On this day, it was the first day of the Obon holiday! I have a packed schedule of food adventures during the holiday, but to kick things off, I visited "Amaki"!This sushi restaurant is rumored to offer exceptional value in Nagoya! Of course, making a reservation is quite difficult, but thanks to a kind invitation from a friend, I was able to visit for the first time!The restaurant is located on the top floor of the Nagoya Kanko Hotel! After passing through a luxurious lobby and taking the elevator up, I found myself in a pristine white corridor!Upon entering the restaurant on the right side of the corridor, I was greeted by a magnificent large L-shaped counter!Amaki operates on a two-seating system, starting at 6 PM and 9 PM, and I was seated for the 9 PM slot!We toasted with beer and decided to share some wine and Japanese sake among the group.**Appetizer** Tokoroten with Snow Crab First up was this refreshing dish! On top of homemade tokoroten, there was snow crab meat, okra puree, and crispy roasted crab innards ground into a powder. The sweet and sour flavor infused with the essence of snow crab made it easy to eat and perfect for this season!**Sashimi** Ise Bay Flatfish The sashimi featured a 1.2 kg flatfish! The flesh was sliced thinly like fugu, and the skin was served with grated daikon and ponzu as a condiment! With a firm texture that releases umami with each bite, it pairs beautifully with the grated daikon and ponzu!**Soup** The soup contained white sweetfish and winter melon! The rich, tender white sweetfish was infused with a gentle broth, creating a comforting flavor!**Bonito** Next was bonito served with freshly grated katsuobushi! As soon as it arrived, the fragrant aroma of katsuobushi wafted through the air! The bonito, rich in fat, had a chewy, sticky texture and intense umami! This dish made me crave some Japanese sake!**Abalone** The next dish was a surprising size of abalone, cut into two thick pieces! Even cut, it was incredibly thick and satisfying! Dipped in a sauce made from abalone liver and seaweed, the sweet and rich flavor of the liver combined with the umami of the abalone created a luxurious taste! If you save a bit of the liver sauce and mix it with the rice, you can fully enjoy the liver's umami, making it a perfect pairing with sake!**Braised Octopus** **Shako (Mantis Shrimp)** The final dishes for our sake pairing were shako and octopus! The shako, with eggs, offered a rich, sticky umami! The octopus was cooked just right, pairing well with the sweet sauce and wasabi!Now, onto the main event: the sushi!Kasugo Squid Mirugai (Giant Clam) Botan Shrimp Shinko (Baby Mackerel) Kisu (Whiting) with Kombu Sea Urchin Clam Red Meat Chutoro (Medium Fatty Tuna) Otoro (Fatty Tuna) Eggplant with Miso Kuruma Ebi (Tiger Prawn) Ichimi Tai (Red Sea Bream) Nodoguro (Blackthroat Sea Perch) Horse Mackerel Vinegared Rice Crackers Toro-Taku (Fatty Tuna with Pickled Radish) Anago (Sea Eel) Tamago (Egg) Red Miso Soup A total of 17 pieces of sushi! The temperature of the rice and the strength of the pressing were just right, creating a perfect harmony between the rice and the toppings! I particularly enjoyed the squid, nodoguro, and red meat! The squid had an exquisite cut that made it almost melt in my mouth, creating a delightful texture! The nodoguro had a soft texture that was easy to bite into, with a rich umami flavor! It might be my favorite nodoguro from all the sushi restaurants I’ve visited!The mirugai and eggplant with miso served between the sushi were delicious, and the sweet saikyo miso paired perfectly with the sake!After enjoying all this and three types of Japanese sake, along with a bottle of Meursault, the total came to under JPY 45,000, which felt like a great deal! I heard that early seating is extremely hard to reserve, but if you’re careful, you might be able to book the 9:30 PM slot after the last train, so I’d love to try again!It was a great meal!
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