Avignon_ mats1984

Last year, when I visited in Aomori, Chef Hanada strongly recommended this restaurant, saying, "Have you been there? It's amazing!" I felt like his enthusiasm was even greater than his presentation of his own dishes, but putting that aside, I finally found the opportunity to visit . Looking at the Goemi-yo, I noticed that the chef had trained at and honed his skills at after studying in France, which gives him a unique background. Upon arrival, I was shown the drink list, which was surprisingly longer for wines than for Japanese sake. While it wasn't a pairing, I ordered three recommended glasses of wine and waited for the dishes to arrive.1. Sardine paste served on a Tsu-garu-style cracker with mushrooms.2. Salted sea urchin and sesame tofu with peas.3. i. Steamed Ezo abalone with shark puree, green beans, and butterbur; ii. Aoyori squid ears with bamboo shoots and wasabi.4. Sashimi: Nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch), tsubugai (whelk), aoyori squid, and sea urchin with soy sauce, sudachi salt, and egg yolk sauce.5. Soft roe from sesame fugu, kinki fish, bracken, and a clear soup.6. Grilled sweetfish with crispy skin, turnip, bakkemiso, and stick shiso.7. i. Yamauchi and clam; ii. Grated daikon and thistle, torikuri crab, and bracken; iii. Grilled root bamboo with bear miso.8. Ankimo (monkfish liver) wrapped in nori with koshi-abura.9. Junsai (water shield), mizu (water plant), yamauchi, and hoya (sea pineapple).10. Grilled silver duck served with miso made from perilla leaves.11. Rice dish.12. Almond tofu with strawberries and milk ice cream (no photo).13. Warabi mochi (bracken starch dumpling).Wines: 1. Champagne, Michel Genet, MG BB VINTAGE 2016, Grand Cru. 2. Austria, Bergland, Georgium, Blanc de Noirs, N.V. 3. Bourgogne, Domaine David Duband, Hautes Cotes de Nuits, "Louis Auguste" 2020.All the dishes were delicious, but the chef has a meticulous approach, presenting each dish with great care. While you can truly savor the richness of Tsu-garu ingredients, the complexity and abundance of information in each dish can make their individual impressions feel somewhat diluted when reflecting on the meal as a whole. Among them, dishes like 5, 6, and 10 stood out as highlights, featuring special ingredients like fugu and kinki fish, which may reflect the chef's intentions. The dish with wild vegetables (7) might also be a highlight for this season.It feels like the essence of Tsu-garu is captured and expressed through the progression of the course. If the highlights depend on the diner's preferences, the chef might want diners to experience the entire journey, which could explain why the impressions of each dish fade as you eat.Ambient music plays in the background, which might be tough for those who dislike this genre. Personally, I was a bit concerned about the wine selection. With ten dishes leading up to the rice, three glasses were not enough (laughs). While I believe this restaurant is classified as Japanese cuisine, it has an unusually extensive wine list, yet it felt underutilized. The overall pacing was unclear, and since I could see the duck being slowly roasted over the counter, I found myself wondering when it would be served, wishing to pair it with red wine. Next time I visit, I’ll know to ask for more wine, but I would appreciate a bit more guidance. Just having a simple sheet listing the order of dishes and ingredients would change the impression significantly.By the way, the price was a reasonable JPY 30,000 with change. If I hadn’t visited that place in Akita the previous week, I might have praised it even more. I heard that eel and sweetfish will be available after June, so while I might not make it this month, that’s what I’ll aim for next time. Less