絵本の世界で食べるカツオ : Yuzuan

I visited Yuzuan on the last day of my two-week trip to Kochi. According to the website, the nearest station is Tosa-Otsu Station, but even from there it's a long walk. An endless walk. There may have been a better way, but I don't know the area, so it can't be helped. I also took the train to get to the nearest station, but I got on the wrong platform at my first unmanned station, and with the help of a passenger, I was able to get on the train, and I've never been more embarrassed than I was at that moment. And when I finally arrived, what caught my eye was a giant lying shark object. From the side, it had the atmosphere of a former restaurant that had fallen into disuse. I mustered up the courage to enter the restaurant from what seemed to be the entrance, and was immediately greeted by a large statue of Sakamoto Ryoma and his wife. Looking around, the decorations made me feel like I had wandered into the world of the picture book "Mikke!", with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling with a dragon and a dance hall-like light shining inside the restaurant, and I was overwhelmed from beginning to end. There were four suit-wearing men who looked like company workers in the restaurant, but the mismatch between the suits and the interior was ridiculous and, if I may say so myself, strange. I pulled myself together and ordered the set meal of raw bonito, grilled on straw and salted, seared bonito. After a while, a boat arrived on a cart. What's more, the boat was loaded with not only the plate of bonito I ordered, but also the head of the bonito. Needless to say, my excitement instantly spiked at the impact. There were two types of bonito: straw-grilled and pickled. The straw-grilled bonito was generously served with raw garlic and "Igotetsu Salt," which is said to be the most expensive in Kochi. The amount of salad in the back was also perfect, and the yuzu dressing on it was homemade and refreshing, and it was excellent. As for the main subject of the bonito, I tried the straw-grilled bonito with garlic and salt, and the unique combination of salt and bonito was enhanced by the punchy raw garlic, which was very good. The bonito meat itself was thick and chewy, and I felt like I could eat as much as I wanted. After eating this set meal, I finally accomplished the real reason I came here. Yes, to eat the "bonito parfait". Why do I know this? Because I am a big fan of Audrey and Odo-san. Some of you may understand by now, but I clearly remembered that she said that she came to Kochi for a location shoot to eat this parfait as a bitter memory in the past. Therefore, I had to eat this parfait at all costs on this expedition. And the parfait arrived. It was a shocking visual of Ice cream and shiso leaves in a parfait bowl, with bonito sashimi on top. And this parfait was also sprinkled with the above salt, which went perfectly with the ice cream. Also, the bonito was not at all fishy and was refreshing, so I didn't feel it was a mismatch with the ice cream. However, in the winter, the restaurant was not heated at all, so after the bonito set meal, it was a little like torture to eat the almost entirely ice cream parfait. The staff told me that they serve coffee as a service, but unfortunately I don't drink coffee, so there was no way to warm myself up. I would definitely recommend you to visit in the summer. I also wanted to have the moray eel parfait with this, but unfortunately it was not available that day, which was disappointing. Well, I guess it turned out all right. In any case, I could feel the ingenuity and natural evolution of the restaurant's exterior, interior, and food, which keeps customers from getting bored, and it was a very valuable experience to be able to visit a restaurant with a novel and fresh taste. It may be an exaggeration to say that you should travel to Kochi just to visit this restaurant, but why not include it in your itinerary? You will surely be lost in a world you have never experienced in a restaurant.