【勝負店かな…】 : Iru Burio Azabu

Invited by a friend, I made my first visit to Japanese Cuisine 's "Azabu" in Azabu Juban. Apparently, this place was originally used as a guest house for a large telecommunications company. The third to fifth floors are used for reception, the fifth floor for private rooms, and the fourth floor, which we used, for counter seats in a large U-shape. The space was designed by Yasumichi Morita. It is a gorgeous and extravagant use of space. 　It reminds me of the bubble period when we were in good health. The restaurant is originally an a la carte restaurant, where diners decide what they want to eat while being shown the ingredients on the wagon, but today we had a course meal. If you ask for it in advance, they can also make it a course. The first toast was the top grade of Shinsei, "Heterodox Gyoji Kabushiki Kaisha. It is easy to drink, with a light acidity and a sweetness that comes in the latter half. It is numbered, and it seems that it is not available at all in Japan. The meal started with "Mackerel Sushi, raw sea urchin, rolled seaweed"...Mackerel Sushi was placed on the seaweed and served with a crunchy bite. The seaweed is crispy and flavorful. The whole dish has a gentle flavor. The soup stock itself is good, and the sea bream crumbles gently in the soup. Sashimi "kue, tuna" ... Nagasaki kue, fatty tuna with a big fatty tuna. The quantity of the sashimi is small, but it is a luxurious dish in its own right. Pairing sake was "Yamamoto," a draft sake made with spring water from the Shirakami Mountains in Akita Prefecture. ...It too was simply delicious, crisp and juicy. The meal was "hamo (conger eel)"...the right side of the hamo was served with wasabi (Japanese horseradish) and the left side with no horseradish. The left side is a jus without wasabi. The acidity is also tasty on a still hot day. Nodoguro (throat blackfish) grilled with salt...This is also a fatty throat blackfish. It is served with grated daikon radish for a refreshing taste. The sake is a never-before-seen brand from Masuda Shuzo called "Manjusen. It was also very special. Chopstick rest "grilled eggplant with ginger sauce" ... beautifully shaved shavings on it cool down your appetite a little. From this point on, the pace of the meal picks up a gear. The best dish "Yaki soft-shelled turtle"...grilled suppon was served. Is this the climax of the meal? It is delicious, including the soy sauce and mirin-based seasoning. The taste is further enhanced by using sansho (Japanese pepper) powder as an accent. Fried food Deep-fried matsutake mushrooms with vinegared shio koji...Matsutake mushrooms were served. It was the first time for me. Hmm? But they are from Bhutan.... I would feel better if they were made in Japan in such a high-class restaurant, but Bhutan? Well, it's fried and tasty, but I don't feel good about it. The sake here was "Jyushiyo" and the strong snack was "Hida beef fillet, Sukiyaki style"......served with meringue and dipped in egg yolk. Hida beef is delicious. I could have had another piece, but I was already hungry. It was very delicious. Meal "Mushroom rice"...plenty of shiitake mushrooms, daikoku shimeji mushrooms, and abalone. I asked for a small amount just to taste, but it was quite tasty as well. The red miso soup is also very tasty. Dessert "Anmitsu"...Anmitsu with a lot of ingredients. Black sesame ice cream, agar, beans, red bean paste, Soft serve ice cream, peaches, cherries, and oranges. It was not without reason that it was not tasty, but I ate it all up even though I was so hungry. The restaurant is decorated as if it were in the bubble era, and when you are entertained, it is hard to turn down a job. If you bring a girl, she will feel that you have come to compete with her, and the rest is up to your skill. The sake at this restaurant is excellent, and sake lovers will love it. 　However, even though I do not have a deep knowledge of sake and do not usually drink it, I can tell that it is delicious, but I do not really understand how much I appreciate it. Even I myself feel that today's sake is a waste. I am sorry for being a cat with a small coin and a horse's ear with a Buddhist prayer.... If I ever have a chance to compete, I will come back.