It's Friday night.I'm in Jingumae.Tonight, I visited Higuchi for the first time in four months. This is a Japanese cuisine gem that I try to visit every season.Just before noon, I received a LINE message from a lady I was meeting."It has descended...!""Huh? What has?""Natural eel and red sea urchin have descended from the heavens...""Huhhhhh?""No doubt about it, it's a divine revelation!""You've been watching too much Netflix, haven't you? Haha!"Looking back at my past reviews from early summer, I realized that two years ago in June, I had red sea urchin from Karatsu, and three years ago in July, I enjoyed natural eel from Shizuoka.Hmm... It might not just be the wild imagination of a food-loving lady, haha!I casually chimed in, and arrived in front of the restaurant before my reservation time at 6:30. The lady, perhaps unable to shake off thoughts of the heavenly red sea urchin and natural eel, said, "I just couldn't wait, so I came early... Haha!"Just then, the lights of the lantern turned on, and the owner opened the sliding door."It looks like light rain is about to start, so please come inside," she said.This is it, this is true hospitality.Even though I arrived ten minutes early, I was shown to the counter and seated right in front of the chef.Wow, oh my!!!There were skewered eels lying in front of the grill!"Ahem, I have the goods," the lady said with a smug expression.Could it be that the one who descended is the Netflix star?"No, no, no, we still don't know about the red sea urchin," I replied, feeling a bit intimidated by her enthusiasm.Then, during the sashimi preparation, a paulownia box was taken out from the refrigerator."We received purple sea urchin from Karatsu," said Mr. Higuchi.Although it’s not the red sea urchin from Awaji, purple sea urchin is in its prime in June. The western purple sea urchin is small and beautifully colored, and I prefer its sweetness over the plump ones from Hokkaido or Aomori."Hehe, hehehe," the lady chuckled with excitement."See, I told you I have the goods..."Alright!I’ll follow the lead of the Netflix star.Just kidding, haha!Now, let’s get to the main topic.Here’s the course I enjoyed:The counter is off-limits for photography except for drinks.I hope you enjoy my written introduction.And thank you for the wonderful meal.As I mentioned in the title, Mr. Higuchi is truly a master of his craft. His modest and humble demeanor embodies the essence of a true master.In addition, the meticulous preparation and effort put into each dish are remarkable. The Japanese sake recommended by the owner perfectly complements these mouthwatering plates.Next time, perhaps in early autumn.Maybe matsutake mushrooms...? This is one of the Japanese cuisine restaurants I want to keep visiting every season.⚫︎ Appetizer: Tempura with Kuzu Sauce - Fuki: roots and leaves - Clam Dashi: warm kuzuzuke Fuki, which is also a medicinal herb, was lightly battered and fried, served with warm kuzuzuke made from clam dashi. I usually have it as a side with sashimi, but this was my first experience with it as tempura, even the roots... It looked like thin burdock, but the fibers were soft, with a chewy texture like gummy candy. The saltiness from the sprinkled salt was just right, and I was knocked out by the subtle umami of the clam dashi wrapped in the kuzuzuke right from the start.⚫︎ Small Bowl: Sesame Salad with Nine Types of Vegetables - Vegetables: Ito-uri, Warabi, Lotus Root, Moroccan Beans - Dried Daikon, Broad Beans, Large Flat Beans, Mizuna - Kinome - Ground Sesame Dressing Mr. Higuchi ground sesame right in front of me, and the aroma filled the air, stimulating my appetite. "Freshly ground sesame has a wonderful aroma, and while it takes time, it’s essential," he said, pressing down on the pestle with his right hand while slowly grinding the sesame with his left. His gaze was serious. Many chefs might leave this to their apprentices, but it seems he values the texture that he can feel with his own eyes, nose, and hands. He finished it off with a light soy sauce and served it with the nine types of vegetables. This definitely calls for some Japanese sake. When I consulted with the owner, she served half a cup each of Aozora from Fushimi and Atago no Matsu from Miyagi. The combination was exquisite.⚫︎ Grilled Dish: Hamo (Pike Conger) - Grilled with Shimo As I enjoyed the sesame salad and Japanese sake, I heard a lullaby of "Zaku Zaku Zaku" in the background. Looking at the board, there was a thick hamo, about 70 cm long. The chef tilted the knife at about 80 degrees, rhythmically and carefully cutting the bones. He skewered it, grilled the skin, and cooled it with ice water. The condiment was onion soy sauce. The saltiness from the sprinkled salt was pleasant, and it was a dish that captured the essence of early summer.