I’ve been on a sushi kick lately, making the rounds of the sushi places around here that are supposed to be good. Along the way I heard there was a decent sushi place in the hot spring town near my home, so I went to check it out. The rumor that it’s a bit pricey turned out to be true, but the food was reasonably good.
Sake
It’s a local brew, and it’s pretty decent. Eating sushi without ordering sake is a bit like eating steak without red wine.
Chutoro and squid
The portions aren’t exactly generous.
Scallop and buri (yellowtail)
Buri isn’t actually in season yet, so it felt a bit off that they were already serving it. I wish they’d only put what’s good right now on the menu, but that doesn’t seem to be this place’s concept.
Salmon and hamachi
I ate this a long time ago, so I don’t really remember, sadly.
Sea bream
It was just so-so.
Uni and ikura
The uni was nice and fresh, but the portion was small. As for ikura, unless you’re in Hokkaido, it’s hard to expect the very best wherever you eat it.
A tank with turban shells…
They look a bit small, though…
Turban shell gunkan roll
I asked for turban shell and this is what I got. A bit of a letdown… it really lacked that chewy bite!
Ebi (shrimp)
Ebi is always at least decent, wherever you have it.
Clam
I tend to go for shellfish sushi because of the chewy texture, but the neta was a bit small.
Raw octopus
I think boiled octopus is a little better…
Nodoguro
This one was also just so-so for the price…
Akagai (ark shell)
Again, it’s a bit small.
Autumn sanma (saury)
It’s gone a little soft.
Rather than a place for a proper meal, it seems like a good sushi bar for something to go with your drinks. Everything around it is a ryokan, so people usually eat at their inn anyway. The prices were steep, which made it sting all the more, so I don’t think I’ll be going back…