コロタン
Located near the A5 exit of Ningyocho Station, this popular restaurant specializes in game cuisine. Today, we held a welcome party for a new colleague who joined in October, limiting the gathering to 3 people to avoid crowding due to the pandemic. The junior colleague who organized the event chose this restaurant, which I had tried to make reservations at several times before but had to give up due to being fully booked. Finally, our wish came true, and the junior colleague seemed delighted. Personally, I probably wouldn't have gone out of my way to try game cuisine, but I saw this as a good opportunity to have something interesting to talk about. The restaurant is located on the second floor of a mixed-use building and has a cozy, dimly lit atmosphere with fur decorations on the walls. Since we had made a reservation, we were promptly seated at a table near the entrance. At the junior colleague's strong request, we decided to go with a la carte dishes rather than a set course. We started with a toast, and I ordered the Honey Tomato Umeshu (580 yen), which was easy to drink with a subtle tomato flavor. For food, after discussing with the group, we ordered the Meat Appetizer Assortment (1,880 yen), Badger Tataki (1,800 yen), Ezo Deer Charcoal-Grilled Steak (1,500 yen), Acorn Boar Charcoal-Grilled Steak (2,000 yen), and Steamed Warm Vegetables with Bagna Cauda Sauce (880 yen). As we enjoyed the deer tomato stew as a complimentary starter, the Badger Tataki was served first. Despite mostly being fatty, it was surprisingly not too heavy due to being cooked at a low temperature. The Meat Appetizer Assortment included Ezo Deer Prosciutto, Smoked Boar Heart, Boar Meat and Pork Liver Pate, Bear Rillettes, and Boar Liver Mousse, which had some unique flavors that may divide opinions. The Ezo Deer Charcoal-Grilled Steak had a rare, juicy texture with a light taste, while the Acorn Boar Charcoal-Grilled Steak had a slightly gamier flavor but rich in fatty goodness. We later added an order of Cheese Assortment (1,280 yen) and Homemade Boar Meat Bolognese (1,200 yen). The chewy texture of the homemade boar meat bolognese with fresh noodles was quite memorable. The dessert that came after the meal (complimentary) was a delightful presentation with fireworks. With the food and drinks being somewhat pricey, the bill ended up exceeding 8,000 yen per person. Despite having some unique flavors, trying it out once for the experience is recommended.