On a night in July 2026,I came to Kohaku in Kagurazaka for dinner, down a cobblestone alley. It’s been about six months since my last visit.As I opened the door, I was greeted by the usual large bonsai tree. I proceeded to the back counter seats.Unlike many popular Japanese restaurants these days, there wasn’t a simultaneous start for all guests. It seems that the start times are set in 30-minute intervals. The ability to consistently serve high-quality dishes without a synchronized start reflects the high level of the kitchen.Since it was July, the famous Ayu Dobon was served. The guests on either side of me were asking for seconds, indicating its popularity. I had been waiting a whole year for this.The course for the evening was as follows:◇ Appetizer ・Grilled Beef Tenderloin ・Sliced Cucumber ・Sudachi Jelly The tenderloin, infused with the aroma of charcoal, is a refreshing summer dish when paired with cucumber and sudachi.◇ Appetizer ・Ayu Dobon ・Sticky Rice The fried ayu dives into a truffle sauce. I enjoyed the hot ayu by hand. The truffle sauce complements the bitterness of the ayu's innards perfectly. Finally, I added the sticky rice to make a risotto.◇ Soup ・Shrimp Shiso The shrimp paste, made without any fillers, bursts with sweetness as it enters your mouth. This is a specialty of Kohaku.◇ Seasonal Side Dish ・Biwa Trout with Kohaku Jelly ・Octopus marinated in Shaoxing wine ・Pike Conger with Salted Roe The biwa trout is delicious, but the two accompanying dishes are irresistible with Japanese sake. Perfect for sake lovers.◇ Grilled Dish ・Saury marinated in Saikyo Miso ・New Burdock Mochi ・Local Spicy Mustard The Saikyo miso is mixed with gochujang to adjust the sweetness. The use of such seasonings is fascinating.◇ Vinegared Dish ・White Sesame Tofu ・Karasumi ・Green Onion The white sesame tofu is drizzled with red vinegar, topped with karasumi powder.◇ Fried Dish ・Kamo Eggplant ・Chimole Pepper The kamo eggplant is soaked in dashi, fried, and then grilled over charcoal. It’s crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside from absorbing the dashi. The accompanying chimole pepper adds a nice kick.◇ Noodle Dish ・Kohaku Noodles ・Egg Yolk Soy Sauce ・Truffle The Kohaku noodles are tossed with egg yolk soy sauce. The combination of chewy noodles and egg yolk soy sauce reminds me of TKG (Tamago Kake Gohan).◇ Clay Pot Rice ・Abalone The clay pot rice is filled with abalone. The flavor of the abalone liver sauce seeps deeply into the rice, creating an irresistible taste.◇ Dessert ・Matcha Warabi Mochi ・Rum Ice Cream with Junzai and Margo There are two types of desserts. The second dish features ice cream paired with junzai. I’m not quite sure about this combination of desserts.On this day, I drank about two go of Japanese sake, using my wife’s special aojiru as a chaser. It was easy to drink and delicious. Before I knew it, all the guests at the counter were drinking it. This will definitely become a regular menu item.It was a great meal.