Today, I had dinner here.It's within walking distance from Susukino Station, and I visited with a friend. The restaurant's exterior is easy to miss on your first visit, and inside, there are only four counter seats, as it used to be a bar. Punctuality is crucial since everything starts at once, and Chef Ikawa runs the show solo.◆ Omakase Course JPY 18,700, tax Included ◯ = Nigiri- Turnip puree with fresh sea urchin- Snow crab with snap peas- Dried squid with homemade aged karasumi- Salad of Isaki (Japanese grunt)- Boiled Hokkaido sweet shrimp- Grilled grouper with crushed fresh sea urchin sauce- Asparagus with cold gratin sauce- Kinmedai (red sea bream) dashi with nameko mushrooms- Kazunoko (herring roe) cheese◯ Dried squid◯ Oyster◯ Fatty tuna◯ Red snapper◯ Marinated sardine◯ Fresh scallop◯ Sweet shrimp with kombu◯ Kinmedai◯ Negitoro (minced tuna) topped with fresh sea urchin◆ Ordered Drinks- Junmai Ginjo Saku Waetsu (Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten / Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture)- Sawaya Matsumoto (Matsumoto Sake Brewery / Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture)- Yamada Nishiki Junmai Sake Tanaka Rokugo (Shiraito Sake Brewery / Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture)Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes Total Amount: JPY 25,000, tax and service included------- Details -------First, regarding the course structure, the first half consists of appetizers, and the second half is nigiri, with an exact split in the number of dishes.My impression is that each appetizer is quite substantial, giving a vibe similar to a slightly upscale seafood izakaya. The first dish, turnip puree, was just overwhelmingly large in quantity (laughs). Since it’s summer, sea urchin was featured in several dishes. My personal favorites among the appetizers were the dried squid with karasumi, grilled grouper with crushed fresh sea urchin sauce, and kazunoko cheese.The nigiri was made with white rice and had a mild flavor. Although I had heard that the nigiri would be innovative, I found some traditional Edomae techniques used here, but nothing that made me go "wow!" The ingredients themselves were certainly good, and at this price point, they should be delicious. The red snapper was surprisingly tasty, showcasing its potential, and the kinmedai was exceptional, as expected.The sake selection traveled westward from Mie to Kyoto to Fukuoka. Hmm (laughs). For locals, this is no problem, but for tourists, it might be a bit disappointing (though all the sake was delicious). I can imagine the restaurant would say, "That’s not our concern" (laughs).It was a great meal.I understood that they have a unique approach, and while some may love it, I think once is enough for me. If it were in the JPY 10,000 range, I would have felt it was a good value.*Rating at the time of visit: 4.16
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