The day after spending a night in Yokohama's Kannai, I visited Kamakura Kitajima for lunch. It had been about six months since my last visit, but it didn’t feel that long—perhaps because I came here for a pop-up event in June. Oh? The wall decorations have changed to hanging scrolls.It was a hot day, and the greenery around the restaurant was lush, truly embodying the peak of summer. On such hot days, nothing beats a cold beer! So, I ordered beer after beer and kicked off the omakase course.- Kuwacha (Mulberry Tea)- Tomato Koshun-ni with Jelly Served on a lotus leaf, fitting for the season.- Inari Sushi Tempura Filled with mushroom rice. I enjoyed it plain at first, then squeezed some sudachi (Japanese citrus) on the last few bites. It’s rare to have fried inari sushi, but it was delicious! This dish represents the Daimonji Fire Festival in Kamakura, which I didn’t know they had.- Meichi Tai (Sea Bream) Enjoy with salt or soy sauce as you prefer. The more you chew, the more umami comes out. Delicious!- Kuro Shibi Kamasu (Black Sea Bass) The skin is cut towards the flesh. It’s fatty, so it’s served with sweet vinegar pickled turnips instead of ginger. Wow! It’s really rich and tasty!- Suji-Ara Soup This is from a member of the grouper family. It has a light flavor, and the dashi is also mild. It’s made with a 1:1 ratio of bonito flakes and kombu.- Sea Urchin and Eggplant Hayama sea urchin paired with fried Kamakura eggplant. There are people protecting Hayama's sea urchin, and I’m supporting that effort. This combination of creamy textures works perfectly! I’ve never had this before, but it’s fantastic!- Kamakura Beach The beach is represented with kombu and the greenery in the foreground symbolizes the sea. Underneath are kombu-marinated nagaimo (Japanese yam) and white yamaimo (mountain yam). This was a creative dish inspired by the chef! The crunchy nagaimo and white yamaimo were delicious.- Tempura of Sesame Tofu Served with a ginkgo puree and a sprinkle of light snow salt. The creamy sesame tofu was amazing!- Simmered Dish Featuring Tokobushi from Sagami Bay, Kamakura’s kinshi-uri (golden gourd), and Manganji peppers, topped with a jelly made from Tosa vinegar. A refreshing summer dish.Next, it was time to choose the final meal.- Meal - Mackerel Nigiri Sushi, one piece. The vinegar flavor is refreshing. - Pickles (pickled green peppers in dashi, miso with vinegared purple yam, and ginger-soy pickled white cucumber) - Red Miso Soup with clam dashi and shrimp fish cake. - Fried Ribbonfish with Tamago (Egg) The fried ribbonfish was crispy, and the egg was fluffy and delicious! - Sweetfish Somen Using somen called "Yukiyagi." The sweetfish was lightly sweet and tasty. - Simmered Plums and Manganji Pepper Rice The fish was Meichi Tai. The acidity of the plum was delightful. Very tasty. - Whale Zosui (Rice Soup) This time, instead of ramen, it was zosui. Enjoyed with fish dashi, whale bacon, and fat.- Shine Muscat Grapes Topped with carbonated jelly and served with mascarpone and tofu sauce.- Isehara's Sujaku Egg Kuzu-yaki So deliciously sticky!- MatchaOnce again, I enjoyed the seasonal fish from Sagami Bay and Kamakura vegetables. It was a great meal!Mr. Kaneko, who will open a sushi restaurant in September, seems to be making good progress with the renovations, but I imagine he has a lot on his mind. I was surprised to see he had lost weight in just two months since the pop-up!With only a month until opening, I worry about his stamina.Also, the chef will be going on a business trip to New York in September. During that time, the young chefs will take over the restaurant. The chef will let them work freely without his supervision. He even had them create a dish based on a theme this time, which shows a great mentor-student relationship. It will be tough with two veterans leaving, but I wish them all the best!
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