Sushi SanshinI was deeply impressed by the concept of "San-shin," which embodies the three hearts of joy, wisdom, and compassion as taught by Zen Master Dogen. This inspired Chef Ishibuchi to name his restaurant "Sushi Sanshin." I have become completely captivated by the unique sensibilities and dedication that Chef Ishibuchi pours into his sushi, making it a beloved place I want to visit for a lifetime. This was my second visit to "Sushi Sanshin" this year, at the end of May when the summer breeze began to be felt. Since my last visit in February, I had participated in the "Doza Morning" and the "Sanshin Rice Planting Event," so I didn’t feel the overwhelming sense of nostalgia this time and was able to visit with ease. Additionally, I planned to bring my dear friend from Thailand, who has a connection with Chef Ishibuchi, but unfortunately, there was a mishap. I apologize for any inconvenience caused. After regaining my composure, I stopped by my favorite patisserie in Osaka, Patisserie Ravi,e relier (of course, I got some sweets), and then arrived a bit early at "Kizakiya," which serves as a waiting area and sweet shop. Uematsu-san welcomed me with his usual warm smile, which was a relief. When the time came, I headed to "Sushi Sanshin" where Chef Ishibuchi was waiting. The atmosphere was as serene as ever, with a wonderful setup. The lively voices of his apprentices—Kyohei, Kanata, John, Shin, Kaho, and the nervous newcomer Ryunosuke—combined with Chef Ishibuchi's charming smile filled the space with happiness. Now, I’m ready to indulge in Chef Ishibuchi's world from my seat in front of him. I decided to enjoy champagne and Japanese sake selected by the chef and Kanata. ⭐︎Lacourte Godbillon Mi-Panto → The bubbles upon opening were refreshing! Thank you, Kanata! Cheers! ⭐︎Miyagi Suginokawa Special Junmai Sake → This was prepared from the start! It was a dry choice that paired well with the appetizers, making it a perfect match! Cheers again! ★Kagoshima Chiran Tea Cold Brewed Gyokuro → First, Kyohei served a cup of rich cold-brewed Chiran tea! The delicate yet intense flavor enveloped my mouth. ◉Shaved Ice with Furukawa Bay Hairy Crab, Amakusa Purple Sea Urchin, and Kumamoto Tomato Pickles → This dish was perfect for the warming weather, featuring a refreshing acidity and delightful coldness, combined with wonderful flavors! Both the hairy crab and purple sea urchin had no negative elements, enhanced by the tomato sorbet! Summer has begun at Sanshin! ◉Amakusa Isaki Dehydrated Cold Smoked with Charcoal Grilled Kombu Broth and Wasabi → I love Chef Ishibuchi's cold smoking technique, and this was the best I’ve ever had! The preparation of the Isaki was simply exquisite! The layers of flavor from the different parts of the fish combined with the gentle spiciness of the wasabi in the kombu broth were mesmerizing! ◉Akashi Octopus Simmered → Today’s octopus was massaged by John! I must say, John’s massage skills are impressive, as this Akashi octopus was fantastic! ⭐︎Baron de Rothschild Brut → As expected from Rothschild! Elegant yet powerful! Truly wonderful! ◉Kumamoto Amakusa Sawara Charcoal Grilled with Rice Hidden and Spicy Daikon with Sawara Broth → This sawara was also from Amakusa! Thick and flavorful! Grilled over charcoal and served on rice, with a touch of sawara broth and hidden spicy daikon, this dish was elevated to perfection! ◎Kajitani Farm Micro Herbs Kombu Wrapped Sushi → This was the starting signal for the sushi at Sanshin! A small amount of rice with bonito flakes, tightly wrapped with plenty of herbs, and then cut and served! It’s always a joy! Now, the world of Chef Ishibuchi's sushi begins! ◎Yahatahama White Sweetfish Salt-Aged → Starting with the white sweetfish! This time, it was not prepared with the Bresse method but was salt-aged to enhance its flavor! The rice melted in my mouth with joy! ◎Hokkaido Masu Salmon 17kg Marinated with Chopped Green Onion → Next was the cherry salmon? No, it was a light marinade of 17kg masu salmon! This was an incredible piece that felt like a climax! ◎Korean Live Conger Eel with Red Shiso Sprouts Pickled → This was my third season enjoying live conger eel with red shiso sprouts! I was completely captivated by this piece, which has reached perfection! ⭐︎Saga Nabeshima Junmai Ginjo Akaiwa Omachi → As expected from Kanata! You remember well! ◉Gifu Snap Peas Cold Broth Chawanmushi → The snap peas were so vibrant, I’ve never experienced anything like it