Ishibashi began as a butcher shop in the early Meiji period. The owners also kept a sukiyaki shop next door, and this restaurant has passed down its original flavours through the generations. The fifth-generation owner-chef chooses wagyu beef by its marbling and the quality of the red meat. Seating is tatami-mat only; cooking is done exclusively by one hostess. In a unique touch, the meal ends with ojiya (flavoured rice gruel) made with fluffy eggs. The old-fashioned atmosphere adds to the flavour.