There was a well-reviewed place in Shinbashi, so I decided to give it a try. It is a fusion-style izakaya, and to be honest fusion scares me a little, but I heard they had a big range of sake, so I trusted that and went.
Draft beer
However good the sake is, you start with a draft beer.. The cup is ceramic. I can’t really tell the difference myself, but some people say it keeps the beer colder so it tastes better. Ceramic beer cups seem to cost 3,000 to 5,000 yen or more, but I still prefer a clear glass because it looks more refreshing. Of course, a pewter cup is what keeps beer the coldest.
Soup
There was nothing à la carte, so we ordered the course, and it opened with soup. It tasted good, but somehow I felt pressured to order wine rather than beer or sake.
Starter
The ingredients were fresh. But it also felt a bit gimmicky. The server was a handsome half-Italian guy, and a creeping worry started to set in that maybe that was the real reason for the good reviews..
Kudoki Jozu
There was a sake with a fun name, so I ordered it. Roughly translated it means [smooth talker]. When I checked the brewery’s website, it said they named it that because they wanted to make a sake that would win anyone over. Hmm.. It was slightly sweet and very easy to drink. I thought it would go down well with women.
Not sure what it’s called..
Cooked daikon in a Chinese-style thickened sauce (ankake), topped with shredded leek. Not a Japanese style of dish.
Another drink
Still, the drinking must go on. And of course I forgot the name.
Amasagi hot pot
It didn’t taste bad, but why the sansho pepper sprinkled on top.. Hmm..
Sashimi platter
Akami tuna, yam, sea bream, scallop and so on. The freshness was excellent, but the presentation felt a bit over the top.
Salad
A salad at this point didn’t quite make sense to me. Shouldn’t it come right at the beginning..
Sake
Well.. it was a fun get-together, so we just kept pouring and drinking without a second thought. And again I forgot the name of the sake..
A hamburg steak as the main..
… Up to this point everything had been passable, but this really left me speechless. It didn’t taste great, and it was built so badly that it was a real pain to eat. On top of that, given the price of the course, even a wagyu steak would have been only fair, so this felt far too slapdash.
Ochazuke to finish
The ochazuke was tasty, but the balance of the course as a whole was so off that I just couldn’t enjoy the meal.
Dessert
Way too much jam. Hmm.. A place I’m grateful to, for teaching me that a high Tabelog score is no guarantee the food will be good. Next time I’ll be sure to check the reviews first to see whether the staff are handsome.