If I had to pick the one place that satisfied me most of everything I ate around here, I’d choose this one without hesitation. It’s that good, and it’s not cheap either. Full of anticipation, I sat down at the counter from around 6:30 and ordered a bit of everything.
Sashimi moriawase (assorted sashimi)
Compared with Tama yesterday, the slices here are thick. This is sashimi that maximizes the pleasure of chewing. I can’t even be bothered to mention the freshness anymore.
Otoshi
Every seat gets a little bowl of ark clams.
Wagyu tataki
That chewy, springy texture is superb. You get to feel the real joy of biting into meat.
Shijimi clam soup, ordered as the local specialty
Plump little clams that make a really rich broth. I bet it’s amazing for a hangover. Strictly speaking it’s not seafood but something from the lake, so I didn’t expect much, but as you’d expect from a first-class izakaya, even the minor dishes are properly delicious.
Cod shirako with ponzu
Cod milt topped with ponzu. Just a touch below the shirako I had at Tsukiji, but the fresh flavour really comes through.
Buri kama shioyaki (salt-grilled yellowtail collar), ordered after asking what was good that day
It’s extra large and looks like some kind of T-bone steak. Tender and rich, it practically begs for a drink. It would have been a disaster if I hadn’t ordered it.
Sawara tataki
I ordered this for those who didn’t have it yesterday. Bigger than yesterday’s, but the taste was about the same. Eating only these jumbo portions fills you up fast.
Nodoguro nitsuke (simmered blackthroat seaperch)
I knew it wasn’t in great shape, but ordered it so everyone could try it for the experience, and sure enough it wasn’t great. It’s supposed to be so tender you can’t pick it up with chopsticks, but it wasn’t..
Tsumire nabe, one portion
Tsumire are dumplings made from ground fish paste. The people next to us were having it and it looked good, so I ordered just one portion. More than the stuff in it, the broth was amazingly clean and refreshing.
Anago tempura.
Tempura of such high quality that it would be worth coming to Shimane just to eat this dish. I think I’ll be remembering this tempura often.
A big Matsuba crab, steamed right away for us.
We’d had crab for lunch too, but riding that momentum I ordered crab again for dinner. It’s pricey, but the taste of it cooked on the spot is something special. Unlike at lunch, it’s delicious as is, without ponzu. That’s how proper snow crab should be. The meat was plump and the kani miso was great, so I wolfed it down, but I could feel myself slowly reaching my capacity.
Umeboshi to finish.
So I wrapped up with a sour umeboshi and headed home. I really ate hard that day. Of course.. it didn’t end there. Back home we had a little wine gathering (Testamatta 2005 and Château Monbousquet 2006) before going to bed..