steady stream of Japanese guests is a surefire proof of authenticity.
But the real deal lies naturally in the menu. Let’s take a look at the dish highlights!
Drinks: Fruity & Floral Japanese Cocktails
Often made with shochu (a distilled spirit) or Japanese vodka mixed with soda water and flavored with fresh fruit juices or syrups like lemon or apple.
🍋 Lemon Sour
Slightly sweet, fresh, with a special fruity brightness—smooth with just a touch of alcohol.
Japanese cocktails often lean mild and refined, crafted to emphasize harmony and subtlety rather than strong punches. The lemon sour here is not overly sour and very easy to sip.
🍎 Apple Sour
Mild apple flavor, floral notes, with a delicate finish.
This approachable drink tastes like biting into a crisp, fragrant apple with a hint of blossom—perfect for easing into the meal.
Starters
🔥 Grilled Capelin with Roe (2 pieces)
This dish features two glistening silver fish, their skins slightly blistered from the grill, resting aside a bright mound of cool daikon radish and a wedge of lemon.
The capelin fish (called shishamo in Japan) is delicate yet flavorful. Its crisp, edible bones give way to tender, mildly briny flesh with a hint of smokiness from the grill.
They are stuffed with roe, the tiny orange pearls that burst with a salty-sweet pop, elevating the fish’s clean oceanic taste.
🍤 Deep-Fried Scallop (3 pieces)
This dish includes plump, sweet scallops in a light, crisp coating, paired with slightly sour, umami-rich ponzu-based dipping sauce. A side of spinach and tomato adds freshness.
Thanks to the light batter, these scallops are incredibly tender. The sauce lifts their natural, oceanic sweetness with a subtle citrus tang. Each bite is fresh, juicy, and balanced between sweet, sour, and savory notes.
Although this dish is on the pricey side, at 25 EUR for just three pieces.
🐟 Fatty Tuna Sashimi (5 thick cuts)
Marbled like fine wagyu beef, this toro is almostsinfully indulgent. The fat dissolves on the tongue, leaving behind a rich, buttery, almost custard-like luxury.
The high fat content (from the tuna’s belly) melts at body temperature, coating the palate in oceanic silk.
The wasabi here dissolves effortlessly, leaving a fleeting heat without any gritty chunks – just right for tuna’s delicate flavor. Eating this is like savoring a velvety, rich creaminess with every chew.
👅 Salt-Grilled Beef Tongue
Sesame oil wafts them up like a fragrant bath, while the tongue itself is silky, tender yet springy, with a caramelized crust and juicy pink center.
The surface is lightly scored on the surface for perfect cooking, making each bite cloud-like soft.
The seasoning is simple — salty and peppery, with a scattering of fresh green onions and a squeeze of lemon to brighten it up.
Mains:
🐷 Tonkatsu (Deep-Fried Pork Cutlet)
This is the best value dish here: a thick, juicy pork cutlet encased in a crisp, thin batter, paired with a dark Worcestershire-based tonkatsu sauce.
Smoky, tangy, with a hint of plums, the sauce clings to the pork like a flavor-packed glaze.
The fluffy mashed potatoes and egg refresh the palate with mild sweetness and creamy comfort.
The spinach salad, topped with onion and cilantro, is dressed in a goma (sesame) sauce, famous in Japan for its rich, nutty aroma and light acidity.
🍣 Tokujo Nigiri Selection (13 pieces)
Including:
- Clean and mild tuna (maguro) with a meaty bite.
- Buttery fatty tuna (toro) that melts like foie gras, delivering heavenly richness.
- Silky, rich salmon (sake) with a fatty sheen.
- Sweet, slightly firm yellowtail (hamachi).
- Delicate, almost crunchy flounder (hirame).
- Sea bream (tai) with a subtle, refined flavor.
- Sweet, moist Seabass (suzuki)
- Salmon roe (ikura) that bursts with briny intensity.
- Smoky, rich grilled eel (unagi) in a sweet-savory tare (teriyaki sauce).
➕ Extra: Sea Urchin (Uni)
Creamy, briny, and decadent, this ocean custard is like a cold velvet dissolving on the tongue, leaving behind a nutty sweetness, a mineral freshness, and a saltiness as clean as a crashing wave. Its untamed umami feels almost like a sensual rush into the deep sea.
🍱 Una Juu (Grilled Eel Rice Box)
Glossy, teriyaki-based sauce blankets tender, smoky eel, over steamed rice. The caramelized sauce is deeply savory, with a hint of char that clings to every pore of the eel. Its flesh is so silky-fatty-soft that it flakes at the touch.
The dashi soup, with silky tofu and seaweed, is umami warmth in a bowl, softening the meal.
The fluffy tamago (Japanese omelette) complements the savory eel and rice with a gentle sweetness.
Mix the eel, rice, and egg in one spoon for a smooth, savory-sweet bite.
Beyond what we’ve highlighted here, IROHA also serves tempura, sashimi, donburi (rice bowls), chirashi (various fish atop sushi rice), fried goods, and a variety of noodle dishes.
The menu is very diverse, with many dishes carrying the fine spirit of washoku (Japanese cuisine). From tender grilling to quick frying, each works to preserve ingredient’s natural finest. Adding to this is the thoughtful plating, with colors and shapes arranged with care.
Yet some might glance at the plate and think “Is this all?”. True – at IROHA, portion size may be poetry, with dishes crafted not to overwhelm. That’s the washoku way: honoring quality over quantity. Each bite is intentional – think omega-rich fish, mineral-packed seaweed – all condensed in a health-forward, mindful simplicity.
The overall interior has a soft pink theme, which I really liked. I was in a hurry and the gyudon came out in just 5 minutes, along with a small udon soup on the side. The sauce was rich and fragrant, the beef was tender, and the onions had a nice subtle sweetness.
This place is near the Euro sign, so it’s very easy to get to. On weekends it opens at 6 pm. If you come right when it opens, you don’t need a reservation.
The menu is quite extensive, and there are still many dishes we haven’t tried yet. Will definitely come back next time.