“I first visited Tokyo in the winter of ‘94 and fell in love with the harmony and precision of the food, every bento was a work of art.
If beautiful food, fast was humanly possible then Japan was leading the way.
I returned home determined to create a new kind of food place altogether."
I had no idea how hard it would be, but itsu Chelsea, London opened in 1997, itsu Soho three years later, followed by 75 more over the next 20 years. New York 2018 and Paris 2022. Most of our Asian-inspired menu is under 500 [good] calories and packed with vitamins, fibre & protein, a third of our dishes are plant-based. But it’s still delicious & fast. We often give away free lunch to loyal customers kept waiting more than 90 seconds Every itsu must have its own kitchen, making nutritious dishes which are steamed [never fried] and made on the spot with responsibly sourced ingredients.
Our green top recycling bins prevent contaminated waste and all our cardboard packaging was amongst the first to go MEPC, as were our lids made from recycled material. Customers helped us design and build the first card sushi dipping pot, saving untold amounts of plastic. Please enjoy many more unique stories regarding our commitment to sustainability on itsu/milestones.”