Here’s my review for this month! (laughs)On this day, I visited "Shumoku Cho Shimizu," a restaurant I’ve been coming to regularly since it opened. It’s a place I absolutely love and want to visit at least once every season. Each month has its own charm, so ideally, I’d like to come every month, but that’s not always possible. This year, after visiting in April for bamboo shoots, I returned in August, of course, in search of the famous Warayu sweetfish. While the young sweetfish in June, which you can enjoy from head to tail, is delightful, this year I wanted to savor the grown-up sweetfish in August.I arrived a bit early today and was warmly welcomed by the owner as I entered the restaurant. By chance, I bumped into a familiar dining companion at the entrance, and since we were seated next to each other, we had a wonderful time together.Recently, due to typhoons and extreme heat, it has been challenging to gather ingredients. I heard that it was tough to stabilize the menu for a while after entering August, but by the time of my visit, they finally managed to prepare the expected menu. Summer brings its own special offerings, after all. I was fortunate.Now that everyone has gathered, we received a greeting from the owner, Mr. Shimizu, and the enjoyable time began. Photography of the dishes is not allowed, but you can take pictures of the ingredients, drinks, and tableware. The restaurant values the experience of seeing and tasting the food fresh, so I’ll refrain from going into too much detail. However, I must say that some ingredients overflow with love.△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼☆Drinks①Dishes☆Impression M (a toast from Mr. Shimizu)☆AKABU Akabu Sake Mirai①Appetizer: A smooth puree of black soybeans from Niigata, purple sea urchin from Yura, new lotus root tofu, and a presentation that resembles ice made with purple shiso, rice flour, and salt.②Mikawa new eel, prepared in a style reminiscent of "uzaku" with natural eel from Gifu.→I was amazed at how they transformed pickled cucumbers into a uzaku-style dish! A new interpretation that left me in awe.☆Gozen Sake CLASSICS Dry, Specially Selected Omachi Non-Polished Rice, Bodai-moto③Ibaraki black abalone, local eel paste with abalone liver, and a soup made with dried scallops and dried shrimp.④Washed sweetfish from Takahara River, served with soy sauce, vinegar, and mustard miso to taste.→The sweetfish, which had just been swimming moments ago, had an incredible texture and a gentle umami flavor that spread in my mouth.⑤Meichidai from Nagashima, Mie, served with Gifu’s rock mushrooms and konbu.☆Higan Daiginjo⑥Grilled Warayu sweetfish, with the head and bones fried for rice time. Served with wasabi vinegar and soy sauce.→The ultimate summer delicacy! Warayu sweetfish! I was enchanted by the aroma of the quality moss it had consumed while growing. Thanks to Mr. Shimizu’s careful grilling, the skin was crispy while the inside was incredibly fluffy. The texture and aroma reminiscent of melon were outstanding. And above all, the liver was a true delicacy. The bitterness and unique sweetness were simply the best. I feel lucky to enjoy these fresh fish that come directly from the Warayu River fishing cooperative, thanks to my good relationship with Mr. Shimizu. After tasting this, I find it hard to want sweetfish anywhere else! (laughs) It’s still the best. If I don’t eat this, I feel like I haven’t truly enjoyed sweetfish.⑦Tempura of Tengu eggplant from Aichi, local crab, okra from Ichiro Farm in a thick sauce, and Akayama chicken.☆Hanayoi THE PREMIUM Yamada Nishiki Junmai Daiginjo Unfiltered⑧Octopus from Himakajima, myoga.⑨Korean eel hot pot, rolled yuba, onion, and bone broth.⑩White rice made with "Inochi no Ichi" from Gifu, sea bream rice, and various accompaniments:• Dried young sardines from Himakajima• Grilled new eel with soy sauce• Grilled abalone with soy sauce and butter, etc.⑪Ice cream made with new ginger from Kochi and other ingredients, peach from Hida, and a parfait-style jelly made with ginger ale.→I never expected to see a parfait glass at Shimizu! (laughs) The combination with new ginger was surprisingly harmonious, with a refreshing and tangy flavor.☆Thin tea△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼It was a great meal! (*´∀｀)Wow! Warayu sweetfish is truly wonderful! I ended up focusing my review on the sweetfish, but the soup’s broth is also reaching new heights. Today, it was beautifully clear, and when I broke the paste, the rich abalone liver overflowed while still maintaining clarity, highlighting the liver’s flavor. I was impressed.Today, since many acquaintances were present, my conversations with Mr. and Mrs. Shimizu were livelier than usual! I had a delightful time.It seems that the first day they could finally prepare the expected menu was the day of my visit, but perhaps because of that, there was a slight flurry typical of the beginning of the month. But that’s just part of the charm! (laughs)As I was leaving, I received a warm farewell and even a precious gift... I am truly grateful.My next visit is in October, when I can enjoy the sweetfish and the first matsutake mushrooms, another month I love. I’m already looking forward to it!