I had been curious about malca ever since I heard President Yamaguchi of Yamako, a tuna specialty wholesaler, mention on social media, "If I were to go out for delicious food now, it would be either Tacubo or malca."Despite its popularity making reservations quite difficult, I managed to find an opening and visited for my birthday.The restaurant has a stylish yet slightly casual vibe, creating a relaxed atmosphere where you can enjoy your meal without feeling tense. Since I was seated in a private room, I felt even more at ease.The first dish served was a rare cold beet soup. The vibrant color of the soup instantly elevated my mood. The yogurt granita, paired with rock salt and olive oil, provided a memorable opening.Next came the signature tuna bruschetta. It featured tartare made from premium tuna sourced from Sakai Port, topped with burrata cheese.The rich and intense flavor of the tuna made it a perfect match for white wine, making me want to sip it endlessly.The following dish was a visually stunning horse mackerel carpaccio. The grilled horse mackerel had a delightful aroma, with a slightly rare finish. The pairing with marinated cucumber was excellent.Next up was a fritto. The flower of the zucchini was stuffed with a mixture of sweet shrimp and ricotta cheese. I was surprised when I cut into the flower, as I hadn’t been paying close attention. The light frying made it a memorable dish both in appearance and taste.So far, the presentation had exceeded my expectations, and I began to whisper to myself about when to make my next reservation. It had been a while since I felt this way about a restaurant, perhaps since La Blanche in Aoyama.Then came the first pasta dish. Although caviar cappellini was suggested, I passed this time due to the additional cost of JPY 10,000 and my desire to enjoy the other ingredients.Instead, I opted for the hamo (pike eel) linguine from the course menu. The sauce was well-emulsified, giving the linguine a slightly sticky texture, which was delicious, but it felt a bit underwhelming compared to the previous dishes.The second pasta dish was tagliatelle with ragù made from Shvebisch pork from Hokkaido. The texture of the tagliatelle was not quite right. In fact, I haven't had a truly delicious tagliatelle yet, so if anyone knows a great place, please let me know.For the main course, I had the charcoal-grilled Aichi duck breast, which was incredibly delicious. It brought my spirits back up after the pasta.The Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wine paired by the sommelier matched my preferences perfectly with the duck, enveloping me in a sense of bliss for a while.The final dessert was fresh melon with mint gelato and pistachio mousse. The mint gelato was delightful, but since I usually enjoy French desserts, it felt a bit lacking.Though I may sound a bit pretentious, I left malca feeling extremely satisfied! I plan to return for dinner à la carte, where I can indulge in my favorites as much as I want.I can hardly wait for my next visit!