I visited Shimazu, a Tabelog Gold restaurant. While it can be difficult to secure a reservation for dinner, I was fortunate enough to enjoy lunch prepared by the second chef. The firefly squid was plump with liver and had a delightful smoky aroma from the straw grilling. The rich fat of the nodoguro (black throat sea perch) paired beautifully with the vinegared rice, making it delicious. The nigiri was generally on the smaller side, allowing us to try a variety of types. The striped shrimp was sweet and sticky, and the seasoning on the spring sea bream was to my liking. The egg was fluffy and rich, reminiscent of castella cake, while the anago (conger eel) was tender and soft. However, the kohada (gizzard shad) was a bit firm and had a slight fishy taste, which was a bit disappointing for my preference. The second chef, Baba, who prepared our sushi, was cheerful and attentive, making for a pleasant experience. I look forward to seeing how his skills develop, enhancing the harmony between the vinegared rice and toppings as well as the consistency of the preparations. 【Lunch Omakase (Nigiri by Second Chef Baba)】 JPY 27,500, tax Included《Appetizers》○ Brown Maruhata (Kagoshima) Shabu-shabu ◎ Firefly Squid (Toyama) Straw Grilled ◎ Nodoguro Small Rice Bowl Taraba Crab with Flower Pepper and Chawanmushi 《Nigiri》 Arare Kombu-dried Katsuo Sumi Ika Sakura Masu ◎ Striped Shrimp Kombu-dried Aji ◎ Spring Sea Bream ○ Tuna (Ishikawa) Akami, Quick Pickled ○ Tuna (Ishikawa) Chutoro from the Back ○ Tuna (Ishikawa) Kamatoro, Grilled with Marinade Kohada Shijimi Miso Soup Bafun Uni ◎ Anago ◎ Tamago Torigai (Extra) Shiro Ebi (Extra) Shako (Extra) 《Dessert》○ Brown Sugar Gelato ○ Earl Grey Tea ○ Delicious ◎ Especially Delicious Less