素敵な雰圍氣である御店で食す、絶品イタリア料理のコース : Miyajima Re Kuro

Today (Sunday, June 5, 2022), I had lunch at "Miyajima Le Clos" in Miyajimacho, Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture. This is an Italian restaurant located in Miyajima, Aki. "Miyajima, Aki" is a famous tourist destination both in Japan and around the world, but for me as a child, it was just one of the destinations we would go to when we went on a short trip with my family. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was true that there were many foreign visitors throughout Japan, but in the Hiroshima metropolitan area, it seemed that more Europeans than Asians visited the restaurant. That aside, the restaurant is located on Machiya Street, but since it is a little further back, there should be relatively few people visiting. Most people probably only walk along the main street where many souvenir shops where tents used to be set up line the streets... I myself walked along the street for the first time in years, and was surprised to see several new shops with a relaxed and good taste. As for "Miyajima Les Clos", I accessed the restaurant's official website and made a reservation online. A few days after making the reservation online, I received a phone call from the restaurant and was informed of the reservation details to the restaurant staff (probably the chef) in mid-May. Today, we reserved "Course C" (5,500 yen) and visited the restaurant as a group of two. Today, only those who had made a reservation were allowed to use the restaurant for lunch, which shows how popular it is. When making a reservation, please visit the restaurant's Instagram or official website. The restaurant appears to have been renovated from an old house, and while traditional buildings in Miyajima tend to be long and narrow, this is a fairly spacious mansion with a garden. We were able to sit at a table by the window, so we were able to enjoy the hydrangeas in the garden. As for the food, it consisted of: Amuse-bouche Appetizer: Cold corn soup and a large serving of focaccia Today's pasta (one dish of conger eel peperoncino, octopus and summer vegetables in tomato sauce, or shrimp and mushroom cream sauce) Today's fish (sea bass) Today's meat (beef rump) Dessert (I chose "strawberry panna cotta") and coffee (or tea) + homemade cookies as a service. During the meal, we had a glass of "white" and a glass of "red" (600 yen each by the glass). For more details on the menu above, please refer to the pictures. As the saying goes, "seeing is believing." My overall impression was that the food was classical, unpretentious, and orthodox Italian. This may be where the chef's style, who has more than 50 years of experience, shines through. Also, as mentioned above, the atmosphere of the restaurant was very modern and impressive. What was a bit disappointing was the service provided by the staff in the hall. It may be unavoidable to serve customers wearing masks due to the coronavirus, but if that's the case, I wish they would take into consideration the fact that they were wearing masks when serving customers. In short, if you are wearing a mask and you are explaining in a low voice, you can hardly hear your voice. Moreover, if you speak rather quickly, it is even harder to hear your voice. In addition, I have been concerned about the "naru naru disease" that has been seen in NHK announcers recently. "Naru naru disease" is a term I coined, and it refers to the way they say "It's conger eel peperoncino" instead of "It's conger eel peperoncino". Also, it is unkind to explain something to one person and not to another. Even if it is not that, because it is difficult to hear your voice for the reasons mentioned above, it is even more difficult to hear the person sitting opposite. The points I have mentioned above about customer service are not unique to this restaurant, but can also be seen at the restaurant in Tokyo. In addition, this is my opinion, but I think that customer service is a performance. I think that it is ideal to perform on stage, not in a drama or movie. The most important thing is to be clear and easy to understand, and not to be embarrassed in front of the customers. [Amuse-bouche] "Colorful tomato terrine" and "Prosciutto". Tomatoes and melon are delicious at this time of year. Both types have a refreshing flavor, but you can also feel the sweetness of the ingredients. [Appetizer] There are four types of appetizers. "Marinated vegetables (Vinegared dish)", "Quiche", "Some kind of pork pate (?)", and "Striped horse mackerel carpaccio", which is in season now. Although it's a cliché, they were all delicious. The quiche in particular was not dry, had a warmth, and was characterized by a sweetness that was just like salted plum. As for the horse mackerel, it had no odor, was moderately chewy, and had a rich flavor. I ate the amuse-bouche and appetizer mentioned above while drinking the "white" beer. [Cold corn soup and a large portion of focaccia] The focaccia was freshly baked and steaming, and although I've forgotten the exact taste, it was rich in flavor. For breakfast, I would have been satisfied with just this focaccia and hot coffee. It was also delicious if I dipped the olive oil left on the appetizer plate into the focaccia. The "Cold Corn Soup" is delicious as expected. It may sound presumptuous, but this restaurant seems to be able to not only add, but also subtract appropriately when cooking. [Today's Pasta: Conger Eel Peperoncino] Today's pasta is "Conger Eel Peperoncino". When it comes to Miyajima, the first thing that comes to mind is the simple reason that it is called conger eel. Also, as was depicted in the morning drama "Chimudondon", "peperoncino" is a dish that cannot be faked, so it is said that it shows the skill of the chef... That being said, I often choose tomato sauce pasta and do not eat a lot of peperoncino, but this is the first time I have eaten peperoncino with such a layered flavor. The conger eel was also delicious. I remember some other customers complaining that the pasta was too hard, but I assume it was boiled al dente and brought to us, so I think it was just fine. After the pasta, we added a glass of red wine. [Today's Fish (Sea Bass)] The main dish was the standard "Poached Sea Bass." The cooking method is described as "the skin is crispy and fragrant, while the inside is soft and fluffy," and the poaching at Miyajima Les Clos was a perfect example of how to prepare a sea bass. The sauce and accompanying vegetables were excellent supporting roles that complemented the main dish, the sea bass. [Today's Meat (Beef Rump)] This was a rump Steak, characterized by its tender, light red meat. The sauce is also elegant, and it goes perfectly with the red wine. In addition, I was surprised at how delicious the potato garnish was. As expected, Steak is a standard main course, and potatoes are also a standard accompaniment. [Dessert (I chose "Strawberry Panna Cotta") and coffee (or tea) + homemade cookies on offer] Both the panna cotta and the hot coffee were delicious. [Overall review] It was a long time since I last visited Miyajima in Aki, and I was very satisfied to enjoy a delicious Italian course in a lovely atmosphere. It was a feast.