清流・高津川の天然鮎！ : Mikadoya

Located in Tsuwano-cho, Kashima-gun, Shimane Prefecture, this restaurant is a winner of The Tabelog Award 2023 Silver and was selected as one of the 2021 Top 100 Japanese Cuisine WEST Restaurants. I was invited by Mr. F to visit the Ayu Hall of Fame for the first time! And right after the ban was lifted! Thank you as always! The dishes we had are as follows. I will write about the details provided by the organizer, along with my personal impressions. [Meaning of marks] ☆☆Very impressed> ☆Impressed> ◎Love it> 〇Love it> □Normal> △> × [Photo ①] Grilled Ayu with Sansho Soy Sauce ○ This is my first time trying the combination of Ayu and Sansho! Starting with a dish that I don't usually get to taste, my expectations were high! [Photo ②③] Ayu back-sliced with Takatsu River wasabi ◎ Back-sliced Ayu is famous, but this was also my first experience! I picked up the back-sliced Ayu from the ice water, drained it with Sekishu washi paper, and then ate it. I enjoyed the refreshing aroma, clear taste, and the texture of the bones, which were soft enough to bite through! In addition to what is shown in the photo, there were about four more, so the quantity was also satisfying! [Photo ④] Grilled young sweetfish and winter melon, Rishiri kelp and bonito flakes in a bowl of soup stock ◎ When I opened the lid, I could smell the aroma of Rishiri kelp soup stock! The balance was such that the sweetfish was the main focus rather than the soup stock, and the soft winter melon was also very delicious! [Photos ⑤-⑧] Grilled salted sweetfish ☆☆ For the first one [Photo ⑨], I didn't add any watercress vinegar, so I bit into it headfirst and enjoyed the aroma and flavor to the fullest! For the second one, I added watercress vinegar! It's really strange how the watercress vinegar awakens when combined with sweetfish! I had an image of watercress vinegar being more bitter, but this watercress vinegar had a very clean taste! [Photo 10] Young Uruka (salted milt and eggs) ○ I enjoyed the squishy texture of the milt and the popping texture of the eggs! [Photo 11] Bitter Uruka (salted sweetfish digestive tract) It doesn't have an unpleasant smell, but it's very bitter! However, it was a good experience to be exposed to history and culture! [Photos 12⑬] Simmered dish raw Uruka and eggplant with Japanese pepper and rice ◎ It was interesting that the bitterness of the Uruka became very pleasant when eaten this way! Even though it was my first time eating Uruka and eggplant, the taste made me feel nostalgic somehow! [Photo 14] Fried raw Uruka stuffed with miso, sweetfish bone rice crackers ◎ A dish that reminded me of rich sweetfish fritters! It was quite a strong taste, but it was addictive! [Photo 15] Sweetfish sake (I didn't drink it) I didn't drink it, but it smelled great! [Photo 16] Vinegared dish in vinegar, sweetfish kombu-jime, cucumber, tomato, Tosa vinegar 〇 The plumpness of the marinated sweetfish was similar to that of gizzard shad! However, I also enjoyed the sweetfish's aroma! (Maybe it was because of the cucumber that was served with it) [Photo 17] Sweetfish rice ☆☆ This is an absolute masterpiece! The rice cooked in sweetfish broth and the sweetfish's aroma are outstanding! Along with the salt-grilled sweetfish, it was my personal MVP of the day! [Photo 18] Pickles 〇 [Photo 19] Young sweetfish in white miso ◎ A bowl of white miso with a gentle flavor! There was young sweetfish in this one too, so it was all sweetfish until the very end! [Photo 20] Shaved ice with sweetened green plums ○ We finished off with a refreshing water dessert! The total payment was 24,200 yen. I thought it was amazing that they could serve a beautiful Japanese Cuisine with only sweetfish from start to finish! I am very grateful for this valuable experience! It was an extraordinary experience, including the travel time with everyone who accompanied me, and it was fun! Thank you very much!