At the end of June, I visited Akasaka Ogino. Can you believe we’re already halfway through 2026?! Time flies.Since it’s still June, this month’s theme is the summer purification ritual, known as "Chinowa-Maki," which takes place at the end of June and December. The paper tied to the chinowa (a ring made of grass) reads "Somin Shorai no shison nari," referring to Somin Shorai, a figure from the early 8th century who hosted a traveling deity despite his poverty. He was told that by passing through the chinowa, he could avoid plagues and disasters, which is a prayer for family safety and good health. I’ve seen it several times, but this is the first time I learned its meaning!Now, let’s talk about the June menu...- **Aperitif**: Summer sake "Hito Natsu no Koi" from Atago no Matsu in Miyagi. We passed our arms through a mini chinowa to take the cup, and after pouring the sake, we toasted. Atago no Matsu is another brand from Niizawa Brewery, which also produces Hakurakusei. This time of year, we often enjoy summer sake.- **Cold Appetizer**: Corn "Dolce Dream" puree. Topped with purple sea urchin from Yoichi soaked in saltwater, and underneath is edamame kudzu tofu. It’s so refreshing and sweet! This corn is exceptionally sweet, with a sugar content of 20 degrees!- **Boiled Sweet Shrimp and Summer Vegetables**: Served with a broth mixed with wasabi and sudachi. The vegetables include grilled red eggplant from Kumamoto and snap peas. The clear topping is tomato jelly. It’s all very light and refreshing, with no oil used.- **Ayugyo (sweetfish) and Winter Melon Soup**: Made with freshly grated bonito for the broth, including water shield and okra. I started with the broth, and the ayugyo was delicious! The winter melon was also wonderfully tender!- **White Sweetfish from Junichi Fujimoto**: The back is left as is, while the belly side is pressed with a heated iron skewer for a fragrant finish. The umami is perfectly drawn out, making both sides delicious!- **Medium Fat Tuna**: Served with homemade nori tsukudani, yam, and egg yolk soy sauce. This dish is also grilled with binchotan charcoal for a fragrant touch. It’s a staple dish here, especially since the tuna is light and pairs well with the rich sauce this season.- **Golden Hamo (conger eel) from Amakusa**: Served with wasabi and plum vinegar. It’s incredibly soft and fluffy, with a rich flavor (ﾟдﾟ) delicious!!- **Abalone Somen**: A summer specialty here. Fresh abalone puree with Miwa somen noodles, topped with steamed abalone and liver sauce. It’s impressive how they thought to pair abalone puree with somen!- **Hassun**: This dish is inspired by a summer riverside scene with rafts flowing and fresh green leaves falling. - (Square glass dish) Blanched fleur tomato with broth and water shield. - (Round glass tube) Fresh yuba with broth sauce, topped with chopped green onion and ginger. - (Small glass dish) Sashimi of squid with freshly roasted sesame. - (Hydrangea dish) Softly cooked octopus with adzuki beans and local mustard. - (Bamboo tube) Grilled Kobe beef "Hiuchi" (lean meat) with grilled zucchini, served with a yolk sauce in a sukiyaki style. - (Blue Edo Kiriko) Fried Mehikari (small fish) with nanban vegetables underneath. *Please enjoy these warm dishes while they are still hot.*- **(Later)**: Tempura of Silk Sweet sweet potato.- **Grilled Sweetfish from the Tenryu River**: Served with a sweet and sour cucumber salad and black beer. The green garnish is deep-fried wasabi leaves. The sweetfish is grilled head down, creating different textures in the head, body, and tail. It’s a summer staple here, and of course, you can bite right into the head! The crispy head with the bitterness of the intestines and the tail, reminiscent of dried fish, pairs perfectly with the black beer! They select sweetfish around 16cm in size.- **Tempura of Sawara (Spanish mackerel) wrapped in sesame**: Served with grilled Kamo eggplant from Higuchi Farm, seasoned with fish sauce. The batter is crispy, while the fish is fluffy and tender, with sesame adding a delightful accent.- **Simmered Dish**: Flower zucchini from Ichiro Farm in Aichi. Inside is hairy crab paste, topped with fried bonito flakes. It’s delicious! By the way, I didn’t see hairy crab, which I usually enjoy in summer. What a surprise!- **Main Course**: - Unadon (grilled eel rice bowl) - Pickles (kombu, shiba-zuke, yam, cucumber) - Red miso soup with slippery mushrooms and tofu. The eel has a crispy skin and fluffy, sticky meat. So good! - Kinmedai (red snapper) and corn mixed rice: The kinmedai is grilled and served with the "Dolce Dream" corn from the appetizer, mixed with a new white corn variety that doesn’t have a name yet. The grilled kinmedai is delicious, and this white corn is juicy and tasty!You can request refills of either the mixed rice or plain rice. For the plain rice, we have toppings like shirasu (whitebait) cooked with sansho, burdock with kanzuri miso, and boiled shirasu from Fujimoto, along with egg and bonito flakes. There’s also sea bream ume chazuke (rice with tea). So, - **First Refill**: Shirasu two-color rice bowl! Topped with shirasu cooked with sansho and boiled shirasu from Fujimoto.- **Second Refill**: Egg and bonito flakes. Drizzled with sudachi and soy sauce, topped with shredded nori.- **Third Refill**: Sea bream ume chazuke. Only available this season! The sourness of the pickled plum is delightful.- **Dessert**: Minazuki tofu. In line with the summer purification ritual, it’s made with kudzu and wasanbon sugar syrup.- **Fruit Dessert**: Amane mask melon with coconut sorbet and passion fruit. The melon has a noble fragrance! The coconut sorbet is delicious too!With sweetfish, hamo, ayugyo, and sweet summer vegetables, this season is filled with delicious ingredients. The takeaway this time was not just the usual mixed rice bento but also included grilled kinmedai, making it quite luxurious! It was a great meal. By the way, the total amount spent was in the 50,000 yen range, just slightly over.
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