Jesse Ito
Jesse Ito is the Chef and Co-Owner of Royal Sushi & Izakaya in Philadelphia.
A first-generation Japanese Korean American, Ito grew up in his family's restaurant, Fuji: a Japanese restaurant in Cinnaminson, NJ with a cult following. Starting as an after-school dishwasher at age 14, he spent more than a decade working alongside his dad, Masaharu Ito--a celebrated chef--training in everything from prep and pastry to tempura and fish butchery.
Ito began working at Fuji full-time in 2007, and soon took charge of the restaurant's sushi bar. He began developing his own style and customer base, and tinkering with the idea of opening his own restaurant.
That idea became a reality in 2016 when Ito opened the beloved Royal Sushi & Izakaya, bringing his dad with him as a chef, partner and tamagoyaki guru. The restaurant is a lively, unfussy hub for Japanese comfort food and punchy cocktails. Tucked behind a curtain is Ito’s 8-seat sushi counter where he prepares the full 17-course omakase menu himself, nightly.
Since opening Royal, Ito has been named an Eater Young Gun and one of Zagat's "30 Under 30". He has also received six award nominations from the James Beard Foundation, most recently as a finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2023.
Ito lives in Center City. In addition to being a chef, he is a photographer, ceramicist, and budding yogi.
Breaking Down With Jesse Ito
“Wake up to scroll around on my phone (so unhealthy–I know).
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“Actually wake up and get out of bed to get ready.”
“Catch a yoga class at my favorite studio Thrive, which is a couple blocks from me. Or, hit my gym to lift weights.”
“Large iced redeye and an espresso at Elixr. Every day, even on days off. I sip on the espresso for 5-10 minutes to chat with the baristas whom I’ve gotten to know and love over the years. This is my favorite coffee shop in the world.”
“Arrive at work. Say quick hellos. Check in with Chefs and GM.
I’ve been working in kitchens for 20 years and doing sushi for 17 years. Timing is critical. The show “The Bear” really captures what it’s like to always be looking at a clock. Through all of my years cooking I’ve timed myself for every task I do, and I’m always trying to beat my time. When you’re starting, it’s crucial to go slow and perfect a technique or task. Once perfected, it becomes a game of doing it faster every time. We’re closed on Sundays and Mondays so today (Tuesday) is our largest prep day. Other days I am able to come in later.”
“Weigh, wash, and dry rice for omakase. Wet/dry hongiri. Measure out vinegar. Set up rice warmer terminal. Another chef will make 2 more batches of rice for the izakaya later today. We make about 60lbs of rice (dry weight) per day.”
“Check fish delivery. Most of our fish is flown in from Tokyo the day prior. It gets picked up at JFK in boxes allocated just for me, then drop shipped to the restaurant.”
“Begin cooking rice.”
“Delegate fish breakdown and other responsibilities for the morning.”
“Begin breaking down fish. Start with hikarimono that need to be salt-cured to remove moisture. Today is Saba (mackerel) from Japan. Most fish from Japan come whole and need to be scaled, gutted, and fileted or stored. Every scale must be removed, and the stomach cavity must be 100% cleaned. It’s a very meticulous process–one we always want to treat with respect. These fish cost between $16-$100/lb.
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“Remove rice from cooker. Sharizu (process of mixing rice vinegar mixture to rice). Every grain must be coated, and this must happen quickly while the rice is steaming hot otherwise it will become sticky. Can’t move slowly!
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“Breakdown Tuna. This is a 90lb quarter loin from a Spanish Bluefin. We will need about 50 more lbs later in the week.”
“Taste Uni.”
“Return to the downstairs prep room to help finish fish butchery.”
“Make sauces, tartares, and other components for omakase.”
“Write omakase menu for the night. Send Japanese fish order to vendor for the following week. Order outlines three delivery days with details like fish amount, weight, location caught, and substitution requests in case that fish is unavailable.”
“Bring all fish for the night up to begin preparing for service.”
“Staff meal.”
“I go upstairs to my office for a small break to think about things.”
“Come back downstairs to help get ready for service.”
“Royal Izakaya opens. I continue prepping for omakase service.”
“Pre-shift with omakase server to go over guests coming tonight, menu changes, and pars for add ons.”
“We begin seating guests for omakase. 8 people per seating, and 2 seatings per night: 6:00PM & 8:15PM.”
“I begin working on the first piece for omakase: Kumamoto oyster with toro tartare and chive.”
“First piece is served. I explain the rules: “Feel free to use your hands. Make sure you eat it in one bite. Sushi is best eaten within 30 seconds for temperature.” The service is like clockwork, and I will get to my last course by 7:30. Guests can order additional pieces, dessert, and more drinks. Next seating begins at 8:15, so seats are cleared by 8:10 at the latest to turn.”
“Next seating begins, and the same process follows.”
“Kitchen closes. Guests finish up while we clean.”
“I head out. It takes me about 20 minutes to get home and park, so by the time I get in I’m exhausted and just want to watch one episode of some mindless TV and eat something.”
“Scroll on my phone and pass out. Zzzzzz.”