I personally have no confidence in my usual behavior or actions. However, if God truly exists and luck is equal for everyone, good things will surely come my way!♪Today, after about a year and a half, I returned to Kiku Zushi for a meal! What’s surprising is that I was able to make a reservation through Tabelog. I’m really grateful to the colleague who informed me about it!!Today, it’s a rainy forecast in Kasuga City, Fukuoka Prefecture.But! Since I came, it seems like the rain won’t fall… I remember last time, it was sunny the day after a heavy snowfall. Just after I entered the restaurant, the rain started pouring, and by the time I left, it had stopped.In just a little over a year, I was amazed to see the changes around Kiku Zushi, including the waiting area and the interior. The tatami room has been remodeled into the sibling restaurant "Hakubun," and the entrance has changed significantly.At Kiku Zushi and Hakubun, about 80% to 90% of the customers today were women. There were only a couple of men, including myself.We started with a dish featuring the long-legged shrimp from Oita. Then we had the grouper from the Goto Islands. A small plate with firefly squid and sea urchin served on red vinegar rice already made me feel incredibly happy.Next came the mackerel from Oita, chawanmushi with hairy crab, and the MeHikari from Miyazaki, all contributing to a blissful aura filling my mind and body. Just as I was enjoying this, a small bowl of nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) arrived, and at the same time, an astonishing ten plates were lined up in front of the counter guests.According to AI, the greatness of Kitauji Rosanjin lies in eliminating the boundaries between "food" and "tableware," elevating Japanese cuisine to a comprehensive art form. Not only did he thoroughly pursue ingredients and flavors as a chef and gourmet, but he also created pottery himself, leaving behind the famous saying, "Tableware is the clothing of the dish."Incredibly, those plates were auctioned off by Chef Seguchi. He explained, albeit a bit hesitantly, that he wanted to ensure their authenticity since there are fakes out there, and he absolutely wanted to acquire them. The audience of ten felt an indescribable emotion as he shared this. (He mentioned it was a bit expensive, but it didn’t seem like just a little. I felt embarrassed thinking I wanted to submit it to a valuation show.) If I heard correctly, he won both sets out of two.The ten plates are inscribed with the character "福" (fortune), but each one has a different style. (If I break one of these plates, it would be a huge deal…?)From here, the pace picked up even more during the golden time initiated by the chef.The nigiri started with squid. Then came the sea bream, conger eel, and striped jack, with several references to Ehime. There’s no doubt that these fish were caught by that famous fisherman. (The price is said to be quite top-tier as well.)The surf clam, kasugo (baby sea bream), and tuna were all soft, deeply sweet, and rich yet delicate in flavor, reminding me of the "dancing large Ise lobster" that had appeared at the beginning, full of life and freshness. Watching the Ise lobster being grilled right in front of me and then carefully prepared promised an exquisite taste.The wave of deliciousness continued with steamed abalone and sea urchin, sweet shrimp, and anago, leading to a complete knockout. Red miso soup arrived, followed by negitoro rolls and a sweet tamagoyaki to conclude the meal."I won’t eat anything else today," I declared to the chef as I left the restaurant.Despite being an extremely high-end restaurant with difficult reservations, I think it has a rare, relaxed atmosphere. There’s absolutely no sense of pressure, yet the service is sharp and conveys kindness.With ten customers present, I felt like I might experience a wait for my sushi or dishes to arrive, but the intervals were short, creating a perfect rhythm. The timing of the apprentice’s service is crucial, and it felt like they were trained to respond in seconds.I believe the challenges of the chef, who is also exploring overseas opportunities with his apprentice’s restaurant "Hakubun" and plans to open in America this year, will continue. I can only hope to have another miraculous reservation like today’s!♪ (Oh no! I forgot to ask for the legendary futomaki as a souvenir!?)
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