St. Petersburg Foodies Reviews Isu, the Japanese-Peruvian Spot Under Fortu

Isu sits in the basement of Fortu, and its entrance is on Beach Drive. On March 17, 2026, St. Petersburg Foodies published a review of it, written by Kevin Godbee.

Isu: Japanese and Peruvian plates in the Fortu basement

The review calls Isu Japanese fusion, izakaya and Nikkei. Fusion means Japanese food mixed with another kind of cooking. An izakaya serves small plates for sharing. Nikkei means Japanese and Peruvian together.

Kevin Godbee wrote that there is "nothing else like Isu in the city of St. Petersburg". The reviewers visited in December 2025 and again in March 2026.

The menu has four sections: maki, cold dishes, nigiri and sashimi, and hot dishes. The review counts 8 maki, 5 cold dishes, 12 nigiri and sashimi, and 5 hot dishes.

The dishes they highlight are the Bluefin Maki, the Miso Salmon Maki and the Classic Ceviche. They also wrote that many of the fish are flown whole from Japan and cut up in house. The desserts they list are the Lychee Panna Cotta and the Ube Cheesecake.

They shared the misses too. Two dishes had been changed, and they liked the earlier versions better: the steak and egg maki and the akami crudo. They found the A5 wagyu nigiri slightly over-torched.

Where Isu fits on BellyUp! St. Pete

Isu and Fortu both have pages in the BellyUp! St. Pete directory, and both are in downtown St. Pete. The review says the two places share the same owners and management team.

We did not check today's hours, prices or menu. The review lists Tuesday to Thursday 5:00 to 9:00 pm and Friday and Saturday 5:00 pm to 3:00 am, and the menu may have changed since the visits. Check with Isu before you go.

Read the full review on the St. Petersburg Foodies website, then see the St. Petersburg Foodies profile in the BellyUp! St. Pete creator directory for more of their work.