⚫︎ Soup Dish: White Grilled Eel - Eel from Fukuoka: Roji Ike - Scooped Tofu The eel from Roji Ike in Fukuoka. Unlike the mass-produced eels from Kagoshima and Shizuoka, the production numbers are so low that they are almost mythical. Local restaurants are the main suppliers, but at Higuchi, they use very few, so they were able to obtain it specially. But how does it taste? First, I took a bite of the tip. Oh, wow, this is something else. It has a flavor reminiscent of a refined lady from a noble family. I couldn't help but roll my eyes in delight. Mr. Higuchi noticed my expression and said, "The fat floating in the dashi is finely textured, isn’t it? This is the first time I’ve had such a wonderful eel." Ah, indeed. I’ve never seen such tiny shimmering fat droplets. This is amazing. Truly amazing! Natural eels can vary in quality, and mass-produced ones are often greasy! But the genuine ones, raised with care and time, are indeed on another level.⚫︎ Sashimi: - Sea Bream from Akashi - Purple Sea Urchin from Karatsu - Condiments: Soy Sauce (Fujisumi), Sudachi, Hon Wasabi, Salt First, I sprinkled salt on the belly of the sea bream. Phew, there’s no miss with Akashi products. The handling after being caught is impeccable, allowing me to enjoy the strong muscle fibers that push back against my gums. Next, the biwa-colored purple sea urchin. The red sea urchin from Awaji becomes more prominent in July, so at this time, the purple sea urchin from western Japan is the best. Its flesh is slightly sweet and fragrant. It pairs perfectly with the strong-flavored Fujisumi soy sauce (Kyoto-style).⚫︎ Fried Dish: Spring Rolls - White Shrimp - Snap Peas - Sansho - Dashi: Mirugai - Condiment: Sea Salt Last November, I had the last of the hamo and matsutake, but tonight, it’s the seasonal white shrimp and snap peas. Adding the aroma of sansho and enhancing the umami with mirugai dashi. I sprinkled some sea salt with my fingers. The key is definitely the salt. The white shrimp was prepared in chunks. I wonder if the shells were removed to match the texture of the spring rolls?⚫︎ Grilled Dish: Salt Grilled - Natural Sweetfish from Shimane: Takatsu River - White Cucumber - Condiment: Tade Vinegar A convenient size of about 15 cm. I bit into it from the head. Wow, this is delicious! My picky stomach is delighted with the arrival of early summer.⚫︎ Strong Dish: - Kamo Eggplant: Deep-fried - Dashi: White Miso made from Sea Bream Bones from Akashi - Fresh Sansho I diluted white miso in the dashi made from the bones of the sea bream used in the sashimi. I usually find thick white miso too sweet, but perhaps due to the umami of the sea bream bones, the umami stands out more than the sweetness, and I enjoyed it with the aroma of fresh sansho as an accent.⚫︎ Fried Dish: Fry - Venison: Inside Thigh - Daimyo Bamboo - Peas - Watercress Last time, I had bear meat as shabu-shabu, but tonight, it’s venison inside thigh, wrapped in fine breadcrumbs and fried. When I cut into it, it sparkled ruby red. It’s truly a chunk of lean meat. I can’t quite remember if it was sea salt, but the seasoning was done carefully, and it paired excellently with the accompaniments like daimyo bamboo and watercress, making it delicious on its own.⚫︎ Final Soup: White Sweetfish - Clam Dashi The arrival of the freshly caught white sweetfish. A massive one over 2 kg? I imagined it to be a grouper or a rockfish based on the texture of its meat. When I asked, it was white sweetfish... "It leaves in the morning on the first flight and arrives by noon, but actually, we don’t specify the type of fish, so we never know what will come. When I wake up in the morning and check, I get a message saying, 'I sent you a good one from Shirakawa...' and then I think about the overall composition, actually... Haha," said Mr. Higuchi. I was surprised. As expected of him. You need a lot of experience to pull off such a feat.⚫︎ Rice Dish: Four Servings - White Rice: Simmered Beef - White Rice: Simmered Beef (additional) - Takikomi Gohan: - Sweetfish - Choro-gi: Pickled with Ume Vinegar - Chazuke: Asari Dashi - Asari: Fried in Kuzu Flour - Green Onion - Pickles: Cucumber, Kombu, Shiba-zuke, Suzu Pumpkin - Red Miso Soup: Junsai, Wakame I often have simmered beef at Kyoto-style restaurants, but Mr. Higuchi's seasoning suits my palate the best. The highlight was the first time I had asari dashi chazuke. The asari clams floated in the broth, and this was another carefully crafted dish. They were seasoned with soy sauce and fried in kuzu flour. This alone could be a great snack with sake. I’ll have to try making it at my nest next time.⚫︎ Soba: - Seiro: Two Plates - Eggplant Deep-fried in Dashi This soba, boiled upon request, was also delicious. Even a mediocre soba shop would be impressed by its quality. The soba dipping sauce, rich in flavor, suits my taste perfectly. And no wonder, it’s a specialty from the neighboring shop run by his brother, Teuchi Soba Matsunaga. The condiments, including hon wasabi and green onions, were freshly provided each time. Enjoying the soba while nibbling on the sweet and savory deep-fried eggplant was also delightful!⚫︎ Dessert: - Mizu Yokan: Konatsu - Ice Cream Monaka: Ogura I was so full that I regretted not being able to try the almond tofu or another monaka... Haha!