Japanese companies have year-end parties (bonenkai) too, but they work a little differently from Korea. The biggest difference is probably that you have to pay your own way to attend a company event. I prefer the Korean way -_- but at least the Japanese version isn’t a pour-it-and-down-it drinking marathon, so I guess that’s something.
Sashimi
Maybe because it’s a seafood restaurant, the sashimi was in really good shape.
Rice
Hmm… as expected, year-end party food is pretty unsatisfying wherever you eat it.
Sazae nabe
Turban shells are the star here, but it was just so-so. Lately my photo quality has been poor and I feel like I’ve only been showing you food that doesn’t taste good, which kind of hurts…
The table setting.
The beer glasses were about the size of a slightly large soju glass… I know it’s all-you-can-drink (nomihodai), but come on, how much could we possibly drink…
They told us what it was, but I can’t remember the name…
It’s a soup. Not bad, but it’s all cheap ingredients. Sigh. Just how much profit are they trying to squeeze out…
Sea bream head
…
Chawanmushi (steamed egg custard)
…
Baked turban shells and scallops
This place uses ingredients brought in from the Oki Islands, so there are lots of turban shell dishes. The turban shells themselves are tasty. But they’re still not an expensive ingredient… ahem…
Oki soba
This was the best thing of the night. The broth is made from grilled mackerel, and it’s superb. It’s a similar style, but nishin soba and the like don’t even come close. The noodles had gone a little soft, but I ate it down to the bottom of the bowl…
Kind of like a carpaccio…
Some mystery meat came out, then fruit for dessert, and that was it. A bit anticlimactic, but drinking parties are always anticlimactic. Another year passing by without me doing much of anything. Hopefully next year brings something good.