before! Amazing preparation! ◎Hon Maguro Chutoro with Coarse Salt → The chutoro was also expertly prepared! The chutoro from the bloodline was enhanced with slices of otoro and finished with coarse salt! Marvelous! ◎Amakusa Kohada → Here comes the kohada! Its dignified appearance made me sit up straight! It was well-prepared yet still allowed the natural flavor of the kohada to shine through! ⭐︎Miyagi Abekan Shiogama Gencho → This is great! ◎Chiba Musashi Clam Simmered with Citrus Peel → I named this Musashi clam simmered with citrus peel! Nothing more to say! ★Kagoshima Ikeda Sencha Chiran Tea Roasted Tea → This marks the start of the second round of sushi, with fragrant roasted tea! Chef Ishibuchi has mastered the roasting technique perfectly! ◉Tottori Sardine with Green Onion Roll → The sweet vinegar used in the sardine roll was delightful! This wide range of flavors is part of Sanshin's charm! ◎Amakusa Squid with Pickled Ginger and Squid Tentacle Preparation → Here comes the pickled squid! Chef Ishibuchi explained the reason for changing the order of the pickled squid, and it was spot on! The longer pickling time enhanced the flavor! I loved it! ◎Amakusa Seaweed Rice with Amakusa Purple Sea Urchin → This luxurious piece was meant to enjoy the seaweed! Having experienced its evolution last year, I can sense it will continue to change! ◎Amakusa Horse Mackerel with Kikaijima Green Onion and Sesame → This horse mackerel was truly delicious! The green onion and sesame from Kikaijima further enhanced its flavor! ◎Hokkaido Hokkigai Grilled → Next was the hokkigai! It was incredibly thick with plenty of liver! Chef Ishibuchi carefully cut it to match the shape of the clam! The meticulous preparation resulted in a blissful taste! ⭐︎Fukui Kuro-ryu Shizuku → I’m still enjoying! ◎Tsushima Simmered Conger Eel → The standard course ending with simmered conger eel! Of course, it was flawless! ◉Isaki and White Sweetfish Broth Miso Soup → Enjoying the isaki and white sweetfish together! This comforting miso soup was full of flavor! ◎Thin Omelet with Coarse Salt → And the standard ending is this! Perfect! Now, the fun at Sanshin continues! It was time for extras, and since some items were sold out, I ordered the following 8 pieces and 3 rolls! ◎Kisu Pickled → First, a light pickled kisu! This was a refreshing piece to reset my palate for the extras! ◎Hon Maguro Marinated → The marinated hon maguro was cut into bite-sized pieces! ◎Ohagi → Chef Ishibuchi prepared various ohagi! This time, I had the most standard toro-taku ohagi! Delicious! ◎Nitari Whale Marinated → I was shocked by the nitari whale marinated in the past few visits! I finally realized how delicious whale can be! ◎Kensaki Squid with Raw Tentacles → The pickled squid was fantastic, but I wanted to enjoy the regular version too! The tentacles were delicious! ◎Matoya Oyster Confit → I absolutely love Chef Ishibuchi's oysters! This confit, slowly cooked in low-temperature oil, was outstanding! It’s great that the flavor doesn’t escape! ◎Masu Salmon Marinated → The highlight of the day was definitely this! I couldn’t help but order it again! ◎Green Onion → The green onion was carefully cut to make it easy to eat! Starting with the herb roll and finishing with the green onion was quite stylish! ◎Kohada Gari Roll ◎Squid Shiso Roll ◎Mizukuchi Kanpyo Roll → To finish, Kyohei served three rolls! The kohada gari is a recent favorite! The squid shiso was a first for me, but the ume paste was a nice touch! Finally, the mizukuchi kanpyo was a delightful twist! ◉Senshu Water Eggplant Light Pickle → I ended with water eggplant instead of the usual bettara! This was prepared by hand to avoid breaking the fibers! Delicious! Then, I was sent off by everyone at Kizakiya… Thank you for a wonderful meal! At Kizakiya, Uematsu-san had prepared sweets for us! Of course, I enjoyed both! ◉Homemade Warabi Mochi ◉Homemade Kawachi Bankan Panna Cotta with Kawachi Bankan Peel ⭐︎Sencha → The warabi mochi was, of course, a classic! The panna cotta was made with plenty of Kawachi bankan and was delicious! Thus, this day came to an end, filled with exquisite moments thanks to Chef Ishibuchi and his apprentices. Once again, I felt the wonderful world of Chef Ishibuchi, filled with new challenges! It’s not easy to keep providing new experiences every time! And it was truly the best! I love it so much! I’m already looking forward to the next visit! Thank you for the meal! I was so happy! Less